which mix course

[aquaholic]

Originally Posted by Fiona

Yep

Fiona,

I know this doesn't help you at the moment, but the ERD course is currently under revision and is likley to be restructured to be more of a feeder course for the SMG.

I am not aware (though maybe wrong?) of any minimum depth you would have to do to get the ERD ticket. I also belive the ERD course has changed quite a bit over the last years.

With the inclusion of Nitrox into the openwater training syllabus a revision of all the entry grades for the technical courses is required and being looked at by the BSAC Technical Team. I think release of the new ERD course is anticipated for this years DOC, but don't quote me on that.

The Yorkshire Region is planning an SMG course for the back end of November 2007, so if you are interested give me a shout. Maybe we can sort out an ERD as well if there is demand for one prior to the course.

The timetable of the SMG is too tight to adequately teach diving with twinsets, stage handling etc. It assumes that this was all covered and mastered (!) prior to trainees doing the SMG course

[Step]

Originally Posted by GLOC

Neil, that isn't the question.

What is the minimum depth you must do on ERD before you can move onto the SMG course?

From what i have seen there is no minimum depth specified.

Quoting from the info on the BSAC website on the Extended range course.

"FACILITIES
Suitable classroom with teaching aids for formal presentations. Suitable shallow water dive site (10m maximum) for Dive 1. Dive site with 20m maximum for Dive 2. Suitable dive platform (boat) for Dive 3, with maximum depth to 50m. (dependant on students’ abilities). "

looks like BSAC as usual is relying on people having common sense, i.e. in this case to graudually build up thier depth experience and then realising when they reach the depth limit of their comfort zone on nitrox/air but still want to expand their depth range by using trimix.

[Janos]

My maximum depth on my BSAC ERD course was 40m. I know of others who have done 35m.

BSAC ERD is not necessarily deep air. I did it so that I could do longer dives at shallower depths without relying on a Suunto for my deco info.

So the way I see it, BSAC is currently:

Nitrox (core training)
Adv. Nitrox (50% for safety)
ERD (twinset)
Sports Mixed Gas (trimix)
Advanced Mixed Gas (adv. trimix).

But, as everyone says, the instructor is key. Again I would thoroughly recommend Mark Powell. Not only does he do the dives, but he is also an absolute expert at assessing where your comfort zone is and expanding it a little. No matter how good or bad you are.

Janos

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by Bardo

As others have said, personally I'd select the course I want to do by picking the instructor first. Mark Powell is an excellent choice if you want to go down the TDI route. Personally, though, I always recommend Phil Short who is probably one of the most able and highly qualified tech instructors here in the UK. His website is Phil Short Technical Diving

Phil offers the full range of IANTD mix courses from Recreational and Advanced Recreational Trimix (30m or deeper depending upon students' other qualifications or 45m for Adv Rec), Normoxic (60m) to Expedition-level Trimix (sky's the limit!). Hell, he'll even train you to dive caves on a CCR with mix!

Not quite, I think the limit is either 120 or 125m


ATB

Mark Chase