PADI/TDI

[tpscuba]

I agree with Richard (no offence taken) look at where you want to take it but have fun. I see where PADI offers a Discover Enriched Air for those that don't have the time to do the dives and you get another card that allows fills to 32% only and to 100 ft.

[Freedive WI]

That new PADI card is quite restrictive as you can only use hte 32% mix while usig the PADI RDP air tables and need to have a nitrox certified instructor, or divemaster, along with you.

When I took my first nitrox class, from IANTD, we needed to do all the math and make the dives. TDI shortened it up to just the math and analyzing the mix- the improtant stuff. PADI added some OTU tracking, and even made a nice little chart to track it with. THis is kind of a step in the direction of the Advanced nitrox classes where you learn all about tracking. SDI. the TDI recreational spin-off, even has a Computer nitrox class that's shorter than the TDI one. I think that I even have a YMCA nitrox card around somwhere, but I don't remember hwat I had to do differently to get that one.

In the end they will all do the same thing for you- get you a basic nitrox fill.

If you want to start getting "tec" fills, like 50% deco gasses and pure 02 fills, then you need to take another class no matter which agency you did your initial course through. So that is a mute point.

It's been my experience that most places will teach the TDI nitrox course because its faster and cheaper than a full-blown PADI course, where you have to actually get in the water and dive- plus TDI offered all of us a free cross-over a few years ago which took the added expense out of it for the instructors.

Don't worry about the card you have, just get out and use it.

Jon

[ScubaDiveandTravel]

Sounds like Freediver WI is a hardcore PADI believer. All of the organizations which have been mentioned are more than sufficient. Find a good instructor, don't worry about the agency. TDI sure seems to be a few steps ahead of PADI by not requiring dives though. If you're a certified diver, You should know how to strap a tank on your back and go for a dive. Believe it or not, the process doesn't change with nitrox. Only the predive planning changes. I think getting more divers using nitrox quickly and easily without compromising safety is a great thing. Someday PADI will catch up.

Happy Diving,
Richard

[Freedive WI]

MAybe I didn't come off quite right there Richard.

Since nitrox is just a little bit of math it should be no different than regular diving. TDI has streamlined the process in certificaton by not requiring the dives. I didn't say that this is a bad thing, just one of the diffrences between TDI and PADI.

If you look back through some of my other posts you'll see that I am also a big supporter of recreational trimix because it is just a little more math added into the dives that many divers are already doing. TDI, IANTD and GUE have all accepted this, but PADI is years away from this concept.

Shops that I work for offer both courses on their class list, but the TDI class is really the only course that actually gets taught. That's because it's less expesenive to run, cheaper for the students, and a whole lot faster.

In the end you get a card that let's you do the same thing, buy nitrox, that the PADI card does in less time.

Does that make more sense?

Jon

[ScubaDiveandTravel]

Sure does. Didn't mean to jump on you, I just am a big supporter of what TDI and SDI are doing for the industry right now in terms of keeping up to date with training issues. Please don't bring up the recreational trimix though. That's a whole nother bag of worms.

[rudolph_medic]

Does it matter which course (agency) you take if you are intrested in moving up to the more advanced courses like nitrox mixer, or gas mixer at some time in the future?

[scubafreak]

How does the old saying go? "1-800-PAY-PADI"?

I got my TDI Nitrox Certification in June of 01', my TDI Advanced Nitrox & Decompression Procedures in May of 02'.

In Oct. of 03' I was going thru PADI's Master Scuba Diver Trainer course at Pro Dive in Ft. Lauderdale. In order to become a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, I had to take PADI's Nitrox Course first. What a joke!!

I learned more about Nitrox thru Bill at MN School of Diving, teaching me TDI's course, then I did at Pro Dive, who specializes in training our future Instructor's.

Don't get me wrong, I am a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, but it seems like some dive stores just want to "push you thru the process".

If you take the PADI Enriched Air course thru me, you better be ready to know your stuff. I won't pass you just because the "check cleared".