Which Training to Take Next?

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Bump_Head

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Location
Vancouver, Canada
# of dives
200 - 499
I had completed my Intro to Cave course a couple of months ago in Thailand. I enjoyed it so much, I’m signed up for Full Cave next month. I did Cavern and Intro in a twinset so this time switching to SM for Full Cave.

My conundrum comes with my next potential training course. Prior to doing any cave training, I was set on taking TDI Extended Range. However now thinking that Trimix 60 might be a better option for cave diving. Though most places I dive around Asia don’t offer Helium and the Trimix 60 doesn’t allow for an increased depth on air only.

I had an instructor check with TDI and even though both courses are essentially the same with skills, the only requirement they will bypass is the written exam if I take both courses together. Each course is 4 days and I was hoping that perhaps I could decrease it to 6 days by enrolling in both courses. After all, once an instructor checks off say, a 15 meter no mask breath hold swim they shouldn’t need to see it again. But no joy from TDI on the request.

Hence my question: which course would be the next logical step or am I forced to take both to get what I want?
 
Is trimix 60 tdi trimix one? My trimix one class, last dive was at 200’ (tdi)

Have you taken advanced nitrox and deco procedures? I’d think those two classes with trimix one gets you handling two deco bottles and just below normoxic mixes, 18% if I remember right.

I’m not sure what the extended range class is all about, it’s the same book as deco procedures I think.
 
I’m not sure what the extended range class is all about, it’s the same book as deco procedures I think.

The extended range stuff is together with trimix. I just finished the trimix book for my AN/DP/Helitrox class next year.

This is it.
6D6EA902-11B5-42C9-A074-6DACE301C1B4.jpeg
 
You really DO need to take Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures prior to doing your Full Cave. Those two classes are a prereq for the others...do you may as well do them.
And if you haven't done a sidemount class, best not to try and learn that on your own.
Here are the Standards and Procedures for each of the tech courses you might be looking at. Some can be combined, some can't. For example AN and DP can be combined.
It may be a while before you are doing any dives that demand Ext Range or Trimix.....but deco is very likely.
 

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  • 23_Sidemount_Diver.pdf
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  • TDI Diver Standards_03_Intro_to_Tech_Diver.pdf
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  • TDI Diver Standards_07_Advanced_Nitrox_Diver.pdf
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  • TDI Diver Standards_08_Decompression_Procedures_Diver.pdf
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  • TDI Diver Standards_10_Helitrox_Diver.pdf
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  • TDI Diver Standards_09_Extended_Range_Diver.pdf
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  • TDI Diver Standards_12_Trimix_Diver.pdf
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  • TDI Diver Standards_13_Advanced_Trimix_Diver.pdf
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Thanks for your responses so far. Allow me to clarify a few points. I am AN/DP certified and have done perhaps 25 Tec level dives in twinset configuration. I’m also Sidemount certified and since now feeling comfortable in doubles, I’d like to continue with cave diving in Sidemount configuration. The reason I chose to take Cavern & Intro in a twinset was to get practice as well as work on propulsion techniques. I didn’t think I’d love it so much.

The TDI Trimix and Extended Range are effectively the same course. One certifies to 60 metres utilizing Helium and the other certifies to 55 metres on air. I’m hoping for both certifications but why does TDI insist I redo the entire 4 day course utilizing one gas or the other. I would think this would be an easy course to combine such as ANDP.
 
Maybe I’m wrong and @tursiops will correct this but the trimix class trumps the extended range class. I don’t think I would take both other than gaining experience under the eyes of an instructor.

I’m on my phone and can’t side by side the requirement for both classes but you should focus a bit more on co2 and narcosis in the extended range where as the he helps mitigate the wob and narcosis.

This level of training is really instructor dependent, whatever class you take, make sure it’s geared toward the way you are diving - I’m not going to get into the 180’ cave dive on air argument. It is my understanding that tdi is more flexible with instructors and how some classes are taught - my tri mix class heavily covered deep air but that was that instructor.
 
As someone that used to do a lot of deep air diving in caves, I'm not a fan of deep air diving in caves.

In 1996, while serving as the accident analysis chair for the NACD, I did a statistical eval on fatalities involving trained cave divers (there were around 50 at the time). 2/3rd of those fatalities were between 130-170'. Our best conclusion was delayed reaction times caused by inert gas narcosis worked as a catalyst for a chain of events that could not be overcome.
 
Thanx all. This matches what I was thinking as well. Deep air in a cave is just a bad idea. Thai caves, at least the ones I’ve seen so far, are deep and dark so Trimix 60 seems to be the logical next step to help clear up some mushy thinking at +40 meters.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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