What's the deal with the "Advanced Nitrox" certification?

[Reg Braithwaite]

I am currently in the middle of a NAUI Recreational Trimix Class out of Miami (Instructor's site Home Of The Runawaylobster).

I couldn't find an instructor in Toronto who would teach the class. Most of the shops up here either teach TDI or DSAT. There's one place in St. Catherines (about an hour away) that does Naui Intro to Tech, I should ask them if they do Recreational Helitrox.

 

[williama]

I couldn't find an instructor in Toronto who would teach the class. Most of the shops up here either teach TDI or DSAT. There's one place in St. Catherines (about an hour away) that does Naui Intro to Tech, I should ask them if they do Recreational Helitrox.

That's a good idea. I currently leave my house at 5:30PM to get to class at 8 PM. Class ends at 11PM and I get home to pass out at 1:30 AM. It helps that I pick up 3 buddies along the way for the drive. This has been a very good team building experience and it should carry well beyond the surface to the actual diving.

Reg: Do you have any regular buddies up there to do this training with? I think that's key for this type of diving. Build the team by going diving and then get the training to extend that diving. That's worked very well for me and the more challenging dives tend to work out pretty well.

I can't imagine living all the way up there and getting into diving. We are a little spoiled here in South Florida.

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Reg: Do you have any regular buddies up there to do this training with? I think that's key for this type of diving. Build the team by going diving and then get the training to extend that diving. That's worked very well for me and the more challenging dives tend to work out pretty well.

Our area seems to either have vacation divers or hard-core tech divers, with very little in-between. There are plenty of nice people who have offered to mentor me, though, so I am quite happy with the vibe up here. That isn't the same thing as being part of a regular team, but we'll see how it goes.

I can't imagine living all the way up there and getting into diving. We are a little spoiled here in South Florida.

Then you need to spend some time getting in touch with your inner Basic Scuba Diver. I consider myself spoiled by the quality of diving available within driving distance of Toronto.

 

[Blackwood]

Reg - do you happen to know if there is an instructor in your area who teaches for both TDI and IANTD?

If so, the combination of TDI's Advanced EANx and Deco Proc with IANTD's Advanced Rec Trimix is a reasonable way to go when you are ready. It would get you access to 21/35, 50% and pure O₂ (only one bottle at a time), so you'd be good to go for anything through about the 160' range. Though clearly a point of contention, I personally don't think people should be diving in the >140 foot range without helium, so I wouldn't suggest A/EANx+Deco Proc without concurrent trimix (unless your future plans include long dives at moderate depth, like 90 for 60, that will accrue deco but likely don't require helium).

Personally, I'd suggest forgoing the Rec Trimix class. At the risk of , I don't think it's going to buy you much given its depth limit.

In the interim, I think the best thing to do would be to get solid in doubles. Maybe sling a 40CF pony (of backgas) and practice switching to it to simulate a deco bottle. Do your intro to tech, and with some time you'll be ready for Tech 1-level training.

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

I think the best thing to do would be to get solid in doubles. Maybe sling a 40CF pony (of backgas) and practice switching to it to simulate a deco bottle. Do your intro to tech, and with some time you'll be ready for Tech 1-level training.

I thank you for your thoughtful suggestion. Up here in Ontario, single tanks are looked upon as training wheels, suitable for learning buoyancy while you are still diving a dry suit. So everybody goes to doubles and then to Tech 1 as fast as their natural ability and appetite for training will take them. So this isn't the first time I've heard this advice.

However... I am resisting the urge to screw around with doubles and deco. I am trying to explore the limits of single tank, no penetration diving at the moment. My wife is not interested in technical diving, and I don't want to go anywhere she can't follow. So my quixotic quest is to try to become really, really good at no-deco diving. That's obviously 99.5% fundamentals, but I am interested in exploring the other 0.5%, thus my questions about Advanced Nitrox and Recreational Trimix.

 

[Blackwood]

So my quixotic quest is to try to become really, really good at no-deco diving. That's obviously 99.5% fundamentals, but I am interested in exploring the other 0.5%, thus my questions about Advanced Nitrox and Recreational Trimix.

Hmm... Well, if you don't have >NDL dives on the mind, I don't see much benefit to A/EANx either.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I thank you for your thoughtful suggestion. Up here in Ontario, single tanks are looked upon as training wheels, suitable for learning buoyancy while you are still diving a dry suit. So everybody goes to doubles and then to Tech 1 as fast as their natural ability and appetite for training will take them. So this isn't the first time I've heard this advice.

However... I am resisting the urge to screw around with doubles and deco. I am trying to explore the limits of single tank, no penetration diving at the moment. My wife is not interested in technical diving, and I don't want to go anywhere she can't follow. So my quixotic quest is to try to become really, really good at no-deco diving. That's obviously 99.5% fundamentals, but I am interested in exploring the other 0.5%, thus my questions about Advanced Nitrox and Recreational Trimix.

Are you using the Tech 1 moniker generically or to specifically refer to GUE? I was up in your area last Aug for Adv. Nitrox/Deco and while there were a number of GUE/DIR folks, there appeared to be many times more TDI/IANTD trained divers.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Hmm... Well, if you don't have >NDL dives on the mind, I don't see much benefit to A/EANx either.

Those were my thoughts exactly. If your goal is to be a crack sport diver who is experienced in various environments within the sport range, perhaps fit in a Fundies or Intro to Tech course, but otherwise just dive your butt off.

 

[Blackwood]

Are you using the Tech 1 moniker generically or to specifically refer to GUE? I was up in your area last Aug for Adv. Nitrox/Deco and while there were a number of GUE/DIR folks, there appeared to be many times more TDI/IANTD trained divers.

He may have been replying to my post above. I was using it generally.

 

[nereas]

Reg - do you happen to know if there is an instructor in your area who teaches for both TDI and IANTD?

If so, the combination of TDI's Advanced EANx and Deco Proc with IANTD's Advanced Rec Trimix is a reasonable way to go when you are ready. It would get you access to 21/35, 50% and pure O₂ (only one bottle at a time), so you'd be good to go for anything through about the 160' range. Though clearly a point of contention, I personally don't think people should be diving in the >140 foot range without helium, so I wouldn't suggest A/EANx+Deco Proc without concurrent trimix (unless your future plans include long dives at moderate depth, like 90 for 60, that will accrue deco but likely don't require helium).

Personally, I'd suggest forgoing the Rec Trimix class. At the risk of , I don't think it's going to buy you much given its depth limit.

In the interim, I think the best thing to do would be to get solid in doubles. Maybe sling a 40CF pony (of backgas) and practice switching to it to simulate a deco bottle. Do your intro to tech, and with some time you'll be ready for Tech 1-level training.

I completely agree with Blackwood on all this.

I also used 2 different tech instructors, before I finally chose whom to trust my life with for the final advanced trimix course. The second guy was better and we also got along better.