Posted by MHK on February 06, 2001 at 14:22:54:
In Reply to: Re: A question for MHK from FF posted by AADIVER on February 06, 2001 at 14:03:50:
Frank,
You asked me who I would recommend and it ain't no stiken PADI instructor ;-)
Serioulsy, this PADI stuff seems more and more dangerous as I get more into it.. I'm told that Karl Shreeves is preaching that Helium is bad for you.... He apparentely made the comment during the presentation at DEMA, I wasn't there but it has been getting a fair amount of play on the Quest list, and someone posted an e-mail attributed to Karl that further backs up the position..
If that is what they are teaching I don't want ANY part of their nonsense... Just the fact that in there initial opening venture they decided to parlay a *Discover* tech diving class tells you that the marketing department is running the show over there...
Frank, one of the MAJOR adjustments any diver needs to recognize as they move from the recreational diving to tech diving is that there they are starting out all over again.. It's a whole new ball game and should be approached from that perspective and PADI's routine of positive reinforcement and advancing questionable diver's up the food chain simply isn't the receipe in the tech world... Skills and academics are only a part of making a tech diver, the attitude and approach is equally, if not, more important and for that reason I only trust a few instructors and I wouldn't simply say go down to such and such shop.. It's an exclusive club and it should remain that way... I did most of my tech training with Wings Stocks and I know first hand that he doesn't pull any punches, if you can't cut it you don't pass. I assist many of John Walker's classes and he is the same way, if you can't cut it you don't pass..
Tech diving isn't for everyone and it should be approached with a different mind set than recreational diving...
Later