Question When do we speak of technical diving ?

[ofg-1]

When do we speak about it, usually in the middle of the night on Scubaboard. That, or in a scuba bar to impress chicks.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

There is no hard and fast definition of "technical" diving. When it comes to deco, I would agree with @Capt Jim Wyatt who is also far more knowledgeable than I am. When you are carrying at least one deco gas that you plan to use on ascent for accelerated decompression, that crosses over into technical diving. Learning to do "back-gas" only deco is certainly trending into the technical diving realm since you are going beyond NDL, but most would not consider it technical diving as it doesn't carry the risks associated with managing multiple gases and the gas switches. That is at least how I tend to define it. But you will see soon enough, others have different definitions.

 

[Superlyte27]

I teach that Techical diving is diving which includes a virtual or literal ceiling.

Literal would be a cave or wreck hard ceiling above you.

Virtual would be a deco obligation.

Either scenario requires training, gear and planning beyond the norm of rec diving.

 

[divingx]

To me it's simple. It's considered a tech dive if you
a. have a ceiling above your head, physical or virtual or
b. dive beyond the recreational depth limit of 40 meters / 130 feet.

 

[broncobowsher]

To me it's simple. It's considered a tech dive if you
a. have a ceiling above your head, physical or virtual or
b. dive beyond the recreational depth limit of 40 meters / 130 feet.

That pretty much is my line in the sand as well.

Beyond the limits of standard recreational diving.

 

[scubadada]

What Defines a "Tech" Diver

So just curious as to what folks think either defines or qualifies someone as a "Tech" diver. Is it planned Decompression? Planned penetration? Overhead environment? Use of any gear beyond what is typically considered needed for "recreational" diving? Salvage diving with use of...

scubaboard.com

40 pages

 

[kaylee_ann]

I've always seen tech diving as when:

- you dive below 130ft/40m
- you need to switch gases
- you use helium mixes
- you have an ascent ceiling, whether it be decompression stops or an overhead environment like a cave

Shallower dives can still be technical, though. For example, a 100ft/30m dive longer than about 20 minutes would require decompression stops. So that would be a technical dive.

 

[boulderjohn]

There are two questions here, and the correct answer to one may conflict with the correct answer to the other.

1. What do you personally consider a technical dive?
2. What is the common meaning for the term technical dive.

The answer to #1 is whatever you say it is. For #2, you have to cite a source , because whatever you think doesn't matter.

For #1, I'm with those who mention either a hard or soft ceiling is the difference. For #2, here is what Wikipedia thinks. It cites a number of sources.

 

[Lorenzoid]

To me it's simple. It's considered a tech dive if you
a. have a ceiling above your head, physical or virtual or

I like the simple definition, too, but it's been pointed out in the many previous threads in which people have debated the definition of "technical" diving that the virtual ceiling (deco obligation) can vary depending on the conservatism setting (e.g., gradient factors) the deco calculation is based on. Is a dive to X depth for Y minutes not a technical dive when the so-called no-deco limit (NDL) is calculated using low conservatism, yet the same dive to X depth for Y minutes becomes a technical dive when the NDL is calculated using higher conservatism? It gets messy. I think trying to nail down a precise definition of "technical" diving is a fools errand.

b. dive beyond the recreational depth limit of 40 meters / 130 feet.

Is a dive to 131 feet a technical dive?

I'm the kind of person who always seeks clear definitions, bright lines. I'm just not going to find that here.

 

[Lorenzoid]

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?

I'd say you can refer to your diving as "technical" diving when you feel what you are doing is technical diving. If you're concerned that people you try to discuss your diving with will mock you when you refer to something as technical, then either avoid using the term or find more accepting people to discuss your diving with.