DSAT Tec Rec course

[John Touhig]

Has anyone got an experience of this course? How does it compare with other tec course's?


Thanks

GM

[nigelH]

I did most of it and found it rather overloading at times. It is Advanced Nitrox, Deco Procedures and Deep Air all rolled into one with pool time and about 10(?) dives. The documentation is typical PADI superb stuff and the content is actually mainstream tech diving teaching. OK the kit configuration stuff is not as dogmatic as some would like but it explains and reasons and I prefer it that way. What is suprising is that it tells you to plan tech dives on your PC and then labours through doing the gas consumption stuff by hand and tweekes deep stops into the model again manually.
The inwater drills are heavy. You do a lot of mask off swimming (hate it), long hose sharing and stage/recover your deco gas plus all the usual stop holding despite being messed about. I suspect a lot of the 'stunts' the instructor pulls on you are set in their manuals because they are clearly aimed at testing specific points. I'm glad I did it because I learnt a lot and I might actually finish it one day. I only have the last few deeper dives to do and they have less skills to demonstrate in them but I've gone Trimix Rebreather (many of the skills paid off there) so it would only be card collecting now.

nigelH

[db8us]

What i do not like is the lack of skill-perfection. I saw such a course beeing held in a local quarry and stage-drills were done kneeing on the floor.
This sucks IMHO

[finbar.taylor]

I have a few fdriends that have done it and was the Boat handeler for all the dives and my experiance is it it....

Very comprehensive.
If you can do this TriMix is a walk in the park
There is no room from movement from the kit config(as strict than DIR!)
Very worth while there is no doubt you will be a better prepared technical diver

conclusion... I would recomend it or get a very good TDI intructor

the differance being in DSAT it is a skills requirement in TDI it is at instructors descression

Fin

[John Touhig]

Thanks,

Sounds like if you don't have the skills at the end of the course then you don't pass (which is good). I'll let you know how I get on (if they run the course).

John

[dave archer]

Is there a max O2 % it's certs you to use?

Cheers,
Dave.

[sch]

Originally Posted by GasMuncher2

Thanks,

Sounds like if you don't have the skills at the end of the course then you don't pass (which is good). I'll let you know how I get on (if they run the course).

John

Who are you thinking of doing the course with - I keep meaning to get my finger out and do this one as well.

[John Touhig]

"Who are you thinking of doing the course with - I keep meaning to get my finger out and do this one as well."


I'm doing it with European Dive Centre in Turkey. Done most of my training with them over the years. Good well run organisation owned by a Welshman, with some of the best diving in the Med.



www.europeandiving.com.tr

[John Touhig]

Originally Posted by dave archer

Is there a max O2 % it's certs you to use?

Cheers,
Dave.

100%

[KimH]

I know I come out with this every time one of these threads comes up but that is because I think it is so important. I am a firm believer in getting the right instructor as so much depends on how they run the course and test you. This is especially true when you're looking to move forward as a technical diver, you need to push yourself now in training not later on when the manure hits the fan and it's too late.
You may find the following 2 links helpful if you haven't already seen them, they are articles from the Chris Boardman series in Diver magazine. I have done these courses with the same instructor and can personally vouch for the "thoroughness" of them. Some things may seem OTT but then much of the course is designed to test your capacity to deal with task loading under increasing pressure.

http://www.divernet.com/technique/1101tecrec.htm#top

http://www.divernet.com/technique/0702tdi.htm#top

From what I have read on the boards recently we have a couple of really good Tech Instructors here on YD who I think may give you a similar going over, if not better, but I have not had the opportunity to train with them myself. I'm sure others will give them glowing recommendations.

Hope this helps.