Posted by CalAbDiver on July 11, 2001 at 15:55:56:
In Reply to: PADI will not be able to attend the Casino Point DIR Demo.. posted by MHK on July 11, 2001 at 15:09:33:
many of us within PADI are curious what direction the "tech rec" program is headed in.
we wonder why did PADI suddenly decide to veer away from their decades held position that "recreational diving" be limited to the equivalent N2 narcosis air depth limit of 130 fsw? since 165 fsw(air) is quite powerful stuff, as those of us who have been there can testify. its almost impossible to see straight at that depth. the underwater world wiggles everywhere, and the waterscape turns bright white from the narcotic dilation of your pupils at that depth and the possible failure of color vision, based on my own experience.
what does an air dive to 165 fsw w/ nitrox deco allow a "recreational diver" to do? explore artificially sunken wrecks for a very short time? or is the main idea to provide nitrox deco for a typically shallower dive than that, around 100 fsw or so, with 165 merely the stated maximum limit?
what is the market demand going to be for this "specialty"?
how many D/Ms will you need per student diver to this depth if not one-on-one?
will the PADI leadership on these "tech rec" dives be expected to utilize air themselves, or would trimix be available instead? I get the feeling that the MSDTs & D/Ms are gearing up for trimix. and I suspect that is where TDI and GUE come in, and that this is why you [Mike] have met so many PADI OWSIs lately.
you are not the only one, Mike, who is curious about these new developments within your own former certification agency.