UTD Essentials of Recreational Diving - What graduates say

[randytay]

Because to get to full cave, one would have to start doing deco diving. Or such is my understanding.

Nope. While there are certainly some type of caves that requires decompression, full cave certifications does not require them. Then again, GUE may have their own version of full cave.

 

[randytay]

I'm not familiar with UTD, but that is not the case for GUE: Explore GUE Courses | Global Underwater Explorers

No. There is no decompression for UTD Cave 2 (Full cave)either. I should know since I am UTD Cave 2 certified.

 

[CptTightPants21]

No. There is no decompression for UTD Cave 2 (Full cave)either. I should know since I am UTD Cave 2 certified.

There is no requirement for deco, but it would be almost impossible to run a competent full cave class in North Florida without running into deco.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

There is no requirement for deco, but it would be almost impossible to run a competent full cave class in North Florida without running into deco.

so I'm curious about how this is supposed to work, as my understanding is that the cave system in Florida can be rather deep. I looked at UTD's Cave Diver Gold course that has a max training depth of 100'.

What is the roadmap for divers who want to dive in caves and deeper than 100'? Is it just pursue training in both cave and tech and then combine them together afterwards?

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Sigh. I disagree with this assertion. It sounds good, but I've heard too many horror stories that suggest that not all UTD nor GUE instructors are created equal. One of the reasons I love NASE is that I'm allowed to EXCEED minimum standards with impunity. Agencies, including the oft maligned PADI, hold their instructors to minimum standards. Considering the number of instructors out there, it's not surprising that PADI has more bad instructors. I'm sure they also have more great instructors too. When's the last time you heard about a horrifying accident being caused by a Mitsubishi? Did you even know they were a brand? Being the least popular has a few advantages if you play it right. As was pointed out, it's nigh to impossible to become a GUE instructor, so they have a far, far tighter control and it's going to be harder and far, far more expensive to learn to dive through them.

Ummm ...no.

I am presently enrolled in SDI Divemaster program and I am also enrolled in UTD Essential of Tec. My divemaster course is PEANUTS compared to my UTD Essentials which is not even leadership certification. The ME that will come out as a Divemaster would be SO much inferior diver compared the the ME that will come out of UTD Essentials that the difference is like comparing a Ferrari to a donkey cart.

 

[CptTightPants21]

so I'm curious about how this is supposed to work, as my understanding is that the cave system in Florida can be rather deep. I looked at UTD's Cave Diver Gold course that has a max training depth of 100'.

What is the roadmap for divers who want to dive in caves and deeper than 100'? Is it just pursue training in both cave and tech and then combine them together afterwards?

It's not just the depth, but the extended time spent at depth. You kind of answered your own question. Divers usually are deco certified before full cave or get it soon after.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

It's not just the depth, but the extended time spent at depth. You kind of answered your own question. Divers usually are deco certified before full cave or get it soon after.

I was just expecting something more explicit. That's all.

 

[The Chairman]

Personally, I would love to read more from recent graduates. We have a bunch of old men bickering about this and that. It's been interesting, but I really want to hear from 20 and 30 somethings about what they were looking for when they took a UTD class and how it worked it out for them.

 

[decompression]

Here's my take as a Cave student as I haven't finished the UTD program yet. Cave 1 and 2 (full cave) allow the diver to master skills safely before moving on to considerably higher risk dives, technical cave, scooter, sidemount etc. Those courses are offered later. I'm familiar with Mexican caves more than florida but yes they seem to be deeper, to me that would require considerable dives at shallow depths and more training before moving on. Baby steps.

Cave Gold adds stage bottles and skills but not Deco. Again, ensuring skills of stage handling in a cave in prep for technical cave.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

My UTD Essentials covers the following:

Helium and standard gassed
Minimum decompression and deep stops
Gas consumption and rock bottom calculations.

Keep in mind that we are talking about an agency that teaches helium in strictly non technical and purely recreational capacity.
A lot of things that they call Recreational 3 may seem technical diving to the outside world but it is recreational in their texts. The line between recreational and technical is not the way it exists everywhere else.