I am asking for help in structuring the next 2-3 years of my beginning dive training from both an academic and training perspective. In other words, books and doing.
I know how I want to dive: I have no doubt that I will work towards rebreathers and solo diving. The silence of rebreathers, the way they "feel" fundamentally right to me -- I have no doubt I want that in my life as my mode of diving, and I will likely do that alone (and with people).
The fact is, I do alot of things alone -- my work, my hobbies, off roading, collecting, fossils, inventing -- I do stuff alone, and that is not going to change. I have already held myself back from solo diving the lake not 5 mins from my cabin in the New Mexico mountains. I know I don't have the skills, but I also know that I will do it (solo) sooner or later.
Caves don't interest me, wrecks don't either. But what does interest me would be underwater geological observation and rock specimen collection -- so while caves don't rise my bubbles, working under overhangs and looking into crevices do. I do major off-roading, and I can see solo stuff in remote lakes a reality. Boat dives are ok, Hawaii was cool and all that, but shore entry does something for me.
I am technically minded and I am good with my hands, and better with my mind. In the training I have had so far, I can see many inconsistencies, and that troubles me. I am not knocking the good old ways, but thoughtful inovation born from experience and need is cool too.
This is what I want proficiency in: Solo diving in lakes (and ocean); rebreathers, underwater exploration of geological phenomena, and learning shore entry.
My resources to date: I have a simple C-Card with an "Altitude Specialty". I have 22 dives. I have read three books about SCUBA -- my SSI into book (which I thought was horribly written), SCUBA diving for Dummies, and another title that I returned after looking at the first chapter.
I am asking for resources.
First: What would be an optimal sequence for my training? Based on my goals, what are the fundamental areas, classes, and or specialties I need to incorporate into my training and in what order ought I to do them?
Second: Based on my goals, what is a recommended basic and advanced reading list? I am looking for both book and article. If you know the name of someone who has done relevant work in an area, a name would be great -- I can follow up with that.
Third: I am asking for hyperlinks to training programs & schools, on-line technical manuals, and on-line tutorials. Also, if you know the names of diving related databases that have articles on diving physiology, diving psychology, and diving medicine, that would be very helpful.
I don't expect to buy a rebreather in a month, drop to 200 feet, and do a cave. The heart of this post is understanding how to get to my goals over the next couple of years, and what reading material would help me get there.
Thank-you.
Edited by mvillanueva, 02 September 2004 - 11:26 PM.