Recreationall TRIMIX

[puddlejumper1]

This is not the first time I have heard or read this either.

Now I refuse to get into anything about the DIR match going on. I have some people that I think of highly (Jeeze Chris I even consider you one ;D) that seem to beleive in DIR. I have no concern about taking a class from a DIR instructor. There have been many ways to do it right. And a large % of divers in technical diving do not dive DIR now. The "whole" concept is one I do not believe in period. I do not hold others who believe in it in contempt.

I spent the entire last summer looking at how I was going to change my system. You in fact made several dives were I was not happy with how I was trimmed out and how my configuration was. Several of the people I have made dives with have made very solid recommendations that I have or will incorporate. I spent the pumpkin dive this year not carving pumpkins, but becoming accustomed to a deco bottle making sure I was comfortable with how it worked how I had things routed and if I could in fact hand it off in the event of an emergency. I spent my last dive this weekend getting comfortable with the change to a backplate. Guess what I found that I didn't have the ability to reach my valves (even after pulling the gear up on my back). So now I need to make adjustments and raise my tanks up in the bands. This is just good diving though. I have not seen anything that has happened in these classes that I will not have become proficient at before I take the Advanced Nitrox / Decompression Procedures class.

I will say this there is no reason in my mind (and in the mind of a lot of divers) why the voodoo hush hush mentality is out there about trimix and decompression. None of the skills taught in conjunction with these classes are necessary (they are a damned good idea for the application) for the understanding and know how to perform these dives. The most use I intend to get out of trimix is going to be below 150' using doubles and performing decompression diving. Doing the same dives on air and using a 50 mix would be no different. I didn't need to read a book to learn how to do that. I was taught the basics in Nitrox when I took that course. You certainly did not become proficient at the skills you learned in the most recent classes you took. You did learn them and decided to become proficient at them I am simply doing the same but without the instruction first.

What I relly want to hear before I make the leap into an instructor is things like "wow he really drilled us in calculating our PO2" or "Jeeze I got so good at planning out my entire dive that I could do it blindfolded" oh " And he really taught us a lot of new skills that will increase our diving awareness and ability on how to get out of the water in the event of a problem." But that is not what I have heard.

Tell me what is the difference between RGBM and VPM? Why is the Buhlmann decompression theory considered a flawed decompression model. What programs use these models? This is the kind of information that is going to help keep you alive.

Nor did I learn this in a book. While I have plenty of books for reference material. I also do not learn by aping others. I want to know the reason for what is happening. Then if and only if the reason is good and can add to my safety or diving enjoyment will I incorporate it into my way of diving.