When to start tech?

[battles2a5]

Hi all, I'm starting to get very interested in starting tech diving and am looking for opinions as to how to time it. I'm currently AOW, enrolled in a Rescue course for mid-April and hope to pursue DM shortly thereafter. I currently have approx 65 dives which have all been accumulated in the last year. I am very comfortable in the water, feel my skills are fairly proficient, but I don't want to move into this too quickly. If someone were to ask me if I am ready for it, I would say yes. But that is with the ignorant opinion of someone who hasn't done it before.

Can I get some pointers for what to look for or consider when making the jump? Ideas on where I need to get more experience?

Here's some more info on my diving thus far:
- Most have been in warm water in good visibility
- Plenty of experience diving in currents
- 10+ dives in awful vis in strong currents (pretty much sums up my trip to Panama in the winter)
- 15+ dives over 100', some in limited visibility (silt, night)
- Bouyancy skills are very good (for a wet suit and singles)
- Air consumption is pretty good (haven't measured my SAC but I'm usually among the best on a dive
- Have wreck, deep, nx certs

My to-do list includes:
- Rescue, DM
- purchasing a dry suit in the next 4-6 months
- Getting a few more credit cards to fund this awful habit

My primary motivation for going tech is to explore the NC wrecks.

So what am I missing? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[diver12345]

The more practice you have with line,shooting bags,sharing air,no mask work,simulating lost vis,doubles,and being able to hold your stops on a line without hanging on the line the better. Go do ascent drills then add stage bottles and do everything again.Find a buddy to help you.

 

[Hoosier]

When you have some disposable fund or are ready to break your saving account...

 

[aboalreem]

Tec is a different world.......I would say log more and more dives.....
also as you said you need few credit card to fund the habit...well going tec is much more expensive.
Also you can explore many many wrecks without being a tec diver....
good luck

 

[DaleHall]

Only you will know when you are ready for it or not. But if you want an outside opinion on your skills and if they are up to par, the best person to answer that would the instructor you will be taking your Rescue and DM under. They will be evaluating your skills as you progress through those two disciplines and they will know if you possess the skills to enter and successfully complete Tec..

I've got my Rescue one week from Saturday.

 

[aboalreem]

Only you will know when you are ready for it or not. But if you want an outside opinion on your skills and if they are up to par, the best person to answer that would the instructor you will be taking your Rescue and DM under. They will be evaluating your skills as you progress through those two disciplines and they will know if you possess the skills to enter and successfully complete Tec..

I've got my Rescue one week from Saturday.

make sure your instructor is a Tec instructor too....or have done it many many times...since many instructor have never done Tec diving ..!!!!!

 

[Colliam7]

I'm starting to get very interested in starting tech diving and am looking for opinions as to how to time it. I am very comfortable in the water, feel my skills are fairly proficient, but I don't want to move into this too quickly. If someone were to ask me if I am ready for it, I would say yes. But that is with the ignorant opinion of someone who hasn't done it before.

Ideas on where I need to get more experience? My primary motivation for going tech is to explore the NC wrecks.

Tec is very much about equipment and procedures (and, of course, attitude). From an equipment perspective, you have started the journey (with BP/W). Other key equipment elements are the drysuit, and the doubles. Minor elements are the proper fins (e.g. Turtles, or Jetfins), lift bags, canister lights, etc., not to mention the regs for the doubles, and the deco bottles, and .... Both the key elements and the minor elements add complexity to buoyancy management. That may be as big a challenge as anything – holding a specified depth very precisely, while doing skill (valve shutdown drills, lift bag deployment, etc.) requires skill and lots of practice.

Suggestions:
1. Finish DM first, since you mention that is on the short-list already. It just helps you become a more controlled and precise diver – attributes that are definitely of value in tec.

2. Get a dryusit and start diving it – a lot – before pursuing tec. Don’t know if you are a PDRA member (www.ncpdra.org), but there is a PDRA quarry up near Lake Norman that may be good for DS training. Many tec dives take place in colder water. In order to get the depth, many tec classes take place in some very cold places (Quarries, Lake Jocassee). Get used to cold (45 - 55 degree) water if possible, before starting.

