Where can someone get advanced training?

[haumana ronin]

Thanks everyone for their input.

Tech or Fundies or cave cannot possibly be the only answer. I would bet that most of the instructors in this thread offer that intermediate step, even at a rec level.

Let me ponder how to rephrase the question for a bit...

:zen:

 

[ChaosHokie]

I'm more-or-less in the same boat as you haumana ronin. My problem is compounded by the fact that the easiest accessible open-water dive spot is an algae filled quarry with crappy vis and coooold water (as can be seen by my current avatar pic). And while diving there is better than not diving...it's pretty miserable trying to do some of the basic drills--although nav/buyoancy control practice is enhanced by only being able to see 10 ft of algae....

I got OW certified in the Red Sea in Aqaba, and diving there with a patient and good instructor was a breeze. I then took AOW back home with an instructor who've I've dove with a couple of times, and was seriously unsatisfied by the experience. He's a good diver, but for whatever reason the class left a lot to be desired. I've also considered seeking out some the instructors on this board who live within a reasonable distance to me, but reading a lot of stuff on Scubaboard has made me very interested in learning from these DIR folks.

Anyways, I recently discovered that a UTD shop opened up nearby, so if I can convince my SO to let me spend the cash on it, I'm going to sign up for Essentials. I have _no_ desire to do any technical diving (deep, overhead, etc) anytime soon, but I have to imagine that whatever in-water and above-water skills I learn from the course will have an impact on how _I_ dive, and will help define what further training I take.

 

[boulderjohn]

The dive shop with which I am associated is about to publish a new advanced diving instructional program that begins at the end of AOW and continues all the way through Tech. It includes a lot of stuff in between Tech and AOW, and I think that is going to be the trend all through the industry in the future. Right now no one knows about it, but even when it goes into effect, no one will know about it unless they check the web site or call the shop and ask. If someone in my area in Colorado wanted to take GUE fundamentals, he or she might be looking for a long and expensive trip, not realizing that there is a shop that offers it right down the road.

You may have something like that right there with you in Kauai. I suggest you call shops near you and ask them what they have to offer. You may get exactly what you are looking for right in your own back yard.

 

[Rhone Man]

There is a lot of good scuba instruction available.

But I really believe the best scuba lessons are taught in the school of life. We all know what the manual says - call the dive unless everything is perfect. But we have all dived when we have cold (sudafed!) or when a piece of equipment breaks just before the dive (duct tape! cable ties!) or when frankly the weather should make us reconsider (but I flew so far to get here...!) or even sometimes when a dive is right at the edge of our skill level (I don't want to call it and make my more experienced buddy miss out...!). Life is not like a PADI manual. There is infinitely more gray than there is black and white. And gray is when things will sometimes go wrong.

Getting into the manure and getting back out of it again is where you really learn your biggest lessons. Not devaluing great instruction, but just sayin'. We all know plenty of highly experienced veterans who just have an OW card only (and sometimes not even that).

 

[The Mighty Thor]

Thanks everyone for their input.

Tech or Fundies or cave cannot possibly be the only answer. I would bet that most of the instructors in this thread offer that intermediate step, even at a rec level.

Let me ponder how to rephrase the question for a bit...

:zen:

I think part of the problem is that you don't know exactly what you want or how to ask for it, because you have a limited view of how to become a more advanced diver and limited experience diving. I think a lot of new divers have the same "now what" problem because they have been led down a path by agencies (PADI, Naui, whatever) which can be disappointing, especially by a mediocre instructor or class.

The way I became a more advanced diver was by diving with more advanced people, and joining several dive clubs and forums which exposed me to a broader world of diving experiences. I had no idea what GUE was before I joined SB. I had no idea what it was like diving with a FFM until I met some people who dived for a living. I have taken PADI, TDI, GUE and professional Dive Rescue classes, and all of them have made me a better diver, in different ways. For me, advanced means greater comfort, efficiency and safety in the water in different environments under various conditions. Any class, agency, instructor or buddy that can offer me these things, is helping me to be a better diver. You don't necessarily have to pledge the fraternity or drink the Kool-Aid to take single classes from an agency. It's Ok to learn Kung Fu and Ju-Jitsu.


I personally would start with a local dive club, which would offer you local opportunities to dive with other people who may be able to expand your "training" and may be able to recommend the right instructor for you. All of the prior suggestions will definitely make a more advanced diver.