IANTD Normoxic Trimix Diver

Instructors	Dave Ross (academics) Sam Collett (skills + training dives)
Dive center	Tech Asia, Small La Laguna, Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines
Duration	5-7 days
Dives	2 confined water sessions 2 training dives on air or nitrox 3-4 trimix dives to max 60m
Price	675 USD + about 180 USD for Helium (incl. the instructor's)
Requirements	IANTD
Comments	I might not be diving like a duck yet, but I sure can talk like one now. It took me a couple of dives to get used to diving with twin 12l tanks and two 5.5l deco-gas stages, while having to demonstrate all kinds of skills: total buoyancy control being the crucial one. But by the end of the course I kind of got most of it under control. A great course indeed, where I gained a lot of insight in decompression theory, thanks to Dave's ability to explain complex theoretical models in a very clear and simple way. Sam then put all the theory in practice, showing me how to safely plan and execute deeper dives. His very detailed de-breefings always to the point and crucial in improving my performances. Thanks to his good advice, I have indeed become a safer and more knowledgeable diver. I haven't been deep enough to notice that trimix breaths easier at depth than air, but then, I barely have any reference to compare with. Deep air diving definitely isn't my thing. Even with trimix I could still feel some narcosis, mainly because of the task loading I guess, and maybe also CO2 build-up, everything being new and me still having to actually think a lot instead of just doing it.