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KISS IANTD instructors in TX


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10 replies to this topic

#1 Desert_Diver

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Posted 28 February 2006 - 06:37 PM

Looks like there's two of 'em, Eric Keibler in Houston and Roni Liberman in Austin. Anyone out there have any opinions on either one? I'd like to take the course this summer, and I'm *always* open to suggestions. Anyone here have any experience with 'em?

After less-than-satisfactory experience with TDI, I'll pass on their course. A friend had one of their CCR books, and it looked identical to their Nitrox course, with an extra 15 pages on RB basics. It was weak, at best.

I don't know IANTDs training policy, but I'm guessing I'll have to have the Advanced EANx before the RB cert begins, or at least run concurrently with it. Can't tell for sure, 'cos they have a crappy website. Lotsa non-training related info, zip about the training courses. Yo! Brain check! What are you folks trying to sell here?

#2 Dive_Girl

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Posted 28 February 2006 - 07:35 PM

I can't comment on the instructors as I know little to nothing about each. I do however like IANTD. Yes their materials are still in need of improvement, although they have been overhauling most of them with many debuing at DEMA last October - and I could do without seeing a 1970s picture of Tom Mount's wife in day-glo gear on the covers, please. Their Website is lacking, but I am sure that is next on the list.

But IANTD does provide for good courses when taught by good instructors - I am very pleased with my local IANTD intructor and have found him beyond compare.

Good luck!
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#3 Brinybay

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 12:13 AM

Looks like there's two of 'em, Eric Keibler in Houston and Roni Liberman in Austin. Anyone out there have any opinions on either one? I'd like to take the course this summer, and I'm *always* open to suggestions. Anyone here have any experience with 'em?


Sorry, I have not kissed either one. Eric is a guy, so he's out. Is Roni with an "i" a girl?
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#4 Mitch0129

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 12:24 AM

Looks like there's two of 'em, Eric Keibler in Houston and Roni Liberman in Austin. Anyone out there have any opinions on either one? I'd like to take the course this summer, and I'm *always* open to suggestions. Anyone here have any experience with 'em?


I do not know about Roni but I do personally know Eric Keibler; I would recommend him in a heartbeat. He was my instructor for Nitrox and I felt he was excellent.
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#5 Diverbrian

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 12:49 AM

I would back IANTD training as I did my training through Normoxic Trimix with them.

As DiveGirl says, with a good instructor, they run a great training program. I do believe that the best course that they teach is the Advanced Nitrox program. And I am certain that you will need to take that before taking RB course as my future Inspiration instructor is discounting that in my case because he doesn't need to cover that course in my case.

I am sure that your instructor will do it as part of the RB course.
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#6 PerroneFord

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 07:43 AM

I don't know either of those instructors I'm sorry to say. However, I do know a TOP NOTCH instructor here in FL if you would be interested. Please be mindful of IANTD's current issues if you choose to go that route. I am not trying to slam them, I too have taken a course with IANTD.

How are you planning to get a KISS? Has Jetsam started production again?

#7 ScubaDadMiami

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 08:56 AM

I am going to suggest some good reading materials: Mastering Rebreathers by Jeff Bozanic, and Tek Closed Circuit Rebreather by Tom Mount.

I am finishing my IANTD rebreather training any time now.

Edited by ScubaDadMiami, 01 March 2006 - 11:56 AM.

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#8 intotheblue

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 09:58 AM

Looks like there's two of 'em, Eric Keibler in Houston and Roni Liberman in Austin. Anyone out there have any opinions on either one? I'd like to take the course this summer, and I'm *always* open to suggestions. Anyone here have any experience with 'em?


I do not know about Roni but I do personally know Eric Keibler; I would recommend him in a heartbeat. He was my instructor for Nitrox and I felt he was excellent.


I am familiar with Eric professionally and would recommend him on that basis. I have not had any specific experience with either instructor in a training situation. Be sure to report back if your experience justifies our recommendations! Oh... Eric has helped support SD HHH in the past.

ITB...

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#9 Desert_Diver

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 11:59 AM

Thanks, folks! Any personal recommendation is better than a blind guess on my end. And yes, what little IANTD training materials I'd seen were WAY more thorough than the piddly stuff I've seen from TDI, including the Nitrox class I had with them 3-4 years ago. The instructor didn't even have an O2 meter! That, and he said it was OK to dive pure O2 at 45'. Hmmm. For a military kid in top shape, and for a short duration, maybe. Not for me.

Howard: I already have Jeff's book, got it 3 years ago when I started getting interested. Read it cover to cover a few times to get everything straight in my head. I had to wait 'till I had some more dives under my belt before going for the class, though. I finally hit 101 in Coz in January, hope that's enough for the IANTD minimums. I just found out about Tom's book before Christmas, and plan to order it once I'm settled in Texas (right now my life's in turmoil). I figure it's required reading for the IANTD course.

Perrone: naw, I'm not buying Gordon's unit, although I like the general design a LOT better than any of the electronic CCR designs. From an engineering standpoint, it's more robust and has fewer failure modes than the other CCRs. Having to hit a manual O2 add button every 20 minutes or so is cake, and if you forget a bit, it's not disastrous; the PO2 just drops a bit lower. I'd initially planned to buy one of Gordon's, but finally decided to roll my own. I have a modified Russian IDA-71y along the lines of Dave Sutton's 'Son of Frankenstein'. I did a LOT of research in gas mechanics before building it, and it works fine. My earliest version had an orifice like the KISS, the final version is using a Swagelok SS precision metering valve. The ADD button is a high end O2 pushbutton valve from Parker Precision, and it's screwed through the side of the chassis with a safety cover. I've dived it in a pool for roughly 6 or 7 hours (damn, but that's boring....). It's reasonably lightweight compared to some of the other designs, and hell for stout. I just can't take it on a trip without official training. Right now it's gutted as I'm replacing the hoses with SS tubing.

OK, I'm totally clueless here. What's the 'current issues' with IANTD? They seemed like an OK training organization, from the few folks I'd talked to that took some of their courses. Everyone spoke highly of 'em.

And yeah, I thought Liberman was a 'Ron', not a 'Roni' from posts I'd seen elsewhere about rebreathers. Your guess is as good as mine on that one. The 'Roni' is from the IANTD site. I *think* she/he runs the RB course on the Explorer liveaboard that runs from Baja to the PNW. I'd looked at that boat for a vacation trip last year, and went with the SD trips, instead. Goin' on a trip solo isn't as much fun as with a crowd!

#10 WreckWench

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 12:06 PM

Anyone else interested in this training? Perhaps we could get a group to go diving AND do the training at the same time. Florida and Hawaii come to mind?

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#11 Desert_Diver

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 12:43 PM

I'm up for it, but IANTD's not showing any KISS instructors in Hawai'i, and other RBs just aren't personally interesting. Note that it's probably around a full week course, especially if you add the Advanced EANx in at the same time. That's why I was looking for somewhere nearer home. Well, *soon* to be home! 10 days and counting...

Here's their instructor search page, one of the few useful items on their site:
http://www.iantd.com...ors_search.html




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