Blackwood
Contributor
Mixes with >40% oxygen (which we use to accelerate deco).
Need some help!!!
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Mixes with >40% oxygen (which we use to accelerate deco).
ucfdiver
Contributor
I've never understood how someone knows they want to go tech, yet doesn't know what they want to do it for. 100% of my courses have been to see something that I didn't have the skills/knowledge to see without the course.
Maybe I'm just weird like that.
Maybe I'm just weird like that.
giles45shop
Contributor
As others have said, you need to know what you end goal is. "Tech" diving doesn't define an end goal, only a poorly defined category of diving that is not considered "Recreational" (also poorly defined). Your instructor should ask you "why?" you are wanting to do this training.
If you want to concentrate on caves I would go like this: AOW, Rescue, Cavern, Advanced Nitrox/Deco, Basic Cave, Apprentice Cave , Full Cave, Normoxic Trimix, Hypoxic Trimix.
Contrary to what your cave buddy indicated, there are lots of caves that are 130' deep or less, so you can go quite a ways in your cave diving experience before you absolutely need trimix
I guess I don't really know what a "Tech" class is, but I don't claim to be an expert in Technical training. However, I believe that I learned a lot of what I "think" technical training would consist of in my classes to date:
Cavern: gear rigging, streamlining, buoyancy/trim, line running, reel use, dive planning, emergency procedures, introduction to team diving
Advanced Nitrox/Deco: dive planning, lift bags, decompression procedures, deco bottle use.
Basic Cave: doubles buoyancy and trim, valve drills, beginner cave diving
Now perhaps it's a case of "I don't know what I don't know", but what would a "Tech" class teach me that I didn't learn in these other classes and diving w/ mentors who have the type of training I listed in the second paragraph. Not trying to be a smartass, I'm just wondering if somehow a "tech" class would be beneficial to my own cave diving progression?
John
If you want to concentrate on caves I would go like this: AOW, Rescue, Cavern, Advanced Nitrox/Deco, Basic Cave, Apprentice Cave , Full Cave, Normoxic Trimix, Hypoxic Trimix.
Contrary to what your cave buddy indicated, there are lots of caves that are 130' deep or less, so you can go quite a ways in your cave diving experience before you absolutely need trimix
I guess I don't really know what a "Tech" class is, but I don't claim to be an expert in Technical training. However, I believe that I learned a lot of what I "think" technical training would consist of in my classes to date:
Cavern: gear rigging, streamlining, buoyancy/trim, line running, reel use, dive planning, emergency procedures, introduction to team diving
Advanced Nitrox/Deco: dive planning, lift bags, decompression procedures, deco bottle use.
Basic Cave: doubles buoyancy and trim, valve drills, beginner cave diving
Now perhaps it's a case of "I don't know what I don't know", but what would a "Tech" class teach me that I didn't learn in these other classes and diving w/ mentors who have the type of training I listed in the second paragraph. Not trying to be a smartass, I'm just wondering if somehow a "tech" class would be beneficial to my own cave diving progression?
John
Thanks for the different ideas! I don't have a huge amount of experience in my diving "career" but I feel that I am a safe diver. I also learn something everytime I dive, even if I have previously dove the area. I want to learn to dive doubles and get some knowledge of the deco diving. All of it seems very interesting to me and ever since I started diving I wanted to get deeper into it (informationally not depth). I do definitely need to work on my dive planning, usually my buddy plans dives and since he has more experience I just trust him. Also, what is GUE and UTD? Agencies I am presuming. From what I am gathering from the majority of responses is that the tech teaches you more fundamentals that can be built on. I really appreciate the help.
Where I live, we have many wrecks that are deeper than the 130' that I would like to see, and also as stated before, I just have many different interests and do not have a starting point I guess you could say. That is all I am asking. I don't know if any of you know of the Oriskany, it was sunk out here 22 miles off the coast from where I live and as of now I can only dive to the bridge of the ship due to the rest is deeper due to it settling in the floor of the gulf (so I was told) I have not been there yet due to I dont want to pay to go to a site that I can only dive a very small portion of. I believe the flight deck is around 150 160ft which I believe the tech route would benefit me. the cave cavern route would only benefit me in that area from my understanding (which is limited)
Safety is important. Everyone, even those who have been planning dives for a very long time need work on planning safe dives. Even though I feel, and many others on this board will agree, that dive planning should have been a big focus in OW, there is no reason to keep you from learning/practicing now.
I would stay away from doing "trust me dives." Even if you do trust your buddy, and you should, feel free to give input and get involved in the planning process.
UTD
GUE
Yes, they are training agencies. The are the two big supporters of DIR diving or "Doing It Right." There is a lot of discussion here on the board, most falls into two categories: love & hate. DIR is more than a gear configuration or "technical" diving. It is a full philosophy that is designed to make you the best diver you can be. Will you learn a lot from any agency you pursue? You will learn more than you knew before the class, for sure...I hope. But I have never been disappointed with the skill and preparedness I see with DIR divers.
Overall, continue to research you goals and come up with reason why you desire to move into the tech side of things. I outlined my thoughts on a path in my previous post, but whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck and safe diving.
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Your overall awareness and skill set should see improvement, as well as some skill crossover to wrecks after taking Cavern and overhead procedures.
Dr Wu
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Why?
Really, what possible reason could you have at this point to learn to dive doubles?
You lack even an AOW. You don't appear to have a firm understanding of the recreational path you started with.
Yet you feel your diving is compromised by having a single tank.
Why?
I didn't mean that I want to go dive doubles tomorrow or anything, I guess I understated my thoughts. When doing deeper dives on Al80 it seems that you run out of air before the NDL (which could be my breathing especially when spearfishing!) that is one reason for doubles and I assumed that learning to dive with them would benefit me as I continue my learning and diving. I knew that I needed to take my AOW I just didn't know for sure what comes after.
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