How expensive is tech?

[drrich2]

I'm glad you asked the question since I, having no tec. experience, have wondered the same thing. I notice the Shearwater Petrel is a highly esteemed computer; I'm guessing that if I wanted to get into tec., I'd probably consider putting that on my shopping list.

I am interested in Tech because there are some wrecks that I would like to photograph / film. Besides that, I am hoping that tech will open up some more dive sites locally for me in the NJ / NC area.

This brings up another question. At the depths one would need technical training to reach (and if he's asking, I'm guessing these depths are apt to be in the > 150 ft range, not so much 130-150), and especially in the area he is in, how realistic is photographing & filming these wrecks within the constraints of available light?

If filming what your dive lights or camera strobes illuminate at close range in the dark is your goal, that should be doable. But am I wrong in guessing that large wide-angle 'whole wreck' (or 'big piece of the wreck') shots are not feasible?

Richard.

 

[bilsant]

I wouldn't say not feasible, but a whole lot of things will have to line up for you...great viz, a bright and sunny day, blue water...all can let you get a wide angle dark and gloomy wreck shot that will work for you.

Just starting into tec training two months ago...and have calculated out that if I continue onward (might as well, the equipment changes have been done), then by the end of another 10 months I'll have spent more than my Master's Degree cost....and I could easily double that with a rebreather.

 

[waterpirate]

Do not let all these big numbers scare you away. Tec is very doable on a budget and in small steps. See the thread on getting out of tec, and you will see alot of gently used gear fo sale. VA beach has a very active tec community as well as NC. You are in a good geographic area to meet some techies, get a good instructor, buy only what you need for tech 1 and go diving. A intro to tech weekend class would give you some good exposure to where you think you are headed. All tech diving is NOT expedition depth or cost. Go slow and enjoy the ride. It is not impractical to to stay at tech 1 untill you have racked up 100 or so dives at that level. That may be 2 local seasons before you even look at going up anather level.
Eric

 

[gekodivebali]

Each of my fun tec dives cost me very little. Breathing regular air and pure O2 decanted by myself. diving from my own boat. Service my regs and visually inspect my tanks myself. Running costs are extremely low. Setting up costs were not...

 

[Doppler]

Save yourself frustration and $$$ by finding a good instructor prior to buying gear.

Very good point. I, like a lot of tech instructors, run intro-to-tech programs for folks in teh gear they already own. The I2T program introduces them to the mindset and a few protocols... some find that tech is just not their bag... others start saving.

I agree with the cost estimates already posted, but time has not been mentioned. Put aside four to five days for intro to tech, six for helitrox deco, six for advanced wreck... etc, etc.

 

[ucfdiver]

I always cringe when I see these threads as the "estimates" are all based off MSRP (which no one pays) and buying everything new (which no one does). The numbers are more inflated than the "length" questions on an application to be a male porn star.

GUE Fundies or intro to tech is $650 or so. Tech 1 type training can range from just under $1000 and up to $3000 if you have to fly a more expensive instructor in and cover their costs.

From the rig I'm buying my fiancee for her OW class, we would need an extra 1st stage and a doubles wing, plus a stage reg... so $550 used and she'd be doing single deco gas dives. Add in a drysuit if you don't already have one for rec diving.

If you choose to buy tanks, my last set of doubles cost $500. AL80's can be had $75-125 depending on how far from hydro (or expired) they are. AL6 for argon can be had for $50.

 

[Wookie]

I always cringe when I see these threads as the "estimates" are all based off MSRP (which no one pays) and buying everything new (which no one does). The numbers are more inflated than the "length" questions on an application to be a male porn star.

GUE Fundies or intro to tech is $650 or so. Tech 1 type training can range from just under $1000 and up to $3000 if you have to fly a more expensive instructor in and cover their costs.

From the rig I'm buying my fiancee for her OW class, we would need an extra 1st stage and a doubles wing, plus a stage reg... so $550 used and she'd be doing single deco gas dives. Add in a drysuit if you don't already have one for rec diving.

If you choose to buy tanks, my last set of doubles cost $500. AL80's can be had $75-125 depending on how far from hydro (or expired) they are. AL6 for argon can be had for $50.

