Tech Cost

[Rainer]

People should stick to caves; they aren't nearly as bad

Yeah, those WKPP dives look cheap.

 

[Jimmer]

$14,000 and counting. And I still want another set of doubles, a scooter, two more stages, a compressor/mixing station with trimix capabilities. If I hit the powerball in the pool at work my share now would be around 10 million before the evil ones(government) take their cut. Then I'll get it all!!!!!!!!!!! Even buy an ice rated boat!

I hear ya. My future lottery winnings have been spent over and over again on dive gear and boats and compressors in my head. Of course lotto winnings in Canada are tax free, so mine will go a little further than yours

 

[orange_diver]

OP: aren'tcha glad u asked!

for better or worse, i just jumped right in a couple years ago not really knowing how deep the money pit is, but i'm at least 17K in and getting a little bit of scooter-envy...is a CCR around the corner lurking somewhere? who knows...

there is no end, but that's part of the beauty of the sport, there's always another level to take it, if you want...

 

[nereas]

So here's a question coming from a newb within the tech world. I have become addicted to diving and know I want to further my diving knowledge base. I am interested in getting into tech diving in the near future. Just registered for my DM course and know the gear and cost with that. I have talked with my local dive shop about the cost of getting into tech diving, specifically equipment..and his only response was take the class and find out...I find this to be less than helpful especially since I am expecting to shell out a good chunk of change. Any helpful suggestions as far as price range. I know that this is a general question, but here is what I am hoping. I am going to be diving locally and hopefully eventually get into cave diving. What is the "general" price range to get into this end of the sport and not have to buy and replace all new gear to accomodate further exploration. Instead it would be nice to just add on to my ever growing collection. Are we talking a few thousand, ten thousand..? Thank you for your help.

D/M is a good start, before you go into tech.

The only disadvantage of D/M-ing is that the store will want you to buy and wear one of their fancy nice B/Cs. That will probably set you back $500 and you cannot use this for tech very easily.

After your D/M is complete, then you will be an expert recreational diver, and quite ready to go into tech training. Your confidence level will start out quite high, due to your past training. That will get you ready for the challenges of tech training, those being decompression, extreme depth, and darkness.

If you have a ScubaPro Mark 2 reg now, for tech you can have it O2 cleaned and put it onto your O2 bottle for deco or else use it for an argon bottle. Because you will need up to 6 1st stages and 5 second stages for tech, in total, when you are finally hauling around twin tanks and 3 deco bottles with you, besides the argon bottle with the drysuit.

Twin tanks you wont need until you start deco class. Even the advanced nitrox class normally allows you to use a single tank on your back, and a single deco bottle for "simulated deco." However many instructors combine advanced nitrox and stage decompression together into one course. And then you would indeed need the doubles right away.

Tech classes run about $500 each, depending on where you are. They are usually divided up into progressive stages. TDI and NAUI follow the traditional pattern established by IANTD, and there are about 4 of these tech classes at least, even before you start the cave part. So figure on $2000 for the classes. Some agencies charge a lot more. Cave classes can run anywhere from the usual $500 up to $1500 not counting travel to a cave site.

So as far as gear goes:

Backplate & wing & 15 ft harness, with 4 D-rings and 6 keepers and a buckle (for a hogarthian rig)

Twin tanks, with manifold and bands and DIN valves

6 1st stages (the argon bottle and O2 bottle don't need to be expensive ones so you can probably use the one you have now for that)

5 2nd stages

1 long hose, 1 short hose, and 3 40" hoses for the 2nd stages.

Drysuit

Drysuit thermals

Argon bottle & DIN valve

3 deco bottles with DIN valves

1 long and 3 short SPGs.

Cave light w/ belt mounting & buckle or keeper

Backup light

2 sturdy low profile masks

Gauge-mode computer & wrist slates


I will leave it to you to go to your local tech store and get prices on the above. Note that they will be drooling and eyeing you like a wolf while they are doing it. Their hearts will be beating hard and loud, and you will be able to see their carotids throbbing in their necks.

Someone else mentioned CCRs. If there is the slightest chance that you would be interested in a CCR, you should make up your mind about this after the advanced nitrox class and before you get doubles for the staged deco class. Or else you would be wasting a lot of money on the doubles and on the classes for OC tech.

Someone else also mentioned a second set of twin tanks. That's true too. But not right away. Probably not until after you are trained, and have actually started tech trips. To start with, I would suggest twin LP 80s. Then make your second set as large as you can carry. The largest that I have seen are 140s. Those were too big for me. I have twin 130s. There are also twin 120s and twin 100s as well.

As far as a DPV goes, the tech-rated ones go for about $4000 these days. And this is in fact my favorite toy. It is like an underwater motorcycle. Without one, everyone else is just a pedestrain under water. You could even mount an housed video camera on it and make spectacular action movies of your own. But a good underwater video system can easily run another $10000 as well.

