| Imported post
Unless it has changed drastically;
IANTD - 50% may be used only as a safety gas during decompression (no acceleration). If you think that Basic Nx is intended to make your no stop diving safer then Advanced makes your deco diving safer. I am not aware of any restrictions in stop times - if the dives on the table you can do it.
The equipment you need for the IANTD Advanced course is a single cylinder and a 'pony' for use as a stage. Redundancy is talked about extensively but your not required to be redundant. In fact when I did my course I had to strip my twins apart and go back to a single.
If you don't go any further, Advanced would allow you to make deco dives, using 50% to mitigate the increased DCI risks. If you intend to go further, it provides a grounding in technical dive planning, stage handling and gas switching. When your comfortable with the new skills, you go back for Technical Nitrox or Normoxic Trimix; both of which require fully redundant setups (twinsets) and include lots of practical lessons using them.
As far as the differences in TDI and IANTD go. I put it down to the agency directors. Tom Mount (IANTD) is a bit of a hippy and idealest - hence IANTD courses are very detailed but with little attention pad to presentation. Bret Gilliam (TDI) is more of a business man - hence you get better presented materials and a set of limits which encourage TDI gaining market share.
Whichever course, your instructor is more important than the course itself. I have always gone for instructors that are actively using the techniques they are teaching. The more demanding the better.
YMMV
Matt  |