How to choose a Tech Instructor/Course?

[amtrosie]

I'm interested in getting to more pristine wrecks & find linework therapeutic :P (I am such a dork) I used to do quite a bit of splunking and at some point would like to explore underwater caves

Just trying to get some opinions that are not affected by equipment sales ratings, agency shop-status ratings and inter-shop politics that one experiences when walking into a LDS (unfortunately)

What I am trying to avoid is starting an investment on gear and classes to later find out that other gear & classes would have been more appropriate.

I stand by what I said earlier about the GUE route. The Fundies class is going to teach you about diving the most efficient way, without extra un-neccessary gear. It starts to place you in the best possible position to really benefit from the cave training to follow. If the GUE thing scares you, the NAUI tech program is pretty good, and will guide you into caves.

As always, the instructor is always the most important thing. For caves, get an instructor who lives in the area. They will be the best at teaching caves, because that is what they know best.

Good luck on the cave thing. I have been a caver for years and LOVE it!!!

[texdiveguy]

You might give some consideration to an Intro to Technical Diving class,,,,usually several day of basic instruction and skill work. I know NAUI and TDI and now SSI all have them. Good way to start without a large investment in gear/time....might help to hone your diving skills and allow you to taste what you have to come.

[BillGraham]

I'd suggest looking for an instructor who likes to do the kind of diving you are interested in learning. For fun. As in, when they are not teaching.

[BigBlueTech]

I think when choosing a course you don't choose the card you get in the end but you choose the instructor.

It's never about GUE this or TDI that but the person you are intrusting to teach you a potentially dangerous activity that takes a lot more then simply what the book offers.

Look for experience but someone who is active in the community. I've met a lot of technical instructors who teach expired information or teach cave diving techniques to someone who's interested in wrecks.

What i tell everyone who asks me this, is do a discover technical dive.. small commitment, no investment and get a feel of how the person teaches and how the center works.. then if you aren't happy you got a cool dive with very little expense.

I've dove with a lot of people who have a lot of technical dives that should not be in technical gear both with bouyancy and simple skills. Most of them stood in defiance of my comments by saying "i'm an advanced mega trimix diver from blah and here's my card"

good luck