 

[Peter Guy]

Last year TSandM and I flew to LA to go diving with friends -- NOT Tech diving mind you, just diving. As we waddled through LAX with 6 bags of gear, we did a quick total -- $20,000 -- and this did NOT include any tanks and we had taken singles regs! It did include a camera (NOT a dSLR), strobe and two Sierras.

This is NOT a sport you want to total up -- but then one "decent, regionally competitive Dressage horse" starts at $25,000 and goes WAY up -- plus $1500/month for board and training. Actually, Tech Diving is pretty cheap!

 

[nereas]

...
Two sets of E8-130 tanks...

I had 2 sets of E8 130s, and one of them always sat around and did nothing.

Therefore I think a better choice is a second set of LP 80s or else LP 72s.

Therefore I got rid of the second set of 130s, making someone else very happy, since now they are hard to find anywhere.

During training, however, a second set of doubles is not normally needed.

 

[IceBergSlim]

It also depends on where you live. My most expensive item of tech gear was my Land Rover.

As a NYC diver I was fine with taking my stuff on the train. Once I went tech I needed a vehicle that could carry all that crap.

Another word of advice. Make lots of friends. Borrow what you can.

 

[Dark Eternal]

Im going to go ahead and say that you can do it cheaper if you know where to find deals. I am by no means far into my technical training but I have a fair amount of gear and have done it affordably. Here is what I paid.

Double LP108s. $800 total - I got used 3" highland bands on here for $50 and paid $750 for the two tanks and a diverite manifold from Cave Adventurers

AL80 x2 - $130 each from scubatoys (local to me)

So far for exposure protection I dive wet - I do not get cold easy. I have done 2 hours dives in 68 degree water. I have about $400 invested total here. A henderson goldcore 3mm full, a 3mm scubamax shorty to go over it I got for free from a friend who it no longer fit and henderson goldcore boots and hood

For regs I only dive atomics. You can get m1s in DIN for $500 each. You will need a 7' hose, SPG + hose and a LP inflator hose. I spent about $150 on all of that brand new at scubatoys and cave adventurers. $1200 total.

Lights. I use 2 intovas as backups ($100 for both) and will be soon buying a diverite HID1000 ($600) thats $700 in all lights. You can get used 10 watt dive rites for 300 or less and its still a good light to start off with.

BP and wing - I bought a diverite AL plate and transplate harness for something like $75 used on a forum. I got a diverite dual rec wing (since I dive wet) for $150 used in really good condition online as well. I added a 2" crotch strap (had a 1") for $20. Call it $250 total.

You have a mask. You need acceptable fins (I had some but even brand new dive rites are $100)

Reel I use is a DR sidewinder primary. Was $135. Get a few safety spools if your doing cave for another $50.

I have about $100 in misc bolt snaps and crap that you dont think of.

Computer - I use my rec computer - an aeries atmos 2. Its not fancy but does work in gauge mode. When I do deco ill get a backup bottom timer and use tables until I can afford a fancy computer.

So far Ill call my investment $4000 in gear and all I NEED to do deco procedures is 2 more regs and a bottom timer (ill use atomic Z2s - should be less than $1000 for both and pressure gauges)

Training is obviously additional - you can find your own prices on this based on what instructor you want to use.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Last year TSandM and I flew to LA to go diving with friends -- NOT Tech diving mind you, just diving. As we waddled through LAX with 6 bags of gear, we did a quick total -- $20,000 -- and this did NOT include any tanks and we had taken singles regs! It did include a camera (NOT a dSLR), strobe and two Sierras.

This is NOT a sport you want to total up -- but then one "decent, regionally competitive Dressage horse" starts at $25,000 and goes WAY up -- plus $1500/month for board and training. Actually, Tech Diving is pretty cheap!

Yeah but when you guys are both instructors you'll sell the horses, buy a dive shop, and be broke the rest of your lives!

 

[Colliam7]

So, for a very rough estimate, we're talking
$1500 - 2000 tanks and BP/W
$1000 regs (minimum for three)
$1000 - 2000 for lights
$500 for miscellaneous stuff (reels, spools, SMBs)
And this is assuming that your exposure protection and fins and mask are still suitable.

Im going to go ahead and say that you can do it cheaper if you know where to find deals. ... So far Ill call my investment $4000 in gear and all I NEED to do deco procedures is 2 more regs and a bottom timer (ill use atomic Z2s - should be less than $1000 for both and pressure gauges)

The cost figure depends on whether you are estimating initial costs just to move to doubles, usually a first step toward 'tech' diving, or the larger figure to move to deco diving, with multiples bottles and regs, and the associated costs of training. You can go less expensve, with some used gear purchased from eBay or Craigslist, and stay closer to the $4000 figure. I paid $300 for a set of double 80s AND a 30cf pony/deco, got a SS BP and a Rec wing off eBay for less than $250 total, paid $1050 for a pair of new ATX200s. Yes, I have spent a LOT more money than that on technical diving (training, lights and additional wings, tanks, regulators, BPs, etc). But, I assembled one set of gear for less than $2000. You can start simple and ease into it.