Trimix Deep Dive Prerequisite

[Tigerpaw]

I think building the capacity to create and execute a planned dive is key - there is a difference between actively managing a dive vs. just watching your SPG and no-deco limit.

I use the 5-min segments approach. If you have good knowledge of a dive site or a good guide book, build out a dive plan with waypoints that are ~5 min apart, be there when you say you are going to be with the amount of gas you should have - for a wreck dive it might look like this:

• Descent & stabilize: 5min: 3300psi
• Swim aft 150' port rail to pilothouse door: 10:min 3050psi
• Entry to engine room: 15min 2825psi
• Explore engine room: 20min 2500psi
• Exit engine room hatch swim 75' to forward cargo windlass: 25min 2200psi
• Swim 75' to mooring line, stabilize, begin ascent: 30min 1950psi

What's an acceptable tolerance to be off by?

 

[Tigerpaw]

All OUTSTANDING replies, thank you all so much! I assumed it had to be more than just dipping down and back up.

Practice diving with two S80 stages so you get really comfortable with that. I know for some people this can be a little overwhelming, handling them, kitting up on the boat, diving with them, un kitting after the dive, getting the rigging setup for you, etc. Being very proficient at this will take one less thing off you mind and it will become second nature.

For skills at depth, practice buddy rescues from depth. This is probably the most difficult skill and takes a lot of practice. If you have a dive buddy that is willing simulate bringing him up from depth. As others have mentioned being very proficient at holding stops with good buoyancy is key to high levels of diving. Now throw in the fact that you have to control your buddies buoyance as well (and if your diving dry that is 4 gas sources you have to control).

Depending on your ANDP course/instructor and how well they pushed you/prepared you I have seen lots of ANDP divers that just get cranked through there ANDP and do just the bare minimum agency standards with a little S40 stage (and of course not rigged properly) and very minimal deco stops all while hanging on an SMB.

I'd earned my Technical Sidemount about a week before I did Cavern. My plan is to go back to the local lake and get in 30 - 40 dives to dial in sidemount buoyancy and to practice my S-drills. At that point I'll do the ANDP!

 

[J-Vo]

Since your not already AN/DP. I wouldn't plan to do TRIMIX this year. Get some good experience with ANDP level dives first.

 

[broncobowsher]

Since your not already AN/DP. I wouldn't plan to do TRIMIX this year. Get some good experience with ANDP level dives first.

Unless he is planning on doing all three together. That is how some places do it.

The better answer, have a talk with the instructor and ask what they want to see you doing. That will get you an answer that will better match your training instead of us guessing at what they might want.

You asked the right question. You just asked a bunch of yahoos on the internet instead of the instructor that you will be using. This advise coming from one of those internet yahoos.

 

[J-Vo]

All classes should be undertaken under the evaluation by a good instructor of your personal skills and mindset. We should also strive to realistically evaluate our own limits as no instructor is perfect.

Personally, I think zero to hero TRIMIX is a worse idea than zero to hero cave.

 

[cozmo]

I can not say it more practice, practice, practice. If you what to get into trimix diving it will be a journey. I would suggest to make sure your buoyancy is rock solid in the horizontal position and then start to task load your self for example; deploy a dsmb and work on maintaining your depth and trim.

As an instructor I see a lot of new tech students fail to maintain a hold on their depth/trim and usually the OC student will hold a little breath in at the start of a skill and will rise(dam lizard brain). I have had some at the beginning of a class that would get tasked with a skill and would rise up 5 ft and once the skill is complete would sink back down to the starting depth and didn't realize it. As we know when deco diving this is not going to work.

Also Murphy loves diving and once you are comfortable with one skill then add another like; deploy the dsmb and after it hits the surface simulate an OOA emergency with your buddy all while maintaining depth and trim and then finishing by hitting simulated deco stops while Sharing air and so on.

One last thing never show up to a class with new gear(if you can help it) you have not used in the water before. This can pertain to just replaced same gear as if not used/tested it may not preform as expected and can make your learning a little harder.

JMHO

 

[MyBuddy]

For the upcoming year I will be taking additional Technical Diving courses. One of those classes is the TDI Extended Range/Trimix combo class. One of the prerequisites for Trimex is that you need 25 dives at 100ft or greater. I currently only have 9 dives. I'm planning on knocking out the remaining 16 dives but then I thought to myself, "What is the best way I can utilize those 16 dives?" In other words what should I be doing or practicing that will benefit me as a diver at that depth? I'm thinking anybody can teabag 16 dives, but I'd like to make the most of it. As always thanks in advance!

With only nine dives over 100’, how many total dives and hours diving do you have? I didn’t see it in your profile.

So with you not yet having taken AN/DP, I would not worry about practicing taking stages on and off, the buddy recovery, and other skills you haven’t been taught. I also wouldn’t worry about the over 100’ foot dives. Those will come with and after AN/DP. Focus on skills like back kicking, helicopter turns in both directions, getting an SMB up from depth in a minute or less, swapping to your back up mask, and doing all the above while maintaining depth, position, trim, and awareness of your buddy. People have the habit of swimming forward, going up, going down, and spinning in circles when trying to do skills.

Once you pass AN/DP, because you can and should fail if your skills aren’t up to snuff and failing means you’ll be paying more $$ for more time with the instructor, then do a bunch of deco dives in the 100’ to 150’ range. Then schedule your Trimix course OR if I may offer a suggestion, use the money for CCR training instead. Once you get to doing Trimix dives and are paying for 200CF of helium in two sets of double 120CF tanks so you can do two dives over the weekend, the CCR and its 23CF tanks will start looking very appealing.

This year I am working on my skills in an effort to be a better diver. I'll be working on kicks and buoyancy. As part of that I plan on doing GUE Fundamentals in the Fall. I was wondering what does it take to earn a Rec pass and how difficult is it? Any advice or input is appreciated. Many thanks.

So did you opt to go the TDI Tech route vs GUE?

 

[SpeedyJ]

What's an acceptable tolerance to be off by?

Faster and using less gas is better than slower and using more gas than planned, but getting started focus on diving safely and building the capacity to plan and execute a plan.

 

[Tigerpaw]

OUTSTANDING input from everyone! Going forward I now know how to best utilize my time and training going on dives 100ft or deeper. As for taking ANDP and Trimex, there is no rush. I've discovered that it is best to have your skills perfected before moving on to the next higher level. I'm beginning to see from the comments that technical diving requires a bit more than the regular PADI/SDI base courses.

I'm not in a rush or hurry to earn these certs, I just wanted to plan out the best way to take them. I'll start practicing next week with my sidemount configuration until I get it perfected before moving on to ANDP. THANKS for the advice about getting ANDP skills perfected before moving on to Trimex.

 

[Tigerpaw]

So did you opt to go the TDI Tech route vs GUE?

I used PADI for Cavern and Ice and will be using TDI for ANDP and Trimex/ER. Once I'm completed, I plan to finish up by taking GUE Fundies. That's what I have mapped out for now.