Why is it so difficult to find a PADI tec rec instructor?

[divezonescuba]

So, I have tried to take TEC 40 and 45 in Cozumel, Cayman Brac, and Bonaire without luck. There seem to be some shops offering it, but when you actually try to make advance arrangements, there's an instructor availability problem.

I did find a place in Grand Cayman, but they want an enormous amount for the gas. They are actually charging $60 to fill a set of AL80 doubles. By my math that is $30 per tank. I have never heard of any place charging $30 to fill an AL80. Most places include the cost of the air when you take a course, so this took me for a double surprise.

Whats up? Do I need to go TDI?

 

[tbone1004]

I guess the question is why are you seemingly hell bent on doing it with PADI? Helium is expensive everywhere, but more so in the less developed countries it seems. Why don't you do it locally? I'm sure there is someone in your local area that can teach you basic tech courses without having to travel

 

[BoltSnap]

Do I need to go TDI?

For technical diving, I'd consider NAUI, TDI, IANTD or GUE.

If you are in Texas, look up Tim O'Leary, NAUI top technical instructor and the one who started it all in the early 90's. He wrote all of the technical diving material including standards for NAUI.

 

[tursiops]

So, I have tried to take TEC 40 and 45 in Cozumel, Cayman Brac, and Bonaire without luck. There seem to be some shops offering it, but when you actually try to make advance arrangements, there's an instructor availability problem.

I did find a place in Grand Cayman, but they want an enormous amount for the gas. They are actually charging $60 to fill a set of AL80 doubles. By my math that is $30 per tank. I have never heard of any place charging $30 to fill an AL80. Most places include the cost of the air when you take a course, so this took me for a double surprise.

Whats up? Do I need to go TDI?

Not sure you've done your homework very well. Gas prices are not a function of agency.

Divetech on Grand Cayman is a top notch facility, and offers TecRec with multiple instructors. $60 for an AL80 fill with light helium is a bargain. Buddy Dive on Bonaire has TecRec instructors, but the helium is even more expensive.

If $60 for a fill bothers you, you might want to think twice about technical training and diving.

 

[divezonescuba]

I would prefer PADI as that is what our shop is. However, I am not opposed to doing another agency if necessary, hence my reference to TDI.

I never said that the gas prices were a function of the agency, so I am not sure where that is coming from.

The TEC 40 and 45 courses I am interested in taking do not involve helium. I don't have a problem paying for helium if I am going to use it, but I'm not using helium, so I don't see why I should pay for it. In the PADI program there is a separate Tec 65 course that does use helium, but I am not taking that course.

In fact, that was the first question that I asked when told about the high prices. I thought the person quoted me the price on the basis that the courses used helium. It turns out that the air only (no light helium) was very high at $60 for a set of doubles and the nitrox was even higher.

Here, you either do it in zero visibility or you have to go offshore 30 miles. So, the problem doing it locally or in many other locations is that it is very weather dependent. If you book the course and cannot dive because of the weather, you cannot complete the training. In Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Bonaire, the walls are close by so you can do it either by boat or shore.

 

[boulderjohn]

There are instructors of all kinds in Texas. It's a big state though, and I don't know where you are in it.

I will be working with a student to complete Tec 45 this coming weekend, and the week after that we will be meeting for Tec 50 dives. Trimix will start some time in the future. He lives in Texas, and we will meet to dive in New Mexico.

 

[Steve_C]

There are several instructors in Key Largo and other areas in south florida

 

[tursiops]

I never said that the gas prices were a function of the agency, so I am not sure where that is coming from.

You talked about PADI, then you complained about gas prices, then you asked if maybe you should do TDI. I apologize if you confused me.

 

[kensuf]

PADI has a Tec program? Huh.

 

[boulderjohn]

PADI has a Tec program? Huh.

It has had a tec program for a number of years now. It used to have one through DSAT, but it took over the DSAT program in its entirety and made it its own.