Question When do we speak of technical diving ?

[Klopo]

I have a question about technical diving.
When do you start talking about technical diving?
I come to the question because I am currently making the SSI Deco Diver. After completion, you are allowed to do dives with up to 15 minutes deco stops. Is this already technical diving?

Does anyone know about the course, if so, what do you think of it?

 

[steinbil]

People have different definitions of the term "Technical diving", why do you want to label it?

For what it's worth, if any of the following apply, I consider it technical diving:
- No access to direct ascent (meaning deco obligation or overhead)
- Requires helium (with GUE that would mean 30m, other agencies 40m - anything deeper I think is reckless).

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Tech diving to me is when you have more than one gas with you on a dive and at some point during the dive you switch and breathe one or the other.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

30m, other agencies 40m - anything deeper I think is reckless).

Reckless? Many tech divers go to 100 meters. I have more times than I can count.

 

[steinbil]

Reckless? Many tech divers go to 100 meters. I have more times than I can count.

Below 40m WITHOUT HELIUM, I consider reckless.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Below 40m WITHOUT HELIUM, I consider reckless.

Me too.

I think I misunderstood your posting. I thought you meant ANY dives below 40m.

 

[steinbil]

Tech diving to me is when you have more than one gas with you on a dive and at some point during the dive you switch and breathe one or the other.

So you don't consider light backgas deco technical? I mean, there is obviously a sliding scale and a grey area in between, but it seems to me that as soon as you take away the option of a direct ascent, a lot of things change and it requires a different mindset and different training.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

So you don't consider light backgas deco technical?

What is light backgas?

 

[steinbil]

What is light backgas?

As in light deco, say 15min as OP suggested, on your backgas (no deco gas).

 

[rongoodman]

I come to the question because I am currently making the SSI Deco Diver. After completion, you are allowed to do dives with up to 15 minutes deco stops. Is this already technical diving?

If you have a deco obligation the implication is that you no longer have direct access the surface in case of a problem without incurring injury. The required skills and redundancies are what turn it into a technical dive. Gas switching complicates things further, as breathing the wrong gas for the depth you're at can kill you. That being said, the light deco on back gas that you're talking about is considered acceptable for recreational divers by some agencies. I assume they consider the risks involved in skkpping a short amount of deco to be tolerable.