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Greetings all,
    I am not yet a tech diver, nor do I pretend to be, but I am interested
in learning things the right way.  I am located in Quantico, VA, and I
currently dive within rec limits, including rec wreck penetration, and split
my time between local freshwater and Ocean City saltwater diving.  I dive
mostly DIR (Alum doubles w/ sea elite man. wet, wings, Zeagle DS4 and Tech
50D,  breath long hose, etc.), increasingly so as I get my equipment budget
out of the hole created by the dive industry and my ignorance.  I am a PADI
certified rescue diver with a few specialties (read that as I wasted a lot
of money) but have no interest in continuing advancement with that
organization.  I usually do 4 "weenie" freshwater dives a week and 2 or more
"weenie" ocean dives/month.  I've been lurking in the shadows reading this
mailing list for some time,  but now I guess I'm ready to be flamed. (please
be gentle)

I am interested in using Trimix for the type of stuff I am currently doing
in the 100-130ft range as a way to get my feet wet in mixed gas and
decompression, as I'm not real fond of looking at my gauges and not
remembering what they said 3 seconds later.  I eventually want to move on to
deeper stuff, but I'd like to get some additional experience first. (I'm in
no hurry)   Is there anyone in my area who teaches mix and real deco without
requiring me to do any deep air foolishness or 27 ridiculously redundant
levels of "technical" nitrox?  I know some highly respected contributors to
this list have advocated mix at these modest depths, so I can't be the only
one trying to do this.  I feel that the clear headedness is worth it, and I
would like to gain familiarity with mix before trying to descend to obscene
depths in any course.   I'm willing to travel for an instructor who will be
worth my time.

Now, just for my own informational purposes: (please be kind, I don't know,
therefore I ask)  Are there any considerations that I'm missing when it
comes to short, shallow dives on He mixes?  I know that the extra cooling
will be a problem with me diving wet in the Atlantic, so I'm not looking to
incur huge deco obligations.  Is deco on back gas (or even "no
decompression") for short dives with a normal or hyperoxic O2 level
possible, or are 50/50 & O2 required (or strongly recommended)? I'm sure
these questions have been answered, but humor me.  Once again, I don't know,
that's why I'm asking, so please be constructive.

I'm mainly interested in the instruction part, so please respond publicly or
privately if you can help me out.

Thanks in advance,
Duane



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