What is tech diving???

[Blackwood]

The term is all about ego.

It COULD be about ego. Then again it could be about ease. Or it could be about a specific diving course, such as

IANTD: Technical Diver, Technical Cave Diver, Technical Wreck Diver
PADI: Discover Tec(h) Diving, Tec(h) Diver Level One, Tec(h) Deep Diver, Tec(h) Trimix Diver
TDI: Intro to Tech Diving
NAUI: Intro to Tech, Technical Nitrox Diver, Technical Support Diver, Technical Wreck Penetration Diver
SSI: Technical Foundations
GUE: Technical Diver Level 1, Technical Diver Tech Level 2, Technical Diver Level 3
UTD: Intro to Tech, Tech 1 Diver, Tech 2 Diver
(and associated instructor certs)
etc.

 

[MSilvia]

Why would you want to take all of those at once? It makes more sense to me to ask about the specific class in which you are interested at the time.

Who said anything about wanting to take them all at once? I might choose to ask this way because I might be interested in several different courses, helium and oxygen fills, etc, and if the answer to "Do you offer any technical training?" is "Not really, although we've been talking to an instructor about coming in to teach the DSAT tec/rec course.", I know immediately that the shop I'm in isn't going to meet my needs. If they say "Yes, we have a couple of guys teaching TDI courses.", or the like, we have the beginnings of a conversation about what needs of mine they might be able to address.

The term is all about ego.

Like this argument... *yawn*

 

[Blackwood]

awesome

 

[Kingpatzer]

but i still am very drawn to it.. soo here i go.. i will try and see how far i can get with a slow steady pace and hopefully i will be able to become a tech diver one day... if not i sure will have fun trying..
-Gonzo...

The best advice I ever got was to find a highly respected tech diver in your area and go on a few recreational limit dives with them. Then ask -- given what you've seen, am I ready to get into technical diving or are there things I should work on?

Most of the time you'll get a very straight (often humbling) answer.

And finding such a person is not hard. Just ask various shops and the same names will come up over and over again.

 

[DevonDiver]

Might be less confusing if you did not use the word you are trying to explain in the expanation

Technical diving involves technical Wreck Diving

Confusing? I think it explains the validity of the term 'technical' perfectly.

If we understand the parameters of the term 'technical', then even a diving outsider can begin to understand what would be involved in a 'technical wreck dive'.

 

[Gonzo_G22]

Cave Diver,
you almost turned me into an Alcohol abuser... when i looked at that Utube video i almost spat out all my bear...!!! ROFLMAO..!!! hahahhahehheheheh!!!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I teach that in the Open Water class, so I don't see that as a difference.

That makes you an exceptional OW instructor. But...if a student opts to do a CESA 30 ft up rather then swim 30 ft to a buddy to share air is that acceptable? Would you withhold their c-card if they lacked the self control or problem solving ability to exclude an immediate ascent as an option at any time?

In most agencies offering an OW cert, doing so would violate their rules as you were holding the student to standards in excess of the agency standard. In a tech oriented agency, that is normally one of the written or unwritten standards for any technical class.

 

[Walter]

In most agencies offering an OW cert, doing so would violate their rules as you were holding the student to standards in excess of the agency standard.

Most? I know of one. I'm not affiliated with it. Do you know of others? I'm encouraged by SEI Diving to hold students to standards in excess of the agency standard. Of course, the example you give is silly. In such a case, I would probably (depending on circumstances) withhold their c-card because they allowed themselves to run out of air and to allow themselves to be 30 feet from their buddy. It's also silly because, in addition to them monitoring their air supply, I'm monitoring it. I'm also never going to be 30 feet from an OW student.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Thats not the point Walter.