Trimix certs don't make you a better diver on a standard air tank

I keep seeing guys fresh out of their trimix class acting like they're too good for basic air dives. Last month on a pipeline job off the coast of Louisiana, this kid with 6 months of mixed gas experience nearly blew a seal because he was messing with his deco schedule instead of watching his gas consumption. I've been doing this for 12 years and I still run simple bottom mixes when the job calls for it. Has anyone else noticed that overqualifying for a gig just makes you more dangerous on the simpler stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

leoyoung6h ago

Yeah I get what you're saying but I kinda see it the other way. A trimix cert teaches you a lot about gas planning and staying disciplined, and honestly most of that carries over to air dives too. Your mileage may vary but I've seen guys with just a basic open water cert do some sketchy stuff on air because they never learned to think ahead.

skylerm554h ago

Honestly, do you really think that formal cert is what makes the difference? I've met plenty of trimix divers who still make boneheaded mistakes because they rely on the cert instead of actually thinking. It's more about the person, not the piece of paper.