What Next?

[AndrewA]

The first thing to do is simply to go diving and practice the skills you already have. In terms of more training I would agree with the previous posters that some entry level technical courses would be useful (even if you don't want to be a techie!). Talk with some local instructors and find one who has a similar style / philosophy to yourself , dont get too hung up over which agency.

 

[DCBC]

Does anyone/any agency still do it the old fashion way? ...I guess what I am looking for is a sort of REAL "advanced" dive training.

I've been teaching since 1971. Organizations like LAC and CMAS have actually increased their standards over the years. While the majority of others have reduced the standards for certification.

PADI has "Standards" and other agencies have "Minimum Standards" and encourage their instructors to surpass them during the certification process. The Agency does matter from the perspective of how much the instructor can demand for certification. Therefore if you have an instructor who runs his course a certain way, you will find absolutely no major differences in the program from one ran several years ago.

My program has changed in-that I have added things to it since 1971. Obviously then we didn't have decompression computers to deal with, so this has been added. I haven't however taken anything away from the course content (I've still retained strong swimming skills, breath hold, FMS usage, buoyancy, buddy-breathing, station breathing, bailout, doff & don, blackout drills and mild harassment) and include extensive dive-site/dive planning, gas consumption and rescue into the basic program.

I teach on a military base and my students are primarily fit young men and women who are looking for a challenge. Many years ago I was assigned to teach Navy Divers in the same location and this remains the duty station for Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic). Students are well aware what is required by the military and some of my students take my program as a prelude to military or technical/commercial instruction.

By today's training standards a civilian might consider my training to be like boot camp (having no military training to compare it to). It certainly requires much more than is required to look at fish in vacation locations. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing the matter with a vacation diving program, it's just not what I teach.

I prepare my students to dive the North Atlantic. The water is cold (usually 30-38 degrees) with heavy surge and current. The conditions can be suicidal at times, when no one gets wet, but even on a moderate day it can be demanding on the diver. I teach divers to dive independently without supervision. Instruction is modular in a similar way as military programs are in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. and in a manner followed by many commercial diving schools.

Advanced classes are advanced with deep ocean, navigation (no visual aids), wreck, drift and other experiences. DM includes vessel navigation, boat handling, compressor maintenance, equipment repair, extensive dive planning and full-rescue and evacuation.

I'm aware that others have suggested some of the "technical agencies." Certainly this can provide you with an increased level of diving training, if course content is what you seek. If you wish to build your personal endurance for bad conditions and lower your panic threshold, an alternative is to seek out a military or commercial instructor who teaches recreational diving on the side. You may find an old style NAUI instructor that retains some the old ways and is a "dinosaur" like me.

 

[Bonairetrip]

I think you have gotten some great advice. Two observations:

a) Practice your skills on a regular basis. Conduct drills.
b) Continue your training and (especially) diving. I see four main alternatives:
- Continue PADI training (rescue and then master) -- this seems like, generally speaking, a poor fit for you.
- Old school dive instructor. I had someone harsher than DCBC when I was first certified back in the day. They are around but can be hard to find. As DCBC said, think (especially) ex-Navy diver or ex-commercial diver. I think you would fine real value in rescue class taught old school.
- Cave dive training. By definition, sort of hard to find in the PNW.
- Tech oriented training. Could be a very good fit depending on your instructor.
- GUE or UTD training. The seems like best fit given what you have said. That said, I have never taken the class (TS&M has).

Locally to me, I can suggest two shops: Tacoma Scuba and Capital Divers (Olympia).

I know Capital has taught GUE-F in the past (not sure if they are now) and they also probably do some cave training (the owner is a very good guy who has a passion for cave diving) and they do some technical as well. They also do recreational stuff (mostly via SSI) although they are more tech focused. You could give them a call and talk to Craig (the owner).

I don't know the folks at Tacoma Scuba as well but my impressions to date have been very positive. They have a pretty large tech focus. (I haven't met their tech instructor who is described as, "Randy is the Jedi Master on all things diving related. A former Commercial diver, and Coast Guard Chief, Randy is now Tacoma SCUBA’s Technical diving instructor." I think they are SDI/TDI

 

[I-dive]

Everyone, thank you for your informative replies! I have learned a lot from this thread. I am one of Randar's dive buddies. There is a good group of us that dive very often and are quickly getting a reputation of being willing to dive any body of water and never letting our gear dry all the way out.

I would eventually like to start getting technical certifications so that I can learn my limits and my gear that much better. I was told by a very reputable diver in the area that a good diver should have two certifications past the diving that he plans to do. That way you are trained for any and all situations that you are likely to get into.

This is a topic that Randar and I have discussed many times. I like PADI and am very grateful for the training I have gotten from them, but think that a more demanding curriculum would be beneficial as we are more than just tropical water vacation divers and would like to know more and become even more competent divers.

Thanks again for all of the informative replies!

Kurtis

 

[Randar]

Again to relay the tenor of my original post:

What Next?

I really like the sound of GUE, but it seems it is pretty hard to find a "Local" instructor. I also am a bit standoffish regarding the "Standardized Equipment" philosophy, given that most of us put our equipment together a few pieces at a time.

There was one post on SOLO diver training with not much to follow...Where do I find info on this???

Thanks

~R~

 

[TSandM]

Randar, why don't you get in touch with *dave*? He's down in Medford, and he dives a DIR setup. He's taken UTD Essentials and Rec 2. I know he'd love to talk to you about what he's done and what he thought about it. He's a very nice guy and a lovely diver. I know Medford isn't exactly next door, but it's closer than Seattle, which would be my next suggestion -- I'd be delighted to spend a couple of days with you, talking about the system, why I adopted it, and how it works.

If you were to decide to go that way (and I think it would really meet your needs) you'd be surprised at how little it can cost you to change your gear. You can sell what you have, and if you are vigilant, you can pick up used equipment for considerably less than new. In addition, I know Golem Gear and HOG/Edge have had some impressive sales on new backplate and wing setups.