LEADING THE NEXT GENERATION OF DIVE TRAINING

Frog Kick Diving
(206) 351-2019

Frog Kick Diving (FKD) is Brian Wiederspan and Jeanna Edgerton, Seattle's Unified Team Diving (UTD) instructors and a west coast leader in dive training.

Since 2005, our goal has been to provide the highest quality dive training in the Pacific Northwest.  We've long been passionate about raising the bar in dive training and were excited to have earned an invitation to the first UTD IDC/Crossover and being given the opportunity to help establish the next generation of team-based dive training.

While everyone has their own interests in diving, we all share a common reason for why we dive…FUN. By keeping our classes small, with a large staff and uncompromising standards, our students are able to achieve their full potential, increase their confidence and add a higher level of safety, in turn increasing their enjoyment of diving.

By offering NAUI training in addition to UTD training, we are able to provide a wide breadth of superior dive instruction of all levels to the Pacific Northwest, from beginner Open Water through Technical, Overhead and Instructor Training.

Simply put, we don’t just certify divers, we train and develop skilled and competent divers.

Safety, confidence, knowledge, comfort and skill go hand in hand with fun.  We’re here to help you achieve your full potential in each.


NEW PROGRAM - TEAM BUILDER

Team Builder - Train as a team of 3, save as a team of 3

Team Builder is designed to encourage our students to learn to dive in 3-person teams by offering a discount in their training, allowing them to formally learn how to dive in a team of 3 in any class.

We've found that divers trained in a 3-person team generally are more well-rounded divers and able to recognize and adapt to the dynamics that a team of 3 requires, while also enjoying the strengths and benefits an efficient 3-person team offers.  

In short, the goal of this program is to teach not only the mechanics, skills and knowledge of the class the student is taking, but also expose the students to learning these skills and knowledge while diving within a 3-person team.  This is a benefit to the student because they learn how to dive in this dynamic, in a formal class setting, making the transition to "real world" 3-person team diving much smoother....read more

SITE UPDATES

July 23 - September Essentials of Rec and Tech and Tech 1 being scheduled now

June 23 - Team Builder - Learn to dive as a team of 3 and save as a team of 3

June 20 - New Video - Lake Washington P4Y "Bomber"


May 31 - New Video - Wreck of the SNV-2 Valiant

May 28 - Overhead Protocols Course Added

Oct 1 - Join us on FACEBOOK



UTD IDC/CROSSOVER - TEACHING THE WAY WE ACTUALLY DIVE

In December 2008, Brian Wiederspan and Jeanna Edgerton were 2 of 9 instructors, worldwide, invited to attend the first ever UTD ITC/Crossover.  Those 9 instructors, in addition to founder Andrew Georgitsis, former Training Director for Global Underwate Explorers (GUE), would become the 10 core instructors of the new agency.

The Instructor Crossover consisted of 9 grueling 12+ hour days focusing on the ethos and teaching philosopies of UTD, UTD course content and standards and in-water skills.  Much of our time was also spent building the Standards and Procedures, Course Curriculum and the unique "UTD Playbook".  This would be the foundation of the agency.

It was very important to all the participating instructors that we "teach the way we actually dive".  We feel we've accomplished this with the UTD Curriculum. 



WHAT IS UTD?

Unified Team Diving International (UTD) is an educational organization that certifies both instructors and divers who want to dive and/or teach utilizing UTD's comprehensive and holistic approach.  While remaining consistent with it's roots in the Hogarthian/DIR configuration and philosophy, UTD International extends beyond these methodologies to create a new generation of divers.  UTD believes a prepared diver is a "thinking diver", one who's keen sense of self, team members, environment and equipment enables him or her to reach their full diving potential while understanding and preventing situational hazards.  This advanced skill level is realized through UTD International's innovative course structure, state of the art teaching methods, comprehensive student education materials, online learning center and classroom (example online classroom), and rigorous teaching standards.  This certification process is an inclusive approach that is accessible to all in the diving community while maintaining UTD/DIR/Hogarthian compliance.

UTD, or Unified Team Diving, is an inclusive philosophy that unifies the team towards the dive, ultimately improving the safety, conformity and competence of the team and the members and therefore the enjoyment of the dive. 

Although the roots of UTD philosophy and principles can be found in the Hogarthian/dir equipment configuration and diving principles, UTD is the next generation of teaching and presenting diving principles that highlight consistency and unification within your team’s:

  • Equipment configuration
  • Dive objective and planning
  • Training level
  • In-water skill set
  • Diving experience

The certification process is more an instructional path/methodology that leads the diver/instructor to a “Unified Team Diving” approach and ultimately makes them a “Thinking Diver”.  We define “thinking diver” as one who understands the aquatic environment, is aware of the team and equipment, responds calmly to new situations, is proactive rather than reactive and enjoys diving for the sheer pleasure of it.

The advantage of seeking out instructors carrying the UTD certification is that by doing so you will ensure that wherever you train in the world, whatever course you take, you can be certain that all the UTD training you have received to date, or will receive in the future, will be consistent and compatible with utd/dir/Hogarthian approach to diving.  This will ensure you are consistent within your team, education and experience, and diving practices.

To see a schedule of our upcoming classes, please see our Schedule Page

For a list of our UTD Courses, please see our UTD Training Page

 


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