which is your favorite tech scuba agency?

[padiscubapro]

I just completed the TecDeep course this past spring. The course materials are excellent. What will determine the quality of the class will be the instructor. Mine has been in the business for over twenty year and has dove everything from the Dora to the sites in Florida. My instructor have been a TDI instructor for year has been teaching this course for two years and tell me that it is a much better course.

If you are in the New Jersey area and want more information, send me a PM and I will get it to you.

Comparing the Padi Deep tech and TDI deco procedures isn't a valid comparison. The TDI classes are meant to be modular, while the PADI class is all in one..

Padi deep tec is about the same as TDI advanced nitrox plus deco procedures. The padi materials are excellent but very little wiggle room for the instructor. The TDI program varies depending on the instructor's experience and teaching abilities. Some instructors need the rigid structure of the PADI program some do not.

I personally chose not to pursue the Padi Deep Tech after looking through the course outline and reading their manuals (also their refusal to change some points that are definately wrong by definition, (the CNS halftimes comes to mind)).. I teach ANDI and TDI and am very familair with the IANTD programs. Unless a students specifically requests a TDI program I run the ANDI tech program which is probably the strongest academically out of all the programs. If I teach a TDI program I add in alot of the material that is required by the ANDI program.

Can a good diver come out of all these programs... Yes, but the deciding factor is the instructor.

 

[ianr33]

I did TDI Advanced Nitrox/Deco this summer.Great Experience. The shop I did it with (Divetech,Grand Cayman) offer TDI and IANTD. I chose TDI as I got a card for 100% O2. IANTD is only good for 50%. The IANTD course materials are more thorough than TDI.

I would be interested in a GUE course if I did not have to start at the beginning again.

 

[Norm]

I didn't log in before the deadline to vote in time, but I would have voted for TDI. There are good and bad instructors in most every agency and I think we all agree that the intructors can make or break the course. I would never chose an agency that dictates every move to me, whether I can dive, whom I dive with, when I can dive, or what brand of equipment I can dive.

 

[IndigoBlue]

Comparing the Padi Deep tech and TDI deco procedures isn't a valid comparison. The TDI classes are meant to be modular, while the PADI class is all in one..

Padi deep tec is about the same as TDI advanced nitrox plus deco procedures. The padi materials are excellent but very little wiggle room for the instructor. The TDI program varies depending on the instructor's experience and teaching abilities. Some instructors need the rigid structure of the PADI program some do not.

I personally chose not to pursue the Padi Deep Tech after looking through the course outline and reading their manuals (also their refusal to change some points that are definately wrong by definition, (the CNS halftimes comes to mind)).. I teach ANDI and TDI and am very familair with the IANTD programs. Unless a students specifically requests a TDI program I run the ANDI tech program which is probably the strongest academically out of all the programs. If I teach a TDI program I add in alot of the material that is required by the ANDI program.

Can a good diver come out of all these programs... Yes, but the deciding factor is the instructor.

The deciding factor is always going to be the particular instructor.

It also helps if the particular agency is flexible enough, and trusts their instructors enough, to allow them flexibility to exceed course minimum standards.

I know of 2 agencies that are not flexible at all, and 4 that are extremely flexible. Therefore I would lean towards an agency that is flexible, and choose an instructor that exceeds standards. There are a fair amount of other divers who do not value flexibility however, I can see that from the poll too.

 

[NEWreckDiver]

Well I do agree with the statements that "the instructor makes the difference". (whichever course you choose) This is why I went the way I did.

But why should a agency allow flexablity? To me that indicates possible short cuts by an instructor. Standards should be high and kept high. There are too many risks here to be too flexible.

Anyway, this is my two cents.

 

[padiscubapro]

Well I do agree with the statements that "the instructor makes the difference". (whichever course you choose) This is why I went the way I did.

But why should a agency allow flexablity? To me that indicates possible short cuts by an instructor. Standards should be high and kept high. There are too many risks here to be too flexible.

Anyway, this is my two cents.

I agree there should be a good outline and a set of minimum standards that must be accomplished. being too rigid leaves very little room for the instructor to tailor the class to local conditions which in my opinion is an absolute necessity. The instructor should cover all potential issues but adding or stressing specific skills for the local enviroment is a must..

for example Navigation skills are essential for a NE diver, if a student cant sucessfully navigate back to the down line its a verty big deal, the same situation in clear warm water is much less likely but busting planned depths is much more likely.. Each enviroment has its own concerns.

If I teach a class on NE wrecks, the dives logistics are quite different than diving off a beach in the carribean..

 

[flw]

Im looking to move into tech diving from recreational so Im interested in people's opinions on here, was considerin the TechRec course but have been put off by people I know whove said that they dont have enough experience as an agency to do tech courses yet.[/QUOTE


In Scotland, it really is very much a case of choosing an instructor rather than an agency, most teach more than one course, almost all will vary it a bit to suit local conditions.
Depends on exactly what you mean by 'technical'

rgds
F

 

[DORSETBOY]

Im looking to dive solo in the uk and given the conditions I wouldnt want to do anything more than a shallow shore dive without redundancy. Also I'm interested in wreck diving over here and a lot seem to be in faily deep water for which I'd again want to have greater redundancy than standard oc.
From what people say it seems to be the same as with rec diving, and that the instructor is the most important factor. Anyhow, thanx all for your info.

 

[flw]

Im looking to dive solo in the uk and given the conditions I wouldnt want to do anything more than a shallow shore dive without redundancy. Also I'm interested in wreck diving over here and a lot seem to be in faily deep water for which I'd again want to have greater redundancy than standard oc.
From what people say it seems to be the same as with rec diving, and that the instructor is the most important factor. Anyhow, thanx all for your info.

I do a fair amount of solo diving, mainly further north than you, but conditions are similar ( we just don't do bad vis ) you may be better instead of going for a course, rather be mentored by someone until you're happy on your own. If you're ever up this way, you're welcome to join us.
Abderdeen watersports have some good technical type instructors - I've never been taught by them, but I've dived with a fair few who have

F

 

[SoCalAngel]

I, too, am moving towards more technical type diving and have been looking into further training. The more I look, the more important the instructor vs. the agency. I have been reading several different manuels and they mostly seem to state/teach the same basics. What I really want is to not only apply tech principles, but to also understand the whys behind them. For that, in talking to tech divers and reading on this bbs, I've learned that the instructor is the key, not the agency affiliation. Does anyone have any recommendations for instructors in the So Cal area? If so, please pm me.

Thanks,
Laurel