TDI, IANTD or DSAT

[dynarob]

Consider splitting the AN and DP course. It may take an extra day and cost a bit more but there is a better chance of passing that way IMHO as the AN bar is lower but you can get a feeling of what is needed for DP.

Personally I don't think I would have been able to pass both courses in one go but by doing the AN it gave me a taster of what was in store with DP so I could practice.

[Stebzy]

I did my IANTD Adv Rec Trimix last year for £260+Gas, and loved it. Can use trimix or nitrox, can highly recommend the course.

[Richard Mason]

Who are you thinking of doing it with on the mainland?

Jason

Do you have any recommendations in the SE States? Keith suggests WA but it's a long way to go, looking at 5 hrs on the plane.

[JasonP]

Do you have any recommendations in the SE States? Keith suggests WA but it's a long way to go, looking at 5 hrs on the plane.

It's been a while since I've been down that way, but Dive Victoria certainly used to do tech training. I can't remember the instructor they had at the time, but it was an English guy who I'd bumped into a few times in the UK. They've certainly got plenty of interesting sites in the right sort of depths. Their school website seems to be down, so you'll have to ring them.

And Southern Cross Divers in Sydney have been recommended to me before for the deep stuff, but their website isn't very forthcoming either, so I'd ring them on 02-9969 5072.

Jason

[Richard Mason]

Talking to Aquability in Mentone (Melbourne) now; they say that if I can find 3 other students, their instructor will come here and run the course for us, which would save a fair amount of $$$$, the only downside being that we don't get to dive the wrecks they have over in Victoria.

[PeeBee]

Don't do it TD, some phrase old dogs and new tricks springs to mind

[Richard Mason]

Don't do it TD, some phrase old dogs and new tricks springs to mind

Onwards & upwards PB. Onwards & upwards.

I've got to do something, my mind is turning to soap, everything else rthat's legal I've tried, so it will have to be this I think.

I've gone all teckie and bought a "Masterflit" today....(half price at LDS, couldn't believe it.), so I'm going to have to do a course now. I have to find out about "compartments", more than anything. I just can't figure that one.

The website is a bit of a laugh really; apart from the appalling translation and mispelling, it looks like they fitted the BP back to front and inside out too. Played wityh the product in my hot little hand and I liked it, would never have bought it off the website.

[mkhari]

Richard, I'm doing Force Z next year and Truk the year after, but 2012 is still free. Why don't you sort out a programme of top Aussies wreck dives up to 60m and post it. I would love to come over for 2 weeks and dive, especially after some of the posts I've read from you..

We could do a YD 'a long way south gig'.

Anyway don't piss about with twins, buy a rebreather, it will save you money in the long run.....

[ding]

Oh yes get a rebreather and pick an instructor...ask your dive buddys. Picking a rebreather is a minefield, see what the guys around you are using.

I could say what I use, but its best to do the research....You learn a lot just asking questions.

[Richard Mason]

Richard, I'm doing Force Z next year and Truk the year after, but 2012 is still free. Why don't you sort out a programme of top Aussies wreck dives up to 60m and post it. I would love to come over for 2 weeks and dive, especially after some of the posts I've read from you..

We could do a YD 'a long way south gig'.

Anyway don't piss about with twins, buy a rebreather, it will save you money in the long run.....

They'd have to be on the mainland, not many good diveable wrecks here in Tas - although there's a good un right in the middle of Hobart, the Lake Illawarra, she hit and brought down the Tasman Bridge in 1974 and is still down there. 18m to upperworks, 35m to bottom but it's pitch black.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasman_Bridge_disaster





Unfortunately, most wrecks in Tasmania either hit the cliffs and are in a zillion pieces or sank in deep deep water - the continental shelf is only 5-10 miles offshore, although there's the Tasman that hit Needle Rock in 1873 - shes in 73m, only been dived 4 times since she was found in 1998.

I can find you plenty of other good stuff in the 30-45m range here though, as long as you don't insist on me finding you some rust. We've got seals, caverns, walls, sponge gardens, giant kelp forest (like in California) and great vis - just not much rust, although we do have an old ships graveyard just out of Hobart - all 30m dives though.