3. Consider setting up some doubles, and diving them BEFORE starting tec. Although diving with doubles is part of the training in the course (at least, the PADI Tec Level 1 and Tec Deep), I think a tec student is better prepared if they are familiar with and comfortable with doubles before starting.

Definitely, don’t go into tec setting up you rig as you go along. The course can be very challenging for divers who have neither prior doubles nor drysuit experience. I felt fortunate that I had considerable experience in my drysuit (40+ dives) before starting the course. Plus, I dove my doubles, in quarries and off the NC coasts for several months before starting. If I had needed to deal with doubles, AND a drysuit for the first time, AND master the skills (valves, etc.) I would not have been successful. Tec training is very task loaded, and the last thing you need to be thinking about while trying to deploy your liftbag, or do your no mask air sharing swim, is whether you have good control of your buoyancy and trim).

The good news is that you do not need to be tec to dive most of the interesting NC wrecks (as another poster has mentioned). But, most of the coastal operators are also used to dealing with tec divers on their charters and you have no problem mixing tec and rec in most cases, whether out of Wilmington, Morehead City, or Hatteras. This is helpful simply from an experience perspective. Walking your double steel 100s / 120s / 130s into a quarry is one thing. Putting them on while on a boat, jumping in AND later getting back on the boat in doubles may be a bit more interesting. You can certainly make (no deco) dives in tec rig (drysuit, doubles, etc.) for practice off the coast, and I strongly encourage doing so before starting tec.

Tec training is a tremendous learning experience. I highly recommend it. It can also be incredibly frustrating.

 

[gafftape42]

You should start researching your tec instructor now if you know you want to go in that direction. Try and find one that will be a good mentor as well. Once you have found one go for a dive or two with them so they can evaluate your skills. Once you and the instructor are comfortable then is the time.

Since you are getting a dry suit it would be beneficial to get comfortable with it before you go tech. This will prevent you from having to back off your dives to gain dry suit proficiency after going tec.

And remember this is not a race, diving is supposed to be fun. Take some time for some fun dives as well.

 

[battles2a5]

Thanks everyone (especially Colliam7). This is the kind of advice I need. I am thinking of a 1 year event horizon for all of this to fall in place (Resuce + DM + dry suit, etc.). One question about doubles, though. Is it ok to start diving doubles w/o training? I'd just hate to start diving them and develop bad habits then have to worry about reprogramming myself once I start tech. I guess that goes back to finding the right instructor to help me through the transition. I have a lot of work to do

 

[oceancrest67]

Thanks everyone (especially Colliam7). This is the kind of advice I need. I am thinking of a 1 year event horizon for all of this to fall in place (Resuce + DM + dry suit, etc.). One question about doubles, though. Is it ok to start diving doubles w/o training? I'd just hate to start diving them and develop bad habits then have to worry about reprogramming myself once I start tech. I guess that goes back to finding the right instructor to help me through the transition. I have a lot of work to do

Going back to what others have mentioned...if your instructor is tech certified...he may have a closer idea toward your progress and goals.

Yes, look to spending more money.

In reflection, I have been diving for 13 years...and only got started in technical diving about 3 years ago. Why did I wait so long? Other goals and circumstances dictated my involvment, time, money etc. I suggest setting aside a budget for your passion if you have not already done so.

Equipment...look to spending money on a BP/W set up (Dive Rite, OMS, Halcyon), doubles (I bought mine used for a good bargain with good VIP and Inspection), dry suit, canister light, very good regs: first and second stage (check out Dive Rite, Apeks), stage / deco bottles...you might find the GUE/DIR fundamentals, TDI Extended Range / Advanced Nitrox books and classes informative on equipment set up etc.

Practice skills in a quarry...running reels, deploying SMB's, lift bags, practicing good bouyancy...especially with doubles and a dry suit...bouyancy is key to much of technical diving, wreck, cave etc.

Just my 02.