TDI

[Joe]

What do think of TDI advanced nitrox and Deco as a starting place
not sure if i want to get right into tec diving just stay a little longer

Joe

[bottlefish]

The TDI course is good,a nd recognised by the other major tech agencies - but forget the agency, choose the instructor, that will make the difference between just gaining a cert level and really learning something.

As for wether you want to or should head the tech route - there are many reasons, staying longer at shallow, aiming for deeper, or just (?) increasing overall safety and awareness. Wether it's right for you and wether you are ready for it should, again, be cleared up by any tech instructor of merit....

[neilh]

As bottlefish said, with a good instructor it's a well regarded course.

However what are you doing in terms of your diving now and what do you feel is limiting you? There may be other options...

[sira]

As Neil said it's a very open question, What is your ultimate goal? and where do you want to be in say 2 years from now. For me it not about the course at all its about the instructor.

[Joe]

Well hopefully as of this weekend i will have completed my dm course, i have 130 dives mostly in uk and some in the med i have dived some wrecks off the south coast to about 25mts but would like to dive some wrecks in the south of France which are at 35-45 mts. so i would to understand deco diving and get some practis before i do them.

Joe

[bottlefish]

TDI or IANTD Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures would put you within the range for the dives you are planning, I'm sure NeilH will also throw you a few alternatives from the GUE route.

Personally I'd say the IANTD course structure and materials are better then TDI, but the main thing is getting a decent and experienced technical instructor, the agency should really become irrelevant. I can personally recommned Paul Toomer from Diving Matrix, Mark Powell also gets a lot of good feedback although I have never worked with him.

You may want to check on where you're going in France, and what facilities and allowances they have for Nitrox... as far as I'm aware it's pretty much frowned upon over there, accelerated deco may not be an option.....

[neilh]

(13-11-2008 07:52 PM)bottlefish Wrote:  I'm sure NeilH will also throw you a few alternatives from the GUE route.

Brace yourself, here they come

For those sort of depths the GUE recommendation is to include helium in the gas to reduce narcosis. That combined with the desire for getting into deco means you'd be looking at Fundamentals followed by Tech 1 in terms of courses. There are four excellent GUE instructors in the UK who can deliver Fundamentals courses, but only one of them (Rich) can also deliver Tech 1 currently.

Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures with Mark Powell has an excellent reputation if you choose that route though.

[Phil O]

Another good name in technical training is Phil Short

And lets not forget GaryA on these forums who is an IANTD instructor and a fine diver

[aquafan]

So if the direction is deep wreck diving where you would need to do a deco stop, then would the minimal course be the "IANTD Advanced EANx Diver"?

[MK_Stu]

(13-11-2008 10:40 PM)aquafan Wrote:  So if the direction is deep wreck diving where you would need to do a deco stop, then would the minimal course be the "IANTD Advanced EANx Diver"?

Not sure about IANTD but for TDI you would need the advanced nitrox and decompression procedures as a minimum and extended range is probably advisable. I know an instructor who was offering all three for £550 and could sign you of as TDI or IANTD as he was qualified with both.