Technical Diving
Technical diving is scuba diving's "extreme" sport, taking experienced and qualified divers far deeper than in mainstream recreational diving.
Technical diving is marked by significantly more equipment and training requirements to manage the additional hazards this type of diving entails.
Tec diving isn't for everyone, but for those who hear its challenge call, the PADI TecRec courses are the answer.
What is technical diving?
Technical scuba diving is defined as diving other than conventional commercial or research diving and takes divers beyond recreational scuba diving limits. It is further defined as and includes one or more of the following:
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diving beyond 40 metres
required staged decompression
diving in an overhead environment beyond 40 linear metres of the surface
accelerated decompression and / or the use of variable gas mixtures during the dive
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Because in technical diving the surface is effectively inaccessible in an emergency, tec divers use extensive methodologies, technologies and training to manage the added risks. Even with these, however, tec diving admittedly has more risk, potential hazards and shorter critical error chains than recreational scuba diving.
How long has technical diving been around?
Most people would agree that cave diving is a form of technical diving. Cave diving developed in the late 1960s and 1970s, developing into a discipline largely like it is today by the mid 1980s. In the early 1990s, several groups of divers around the world began experimenting with technologies for deep diving (beyond recreational limits) to explore both caves and wrecks. These communities united and emerged as "technical diving" or "tec diving" with the publication of AquaCorps (no longer in print), which dedicated itself to this type of diving.
Since then, tec diving has continued to develop both in scope and in it's technologies.
Why would I want to be a tec diver?
Tec diving not only has more risk, but it requires significantly more effort, discipline and equipment.
It's not for everyone, and you can be an accomplished, avid top-notch diver your entire life without making a tec dive.
That said, there's a cadre of individuals who want to visit places underwater that relatively few people have or can. Many spectacular, untouched wrecks lie at depths well below 40 metres. Deep reefs have organisms you don't find in the shallows.
Some people enjoy the challenge and focus tec diving requires. Still others love being involved with cutting edge technologies.
These reasons make tec diving rewarding.
The PADI TecRec Difference
The TecRec program debuted in 2000. Although TecRec is not the first tec diving program (cave diver training has been around for decades), it repeatedly receives accolades for its merits.
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TecRec courses are integrated into an instructionally valid, seamless course flow that takes you from beginning tec diver to one qualified to the outer reaches of sport diving using different gas mixes.
Each level introduces you to new gear, planning and procedures appropriate to extend your diving limits.
The Tec Diver course is an integrated sequence of three subcourses: Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50.
You can complete them continuously, or you can complete each level separately with a time span between them. This gives you learning efficiency, instructional integrity and schedule flexibility.
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The Scuba Gear You'll Use
Tec diving uses much more equipment than recreational diving. The technical scuba gear typically uses two to four or five regulators, a dive computer, and some accessories.
Prerequisites
TecRec prerequisites vary (see individual course tabs on this table), but the following applies to anyone interested in technical diving: You must be
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18 years or older
A mature, responsible person who will follow the required procedures and requirements strictly and faithfully
Medically fit for tec diving (doctor's signature required)
Willing to accept the added risks that tec diving presents
An experienced diver with at least 100 logged dives
Certified as a PADI Enriched Air Diver and PADI Deep Diver or equivalent (for this program equivalency is proof of training in recreational deep diving 18 metres to 40 metres consisting of at least four dives and training in nitrogen narcosis considerations, contingency/emergency decompression, making safety stops and air supply management OR, have a minimum of 20 logged dives deeper than 30 metres.)
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The Fun Part
The fun part of TecRec is rising to the challenges as you dive deeper and longer than most divers ever do.
Tec 40 Course
If you're interested in technical diving, but haven't yet met the prerequisites for the PADI Tec 50 Diver course or PADI Tec 45 course, you can enrol in the PADI Tec 40 course.
It is the first subdivision of the full PADI Tec Deep Diver course and consists of the first four dives. Because you can do one of these dives in confined water (such as a swimming pool), many divers start the Tec 40 courses in the winter months, ready to continue in open water when spring arrives.
You'll learn to
Use decompression software and dive computers to plan and make decompression dives with no more than 10 minutes of total decompression and not deeper than 40 metres/130 feet.
Use a single cylinder of decompression gas with up to 50 percent oxygen (EANx50) to add conservatism to the required decompression.
Since it's part of the course, your PADI Tec 40 course training credits toward the PADI Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses.
The Scuba Gear You'll Use
You use recreational scuba equipment, with some minor additions to enhance your ability to deal with tec diving conditions.
The Learning Materials You'll Need
You'll use the Tec Deep Diver Crew-Pack, which introduces you to
Tec Diving lingo
Emergency procedures
Decompression and stage cylinder handling
Gas planning
The pack includes a manual, dive planning checklist and dive planning slate. The optional Equipment Set-up and Key Skills video on DVD is a great tool to help you practice at home in between your tec diving adventures. You'll continue to use the Tec Deep Diver Crew-Pak through Tec 50.
