Thinking about going tec

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

@Marie13 the above link doesn't work, might be my phone. I have not been to 130 my deepest so far is 100 reef dive, nothing to see so I signed let's go back to the top of the reef and check out the pretty fish.

I don't plan on trimix as being open circuit (don't have 10k and rebreather scares me) helium is just too expensive.
 
@Marie13 the above link doesn't work, might be my phone. I have not been to 130 my deepest so far is 100 reef dive, nothing to see so I signed let's go back to the top of the reef and check out the pretty fish.

I don't plan on trimix as being open circuit (don't have 10k and rebreather scares me) helium is just too expensive.

Just search Mark Powell Technical Diving on Amazon then.

You can do weak helium mixes that aren’t as pricey. Might change your tune when you’re diving colder and lower viz more. Lot of Great Lakes folk recommended it to me.
 
Might change your tune when you’re diving colder and lower viz more. Lot of Great Lakes folk recommended it to me.

Here we call 10 foot viz really good. My coldest dive so far is water temp 31, air temp 15.

My last dive I could see my buddy at 1 foot, had to move my arms out of trim to read my perdix.

One bonus is the deep dives have better vis.
 
Screenshot_20191223-223428_Amazon Shopping.jpg
is this the right book
 
Ordered
 
The slope is beyond slippery. Think Teflon coated in WD40 slippery.
I took the AN/DP course because I was skirting NDL and figured I should be prepared if I over stayed. I wanted to improve my trim and buoyancy in doubles and someone suggested Cavern & Intro...May as well get some learning while I’m practicing with twinsets. Who knew I’d love it so much, so, Full Cave was in order, this time completed in a Sidemount configuration as I purchased my own to have redundancy with the ability to travel. That was last week. I had planned next steps to be ER & Trimix 60 as a combined course but really enjoy caving. My instructor suggested combining ER/Trimix 60 & Stage Cave. Now I’m just looking for the time and opportunity...oh, and someone to dump a crap load of money on me.
My reef diving has improved tremendously as was my initial goal. My favourite dives now are starting deep 130’+ and deco-ing up on the reef. I come off when Run Time and TTS match my planned dive time. This keeps me below the crowds.
Plan with the end in mind but be prepared for it to change.
 
Get familiar with dive planning software and you can run a variety of scenarios that maximize high value time . For me in dives that shallow, I get more bottom time with less deco by doing more shorter dies than two long ones. I essentially get paid by the minute when underwater, so maximum bottom time per day is important to me.
 
As long as you can resist the temptation.
But I couldn't so I eventually did the full trimix course.
Good on you.

Formernuke, if your deepest dive is 30m, you have a ways to go but know that it is a slippery slope like Centrals aptly described.

My prediction of your experience is a reflection of my own. You may not find yourself on the same trajectory and others may have a different projection for you.

Once you start routinely managing your ABT deeper than 30m and you get your consumption (respiratory minute volume) under control, you’ll naturally want to stay longer and that will lead you to getting tec certified.

After a while in a multi-tank dive configuration, you’ll start flying your rig (bottom and deco gas) around on simple tec dives like it’s a glider plane. On a wall dive at 50m (+) with clear vis down to 70-90m and hammerheads cruising about, it will be hard to say, “I have no business further down there.” You’ll probably look at the 21% MOD limitation and want the ability to fly right past it on the next day of diving with a simple but important change in your bottom gas.

Since others around you on those dives will likely have the training to draw Helium, it will be hard to say, “No, mate...that course is not for me.” I’m sure there’s some similarity in the phenomenon of gateway drugs....you’ll be done with the ordinary stuff and want to move on to a more sensational experience.

Given that He safely chops down the 79% of nitrogen that complicates deeper diving, it will be hard to not give in to the safety rationalization of being able to plan for, draw and breathe Trimix. Then all of a sudden, your 60m dive turns into your dive buddies wanting you to go to 100m with them.

Like Bump-Head said, it’s a Teflon slope with a nice, even coat of WD-40. If you can be happy with 7-9 minutes of recreational ABT at 40m, I’d stay there and not step out onto the Teflon slope.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

Back
Top Bottom