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

[boulderjohn]

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.

It's been modified a lot, and DSAT is no longer involved with it. It is now a PADI program, and they are featuring it more and more in their professional magazine, Undersea Journal.

I believe they made some errors as they started, but the program is still evolving. I had an interesting email exchange with the guy who is in charge regarding the on-the-knees introduction of skills. Because I am not involved with the program in any way, I don't know how things stand now, but I suspect that things will evolve.

When I did my TDI training, I talked with my instructor about evolution in thinking within that program as well. The Trimix book we used was written in 2002, and the Advanced Trimix book was written in 2004. If you pay careful attention, you will see a difference.

 

[ucfdiver]

I did the same. My TMX instructor related the tale of a 120m dive where he had to swap stage regs over during the deco as one literally threw it's toys out of the pram. Anybody who can remain calm during is someone I want to be taught by.

umm...what's the big deal?

 

[Ste Wart]

umm...what's the big deal?

You realise I mean unscrew from the tank?

 

[mathauck0814]

Not to imply that mine was the correct way to do things, but I chose the agency based on the fact that they introduced trimix early into the curriculum (IANTD). I then selected a nice, warm, fun place to go on vacation to do the training. I focused on the instructor last and while I ended up having a good experience, there were some personality and style conflicts with the organization of the class and the attitude of the instructor that were at times frustrating (I wanted more structure and schedule, he was very laid back and at times disorganized - which is just a pet peeve of mine).

I might re-order things if I could do it again to 1) introduce trimix, 2) compatibility of personalities, 3) pretty, warm, fun vacation spot to do the training.

 

[boulderjohn]

You realise I mean unscrew from the tank?

Do you mean unscrew the DIN regulator from one tank and screw it into another? If that is what you meant, it is not that hard.

I was once on a recreational dive in Cozumel when the DM had a regulator failure (DIN). I could not see exactly what it was, but I believe it was an O-ring extrusion. He took his BCD off, shut off the valve, purged, unscrewed the regulator, reseated the O-ring, put it back together, and resumed breathing. He did take one breath off of my regulator while doing it, but I believe he could have done it on one breath.

 

[ucfdiver]

You realise I mean unscrew from the tank?

I've done that, but didn't realize such a simple task would qualify my instructor resume.

 

[Ste Wart]

Do you mean unscrew the DIN regulator from one tank and screw it into another? If that is what you meant, it is not that hard.

I was once on a recreational dive in Cozumel when the DM had a regulator failure (DIN). I could not see exactly what it was, but I believe it was an O-ring extrusion. He took his BCD off, shut off the valve, purged, unscrewed the regulator, reseated the O-ring, put it back together, and resumed breathing. He did take one breath off of my regulator while doing it, but I believe he could have done it on one breath.

Hardly the same as doing it during a deco schedule during a sub 100m dive.

I've done that, but didn't realize such a simple task would qualify my instructor resume.

Really? It's all very well saying that on internet forum, but where's the proof? What was the dive, what were the gases? If you're going to grandstand put a little Barnum into it.

 

[ucfdiver]

Really? It's all very well saying that on internet forum, but where's the proof? What was the dive, what were the gases? If you're going to grandstand put a little Barnum into it.

32%/100%. Swapped a stage reg with the deco gas reg. I'm willing to bet several others on this forum have done the same thing.

 

[boulderjohn]

Hardly the same as doing it during a deco schedule during a sub 100m dive.

Why isn't it the same? I would think that one should not be certified to dive to that depth without the ability to perform routine tasks as easily at that depth as at a recreational depth. That's why you go through the training, so that when there is caca on the fan at that depth you can make the necessary adjustments without panicking.

I would certainly hope that if I were in that situation the worse thing that would go through my head would be, "Damn! Now I'm going to have to get that reg cleaned out!"

 

[Ste Wart]

32%/100%. Swapped a stage reg with the deco gas reg. I'm willing to bet several others on this forum have done the same thing.

So you were diving on 32%? So how deep were you?

My point was the guy kept his cool over a hundred metres from the surface. Sound like you could have sent up an SMB with note asking for more gas.