Prerequisites
You must:
Be a PADI Rescue Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Be a PADI Deep Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Have a minimum of 30 logged dives, of which at least 10 dives were made with enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 metres.
Have a medical form signed by your physician
This is a 2 day course and costs £395
Tec 45 Course
The Tec 45 course picks up where Tec 40 leaves off and takes your training as a tec diver further and deeper. It is the second subcourse in the full PADI Tec Diver course
What You Learn
The skills and equipment and planning need to dive to a maximum of 45 metres
The knowledge to plan and execute single and repetitive decompression dives using a single stage cylinder of EANx or oxygen to accelerate or add conservatism to the decompression stops.
There would be no time limit to amount of decompression.
Prepare for and respond to foreseeable technical diving emergencies.
Master the basic skills and procedures you'll need as you move into deeper technical diving
The Scuba Gear You Use
You use basic tec diving equipment
The Learning Materials You Need
You'll use the Tec Deep Diver Crew-Pack, which introduces you to
Tec diving lingo
Emergency procedures
Decompression and stage cylinder handling
Gas planning
The pack includes a manual, dive planning checklist and dive planning slate. The optional Equipment Set-up and Key Skills video on DVD is a great tool to help you practice at home in between your tec diving adventures. You'll continue to use the Tec Deep Diver Crew-Pak through the Tec 50 course.
Prerequisites
You must
Be a PADI Rescue Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Be a PADI Deep Diver (or hold aqualifying certification from another organization)
Be a PADI Tec 40 (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Have a minimum of 50 logged dives, of which at least:
- 12 dives were made with enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 metres
- 6 (with or without EANx) dives were deeper than 30 metres
Be at least 18 years old
Have a medical statement signed by a physician
This is a two day course and costs £395
Tec 50 Course
The Tec 50 course completes your training as an entry-level tec diver, taking you past the limits of recreational diving.
What You'll Learn
During the Tec 50 course, you
Make actual decompression dives as deep as 50 metres
Use enriched air nitrox and/or oxygen for decompression
Use desk top decompression software to create custom dive tables and plan your dives
Qualify to make technical decompression dives independently
The Scuba Gear You'll Use
You use technical scuba diving equipment
The Learning Materials You'll Need
The Tec Deep Diver Crew-Pack, which introduces you to
Tec Diving lingo,
Emergency procedures,
Decompression and stage cylinder handling and gas planning.
The pack includes a manual, dive planning checklist and dive planning slate. The optional Equipment Set-up and Key Skills video on DVD is a great tool to help you practice at home in between your tec diving adventures.
Prerequisites
You must:
Be a PADI Rescue Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
DSAT Tec 45 Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, of which
-20 dives must be enriched air dives
-25 dives must be deeper than 18 metres
-at least 20 dives must be deeper than 30 metres
Be at least 18 years old
Have a medical statement signed by your physician
This is a two day course and costs £395
Tec Deep Course
The Tec Deep course combines the Tec 40, Tec 50 and Tec 60 into one course and completes your training as an entry-level tec diver, taking you past the limits of recreational diving.
What You'll Learn
During the Tec Deep course, you
Make actual decompression dives as deep as 50 metres
Use enriched air nitrox and/or oxygen for decompression
Use desk top decompression software to create custom dive tables and plan your dives
Qualify to make technical decompression dives independently
The Scuba Gear You'll Use
You use technical scuba diving equipment
The Learning Materials You'll Need
The Tec Deep Diver Crew-Pack, which introduces you to
Tec Diving lingo,
Emergency procedures,
Decompression and stage cylinder handling and gas planning.
The pack includes a manual, dive planning checklist and dive planning slate. The optional Equipment Set-up and Key Skills video on DVD is a great tool to help you practice at home in between your tec diving adventures.
Prerequisites
You must:
Be a PADI Rescue Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Have a minimum of 30 logged dives to start the course and 100 logged dives by the completion of the course, of which
-20 dives must be enriched air dives
-25 dives must be deeper than 18 metres
-at least 20 dives must be deeper than 30 metres
Be at least 18 years old
Have a medical statement signed by your physician
This is a six day course and costs £995 - SAVING YOU £190 ON BUYING THE COURSES SEPARATELY!
Tec Trimix 65 Course
This course opens up the advantages of trimix to the diver, and divers are qualified to make multi-stop decompression dives that employ EANx and oxygen for accelerated decompression, and any trimix with an oxygen content of 18% or more.
They can dive to a maximum depth of 65 metres.
What You'll Learn
The PADI Tec Trimix 65 course is intended to extend the depth range of technical divers already trained and qualified to use air, enriched air and oxygen for technical decompression dives beyond 50 metres.
This course is for Tec 50 divers (or those holding a qualifying certification from another training organization).
The course extends your depth range capabilities by training you to use trimix (a blend of helium, oxygen and nitrogen).