I pay retail in the dive business, unless I'm buying it for the boat. My wife and I are invested at least $75,000 in gear, training, blending equipment, and travel for training. We didn't look for a deal, we looked for timing convenient for our schedule. We traveled to Ft. Lauderdale for AN/DP, Cozumel for Trimix. We own boosters and bank bottles and doubles etc. We could have done it cheaper by getting in a weekend class in Texas at Lake Travis, but Lake Travis is for those who don't dive anywhere but Lake Travis. I prefer pretty fishes and deep coral reefs and shipwrecks in 300 feet of water that I can see from 100 feet of water.

I never understood the whole wanting to be a tech diver thing, then complaining about the cost of tech diving. Kudos to the OP for getting the bad news up front. Now, how is your passion?

 

[down4fun]

Thanks for the info Garth. I live in VA and dive NC more than any place else. Last year for me was 15 dives in the whole year and this year is 30 dives. Next year will be 40 - 50 dives so the number of dives has grown each year. I am interested in Tech because there are some wrecks that I would like to photograph / film. Besides that, I am hoping that tech will open up some more dive sites locally for me in the NJ / NC area.

I'm glad you asked the question since I, having no tec. experience, have wondered the same thing. I notice the Shearwater Petrel is a highly esteemed computer; I'm guessing that if I wanted to get into tec., I'd probably consider putting that on my shopping list.



This brings up another question. At the depths one would need technical training to reach (and if he's asking, I'm guessing these depths are apt to be in the > 150 ft range, not so much 130-150), and especially in the area he is in, how realistic is photographing & filming these wrecks within the constraints of available light?

If filming what your dive lights or camera strobes illuminate at close range in the dark is your goal, that should be doable. But am I wrong in guessing that large wide-angle 'whole wreck' (or 'big piece of the wreck') shots are not feasible?

Richard.

Photos and videos can be shot pretty easily at depths greater than 150ft. But like everything else it's going to require an investment in some good quality gear. Depth, ambient light, visibility all play into to it to. But on bad viz days you can go inside and shoot video of penetration and get some pretty good results despite the conditions outside the wreck. Tony and I frequently dive wrecks in the 150-300 foot range where he shoots photos and video with a D800. For video he has two mangrove lights that look like the mother ship coming at you when you look at them, but they do a bang up job of lighting up the inside a wreck as we penetrate. This is a video of and engine room on a wreck at 175ft
A Tour of the Hydro-Atlantic on Vimeo

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'm glad you asked the question since I, having no tec. experience, have wondered the same thing. I notice the Shearwater Petrel is a highly esteemed computer; I'm guessing that if I wanted to get into tec., I'd probably consider putting that on my shopping list.



This brings up another question. At the depths one would need technical training to reach (and if he's asking, I'm guessing these depths are apt to be in the > 150 ft range, not so much 130-150), and especially in the area he is in, how realistic is photographing & filming these wrecks within the constraints of available light?

If filming what your dive lights or camera strobes illuminate at close range in the dark is your goal, that should be doable. But am I wrong in guessing that large wide-angle 'whole wreck' (or 'big piece of the wreck') shots are not feasible?

Richard.

Actually starting out you'd be more likely to need v planner (or other deco software/tables) on your lap top, a bottom timer, wet notes, and a back up computer that does gauge mode. You'll cut tables and plan square profiles and stick to them. There won't be any of this saw tooth or drop down another 15 - 20 feet to see something you spotted that looks interesting that you did not known was there. That'll be for another time with another plan with that specific goal. If you have a planned bottom time of 20 minutes at 20:01 you are on the upline moving towards your first stop at 30 ft per minute or whatever the schedule calls for. If you are still on the bottom at 21 minutes and nothing went wrong - you should stop tech diving. The discipline required is not there yet to do so safely.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Great info guys. This is indeed helpful. Right now I have:

2 Drysuits.
1 BP Wing with steel plate (single tank wing with 40 lbs lift.
Computer (wrist as well as console)
1 regulator set with octo.

In order to go down to 150 feet, do I need a double tank set up or can I do those dives with a stage bottle and an additional regulator? If that is all that is needed to get into the next tech level then I should be able to afford it.