What is more important for tec training, agency or instructor?

[50Fathom]

GUE is for people who think the system is appealing; UTD is for people who think THAT system is appealing. For either agency, progressing through THEIR classes makes the experience easier.

I would say that is with any agency. Each one seems to have a different emphasis or style or what-have-you and each diver, I think, needs to find the "agency path" or "agency mindset" that suits their personal diving goals and mindset. And within that framework, find an instructor who meshes with their personal diving and learning style the best.

Found this old interview with Bob Sherwood where he compares it to choosing a path with Martial Arts. (The audio should drop right at the spot, if not, it starts about 10:53 and runs for about one minute, before the website plugs start.) I think the comparison is accurate.

PD17: GUE Fundementals Class with Bob Sherwood (audio interview for Pod Diver Radio) - YouTube

 

[Dustinfl]

nobody has said anything about padi. what is the feeling on them getting into something they shouldnt be? im planning on starting a tech course next spring. getting gear together right know. padi isnt at the top for me but i am interested in what the tech community has to say about there program.

 

[Centrals]

nobody has said anything about padi. what is the feeling on them getting into something they shouldnt be? im planning on starting a tech course next spring. getting gear together right know. padi isnt at the top for me but i am interested in what the tech community has to say about there program.

PADI was totally against technical diving when I first started in 1997.
I believe it is DSAT(the technical wing of PADI?) which is dealing with the course.
The course had been re-modified recently.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Hello,

As I begin my path into tec diving I was wondering, what is more important in training, agency or instructor? I know many agencies have very different reputations and training requirements/paths. I have looked at many options and while I like certain agencies, I also prefer certain instructors that incidentally do their training under a different agency. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

taiwanate

The strategy is to find the instructor employing the best practices for the kind of diving environment and geographic/oceanographic region that you are interested in. For example, if you're interested in Pacific WWII shipwreck diving, you would seek an instructor in residence at a locale where there are a lot of those kinds of wrecks to train on (i.e. SE Asia/Oceania Region like the Philippines, Chuuk, Palau etc.)

If you don't know what kind of technical diving you're interested in yet, then GUE Fundies/UTD Essentials is a good baseline to start with, and a reference standard against all the subsequent future courses that you will consider enrolling in, whether they are in the GUE/UTD Family or not. . .

 

[japan-diver]

There are quite a few good tech instructors out this way including NAUI, GUE, TDI, ANDI etc.. We also have a lot of not so good ones. Make sure you interview the instructor and make sure you are on the same page as far as training and dive philosophy. In tech diving the instructor and his experience is way more important than the initials on the card.

 

[knowone]

When you reach the stage of being, amiable
and diving with divers that experience many
types of diving, their experience may, allow
you to make that decision you are not ready

Divers that make divers are your friend


Others, that suggest agencies or courses that are particular to their affiliations
with limited understanding of their audience should be held criminally stoopid

 

[Pullmyfinger]

The strategy is to find the instructor employing the best practices for the kind of diving environment and geographic/oceanographic region that you are interested in. For example, if you're interested in Pacific WWII shipwreck diving, you would seek an instructor in residence at a locale where there are a lot of those kinds of wrecks to train on (i.e. SE Asia/Oceania Region like the Philippines, Chuuk, Palau etc.)
.

That's the approach I was attempting to take. I was planning to take Trimix training at the Truk Stop with Kelvin, but he has since moved on. :depressed: *Sniff*
It would have made for a great trip....doing all of the training dives in Truk lagoon.

Luckily I'm in an area that has some other options.......It's not like it'll take much arm twisting to hop down to Okinawa.

For technical training, I'm mostly concerned with the reputation of the instructor.

-Mitch

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

nobody has said anything about padi. what is the feeling on them getting into something they shouldnt be? im planning on starting a tech course next spring. getting gear together right know. padi isnt at the top for me but i am interested in what the tech community has to say about there program.

I know nothing about the PADI tech program ... but the pictures in their ads put me off.

Whatever agency you choose, if you find an instructor who has you practicing skills on your knees, run away ... if you cannot perform skills without kneeling, you aren't yet ready for tech ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TSandM]

I strongly second Kevrumbo's recommendation of a Fundamentals class as a first step. It doesn't matter where you go from there, but you will be far better prepared for any technical training from having done that class.

I haven't done that many technical dives, and all the ones I have done have been with GUE or UTD-trained people. But I HAVE done cave dives with people who couldn't do a valve drill without settling to their knees in the silt (believe me, the dive was a very conservative one!) and one, inadvertently, with someone who turned out not to be able to do a valve drill at all . . . We have a technical instructor locally who allows his students to do all their ascents hanging onto the upline. Not all instructors have high standards, and at the very least, you should have something with which to compare.

 

[Ste Wart]

Originally Posted by Dustinfl
nobody has said anything about padi. what is the feeling on them getting into something they shouldnt be? im planning on starting a tech course next spring. getting gear together right know. padi isnt at the top for me but i am interested in what the tech community has to say about there program.

I was pleasantly surprised with the content for the PADI Tec programs. They are very comprehensive. Somebody has thought long and hard about the course structure to come up with good program. Ok they had to restructure it when people refused to sign up for a 12 dive tech course (the old style Tec Deep Program) but the intent is there.

The problem is it's PADI, people don't associate that name with Tech diving. The pre-reqs for becoming an instructor in the programs are dirt simple almost too easy, pay and go. For this reason PADI will be fighting an uphill battle against the established names such as TDI.

I know nothing about the PADI tech program ... but the pictures in their ads put me off.

Was that even worth mentioning?