You will:
Plan and execute at least five dives using EANx and trimix blends
Use decompression software to create custom dive tables and dive plans
Make training dives as deep as 65 metres
Scuba Gear You'll Use
Double cylinders (typically 12 litre) with isolator manifold
Primary and secondary regulators, one with two metre hose (approximately) for gas sharing, and one with SPG
Stage/decompression cylinders with regulator, SPG, mounting hardware and proper labeling/markings. Two per diver will be required
Backup decompression cylinders as appropriate and required for the environment
BCD and harness - redundant buoyancy control is required (double bladder BCD / wing or dry suit if suitable for weight of equipment worn)
Depth gauge/computer and backup depth gauge/computer
Timing device and backup timing device
Trimix decompression information (tables/trimix computer) and backup decompression information
Exposure suit appropriate for environment and dive duration. (If you use a dry suit, you should be trained/experienced with its use in recreational and technical diving prior to using it for trimix training or diving.)
Dry suit inflation system as needed
Weight system (if needed)
Jon line (if needed for current diving environments)
Inflatable signal tube / DSMB
Reel Lift bag (bright yellow or per local community practice preferred)
Dive knife / cutting device and backup slate, backup mask (optional)
Compass, lights (optional)
Drift kit (if drift decompressing)
Tec Trimix Diver Crew-Pack
The Tec Trimix Diver Crew-Pack includes all required materials, including: manual, deep stop calculation table, trimix decal and emergency procedures slate.
Topics covered include:
Trimix diving depth ranges
Exposure planning
Selecting a mix
Argon inflation systems
Handling three or four decompression cylinders
Decompression models
Emergency procedures
Face masks and multi-gas computers.
Prerequisites
You must
Be a PADI Rescue Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization and having proof of CPR and first aid training with the previous two years).
Be certified as a Tec 50 (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
Be at least 18 years old
Have logged at least 100 dives
Have a medical form signed by your physician.
This is a 5 day course and costs £675
Tec Trimix Diver Course
For the extreme diver ready to further explore the world of technical deep diving, the gas of choice is trimix - a blend of oxygen, helium and nitrogen.
The PADI Tec Trimix Diver course takes you to the outer edges of technical deep diving, opening the door to pristine dive sites few divers - if any - ever see.
What You Learn
The PADI Tec Trimix Diver course is intended to extend the depth range of technical divers already trained and qualified to use air, enriched air and oxygen for technical decompression dives beyond 50 metres.
Diving with trimix is the outer edge of tec diving - the maximum depth for using this technology has yet to be defined.
This course is for Tec 50 or Tec Trimix 65 (or those holding a qualifying certification from another training organization).
The course extends your depth range capabilities by training you to use trimix (a blend of helium, oxygen and nitrogen).
You will
Plan and execute one confined water dive and at least five open water dives (depending upon whether you enter the course as a Tec 50 diver or Tec Trimix 65 diver) using EANX and trimix blends
Use decompression software to create custom dive tables and dive plans
Make training dives as deep as 75 metres
The Scuba Gear You'll Use
Double cylinders (typically 12 litre) with isolator manifold
Primary and secondary regulators, one with two metre hose (approximately) for gas sharing, and one with SPG
Stage/decompression cylinders with regulator, SPG, mounting hardware and proper labeling/markings. Two per diver will be required
Backup decompression cylinders as appropriate and required for the environment
BCD and harness - redundant buoyancy control is required (double bladder BCD / wing or dry suit if suitable for weight of equipment worn)
Depth gauge/computer and backup depth gauge/computer
Timing device and backup timing device
Trimix decompression information (tables/trimix computer) and backup decompression information
Exposure suit appropriate for environment and dive duration. (If you use a dry suit, you should be trained/experienced with its use in recreational and technical diving prior to using it for trimix training or diving.)
Dry suit inflation system as needed
Weight system (if needed)
Jon line (if needed for current diving environments)
Inflatable signal tube / DSMB
Reel Lift bag (bright yellow or per local community practice preferred)
Dive knife / cutting device and backup slate, backup mask (optional)
Compass, lights (optional)
Drift kit (if drift decompressing)
The Learning Materials You'll Need
Tec Trimix Diver Crew Pack
The Tec Trimix Diver Crew-Pack includes all required materials, including: manual, deep stop calculation table, trimix decal and emergency procedures slate.
Topics covered include:
Trimix diving depth ranges
Exposure planning
Selecting a mix
Argon inflation systems
Handling three or four decompression cylinders
Decompression models
Emergency procedures
Face masks and multi-gas computers.
Prerequisites
You must
Be a PADI Rescue Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization and having proof of CPR and first aid training with the previous two years)
Be certified as a Tec 50 or Tec Trimix 65 (or those holding a qualifying certification from another training organization)
Be at least 18 years old
Have logged at least 150 dives
Have a medical form signed by your physician
The duration of this course depends on your entry level - either Tec 50 or Tec Trimix 65 - please contact us for course duration and pricing
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