[DanE]

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I'm keen to do a basic nitrox course.  From what I've heard, it doesn't seem to involve that much and I think it would be good for the kind of diving I plan to do over the next year or so (max 35m, no or short deco stops).

I'm a member of a BSAC club, so I could wait for a course to be run at the club, I've asked but there doesn't seem to be anything scheduled.

However, I'm diving with Ocean College out in Sharm soon, I notice they do both the TDI Nitrox Diver course and the PADI enriched air course.

I can't see a price of the PADI course, but the TDI course would come in at around 220 euros, which seems to me to be quite expensive.

So, I'm just wondering what to do.  Any advice out there?
dan.

 

[722]

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Dan

If you want do to the BSAC Combined Nitrox (Basic and Advanced), a list of courses is here. I'm not saying its the best course, but even if you do the TDI Adv course, you can't use the 100% O2 to deco under current BSAC SDPs. One day they'l change...

Adrian

 

[Reeve]

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<font color='#000F22'>Dan,

I did the BSAC Adv Nitrox course some time back. It proved a very useful and enjoyable course. I continued to dive with the BSAC nitrox until I decided I wanted to go the TDI trimix route. At this point I converted over to TDI Adv nitrox. The main difference being that BSAC provide tables for 27,32,36 % O2 where as most/ all others calculate the air equivilant depth and use air tables.

For your sort of diving high %O2 are not required. Even on my 40m+ all i did was sling or side mount a 50% mix, and this proved more than adequate at the time. BSAC only qualifies you upto 50% O2.

As for the cost of 220 euros that seems fair as i paid approx £165 to convert to TDI not 3 months ago.

gareth

 

[chrisch]

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Either the PADI or TDI basic would suit you well - the responses about advanced courses show people don't read before they write....

The BSAC course doesn't cover Equivalent Air Depth - it is unique in this respect.  If you want to go on to do more advanced diving at some point the TDI or IANTD courses are OK.  The BSAC course doesn't count towards trimix etc..

I did the PADI and it was very good - the TDI is classroom only and I would do it here before you go myself.

Chris.

 

[DanE]

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Thanks for the comments.  Don't think I'll be doing the TDI course on holiday if it's not going to help me improve my tan...

Is there any real difference between calculating the Equivalent Air Depth and the BSAC tables?  Surely they must just be different routes to the same result?

cheers,
dan.

 

[KimH]

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<font color='#000080'>I did my TDI nitrox course a few years ago with OC and we did it on the boat, a bit on the way out to the dive site and some during the SI. It was nicely paced, didn't interfere with the tanning and I got to use nitrox from day one while learning.  It may have changed as it was a while ago but if they're still doing it that way I can thoroughly recommend that course.

 

[Darren27]

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Equiv air depth?.  As I see it for normal rec diving, which it sounds like your into, you dont need it.  Most people, do not dive on tables so using either the BSAC nitrox table or calculating the EAD and then using an air table is not really an issue.  I suspect most people just set the computer then get in the water.  If that is the diving you do then the BSAC course would work out the cheapest.  The down side is you may have to wait till a course is run locally to you, but combined nitrox courses (the only one to go for really) is popular and are quite frequent.  If you dont want to wait then do a course while on holiday, the choice is yours.

The TDI adv nitrox course may allow you to use upto 100% but unless you have done the TDI deco procedures course you cant do any deco, so whats the big deal about using 100%? As to the BSAC courses not being suitable for going on to trimix, for my dealings with instructors, the equiv TDI nitrox course course is the same.  You would have to do the TDI deco procedures course after both before going on to the trimix course.  EAD is a very easy concept and can be mastered in ten minutes with an instructor.

HTH

 

[Paul Beal]

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Dan,

Are you a BSAC DL?

If so I would recommend heading straight for the BSAC combined Nitrox course. The basic is fair enough just to get you started but only teaches the use of 32% and 36% within no-stop limits. If you were to do the combined (covering basic and advanced) you can cover decompression, the use of 50% and a whole raft of physiology I find very interesting.

BSAC doesn't cover EAD (I do in my courses though), but to be fair you only need it so you can work from an air table. BSAC provide nitrox tables meaning you don't have to make quick calculations on a wet, windy hard boat - i.e. they make the mistakes for you

I am running a combined Nitrox course in Leeds then Capernwray at the end of feb if that is any good. The course costs just £45 (basically cost price - so you get an idea of how much you get ripped of by other places).

HTH

Paul

 

[tom]

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I'll also looking at doing a TDI Nitrox Diver course soonish, and the best price I've seen is £85ish. €220 seems a bit on the high side UNLESS there are dives included as part of the package.

From what Kim said though it sounds like a nice way to do the course, and in your position I might well be tempted to pay a little over the odds just for the sake of getting it done in a convenient and pleasant way.

 

[Driftwood]

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<font color='#0000FF'>I'm (hopefully) doing my Basic & Advanced within the next 6-8 weeks with ol' Hayhurst - I'd say he is definitely worth a looksee if you are planning on doing your course

Dalesdivers

So if anyone fancies watching Drifty make a prat of himself (again) with a twinset (again) let me know

 

[Mr T.]

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Quote[/b] (Driftwood @ Jan. 08 2004,12:13)]I'm (hopefully) doing my Basic & Advanced within the next 6-8 weeks with ol' Hayhurst - I'd say he is definitely worth a looksee if you are planning on doing your course

Dalesdivers

So if anyone fancies watching Drifty make a prat of himself (again) with a twinset (again) let me know

Fancy it?? I'll be selling tickets and deck-chairs for the event mate!  

I can thoroughly recommend using Andy (DALESDIVER) Hayhurst too: Fiona and I did the TDI combined Basic and Advanced Nitrox course with him about three years ago (still got to do mi Deco Procedures) - comprehensive, well taught, clear and he's a genuinely decent chap to boot!

Good luck!

 

[KimH]

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<font color='#000080'>I did get 4 nitrox fills included as part of mine, the dives were already paid for as part of the standard dive pack but the fills were upgraded. If I remember correctly that would have cost $8 a cylinder - don't ask me how this pans out in terms of conversion to stirling/euros/dollars but I know I thought it was reasonable at the time. Might be worth an e-mail to OC to check exactly what you'd get.
I've also been looking for a TDI nitrox course for the better half and £85 seems to be the going rate in the UK. As I understand it it's just half a day theory now so no big time commitment and possibly something to get out of the way while the weather's iffy.
Another thought, you didn't say who you're travelling with but if it's Explorers it's usually cheaper if you pre-book your diving in the UK so if it is through them it might be worth checking their course prices out.

 

[DanE]

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In answer to some of the questions that have come up - I'm a Sports Diver (only recently qualified, though), but I understood you could do the BSAC Basic and Advanced Nitrox courses from this qualification?

The trip to Sharm was booked through Explorers (35 of us going, would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that booking!), but I can't see anything other than basic "learn to dive" packages on their website.

Given the prices I'm seeing for the TDI course here in blighty, the OC costs seem overly high.  I'll check what OC's course involves, but at the moment I'm thinking that I'm just going to just enjoy my holiday and sort out some Nitrox training when I get back.

cheers,
dan.

 

[Janos]

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If I were in your shoes, I would ask round your club and see if there are any other people who are interested in doing the course. If you have a few of you, and are lucky enough to have a Nitrox Instructor in the club, then you're sorted - ru the course in-house. If you've no Nitrox Instructor, I'd ask your TO or DO to have a chat with some of the regional bods and see if they will run a course for your club / a few clubs in the area.

Laters,
   Janos

PS - SD can do Advanced Nitrox, but you've got to get an additional 20 dives under your belt since qualifying.