Posted by Karl S. on January 14, 2003 at 13:46:05:
In Reply to: Break out the fire hose; it's getting a bit too runny to shovel!!! posted by H on January 13, 2003 at 12:20:59:
We both agree that Close Circuit Rebreathers and Semi-closed Circuit Rebreathers are NOT the way to go, for deep diving to shipwrecks.
I will also agree that a buddy who makes it through the GUE tech courses is a stronger buddy than a buddy who makes it through "most other" tech programs.
NAUI's tech program is relatively new, and it is very rigorous as well. TDI's tech program is the most flexible, and the instructors "develop" you as a tech diver rather than "screen" you like GUE would.
PADI doesnt have a tech program, and you had asked about them as well. PADI is the king of shallow-water fun diving, not tech.
I have friends who are TDI divers who went onto GUE because they wanted more training in tech. TDI's rapid ascent deco tables for trimix concern me, since they dont have any deep stops to them. If you can find a TDI instructor who has discovered Abyss or DecoPlanner, and who lets you use it, you are in great shape then, because these software programs let you set your own risk factors, and if you set them conservatively, that will give you nice deep stops on your ascents.
The issue is the same as I said before. When you sign up for GUE you dont know what kind of instructor you are getting, and whether he/she will "screen" you out, or else "develop" you until you have all the skills for tech diving. You roll the dice, as far as getting a tech cert from GUE is concerned, if you decide to play their game.