The Tech fast track

[DiveCaptDean]

I'll chime in......In my experience I have seen both models you speak of....I have seen people that i feel have no business diving deeper that 130..if that..that are adv nitrox deco certified..these are usually the ones that cant get in and out of their equipment alone..and that dont give me any confidence in their ability when on my boat...some of them have gone on to improve greatly some have not.......some have been diving for a long time..some have not...of these that i speak, i dont think any were trained in the milwaukee area.........of the divers that i have experience with from the milwaukee area or that were trained in the milwaukee area..i have had good luck....young or old..a couple of the older ones  are very safe and cautious  and not aggressive..some of the younger ones.maybe a little more aggressive, but perform proper planning and apply safe practices........keeping in mind this can be flip flopped as well..there are some divers in the area that are still at the top of their game and have been diving deep for 20 years..........and much deeper than most others...you all know them..but i will not mention names here

Keep in mind i am not chartering in Milwaukee any more:

I know of a couple of groups in the Milwaukee area that i would dive with any time and or take them anywhere they wanted to go..for the most part..most are adv trimix cert.....some of them i took early training with and knew that they were very good divers before their advanced training..some i have only seen in the water a couple of times.....many of them i know who instructed them..and frankly......cannot think of a better instructor........people call him "floating budha" and if you have seen him in the water you would know why.....were talking about an instructor that didnt even start technical diving or instructing technical diving  until he had more that 2000 dives..most of which are in local waters....Many of the divers he trained were also rec instrucotrs for a while prior to taking technical courses..they are solid divers.....I also know of a group of divers that dive technically...but do not have proper education..they have been doing it for a while, but i still dont trust this type of diving....granted in my diving youth..i have done the same..(hypocrite)

I dont think that jumping into technical diving after a couple of hundred rec dives is a problem...i do however think that jumping into tech diving after 50 or 100 rec dives IS A PROBLEM...I dont like to see technical divers from southern oceans as much as i like seeing technical divers from the great lakes...There is a big difference........I am agreat lakes captain and diver..i guess its just what i am more comfy with....i have had divers from other countries on the boat...a few of them i was not comfy with.........

i think the diver has to prove him-her self to you prior to passing judgement..good top side diving practices are a good start, and one can see these prior to seeing someone in the water....also fo rme..I have been know to ask who their instructor was if i didnt know..this can usually give me a good sign as well.....

cool post by the way
Deano