Question Should I become a tech diver? Mostly dive south Florida

[vspeeds]

Thank you in advance for any comments and feedback.
I'm a 4-5 hour drive from Key Largo and Pensacola. I'm interested in diving Chuuk at some point, maybe in 2026. In any case, it would not be an annual trip, likely a one and done.
For the FL dives, it's easy to do tech diving with Horizon Divers. I have never seen a tech diver on my Key West dives on the Vandenberg. And my 2 trips on the Oriskany I didn't have tech divers.
I don't have a dive buddy at rec level. Not sure I will have one as a tech diver.
My question is, if I start "tech diving" what are my opportunities locally in FL? What dive operators host a single tech diver? I have my SDI solo and I can only solo dive with one operator. I'm concerned with making the effort to become a tech diver and being limited in what I can do with the equipment and training.
Thanks,
Kevin

 

[gamon]

I did a week long Truk liveaboard on Steel 100s, 4-5 dives per day, plenty to see. Although if I returned, I'd probably be diving the same wrecks because there are only so many worth diving that are shallower than 130'. Many of the dives we did were "tech" to some degree as recreational divers were not discouraged from incurring a few minute long deco obligation

I've dived all the wrecks within recreational limits from Jupiter through West Palm, Boyton, Pompano, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, and the Keys.

Going tech gives you longer dives and access to deeper wrecks, as well as caves. I've been told by tech divers that the deeper wrecks are more pristine as only a small number of people dive on them, but from the videos I've seen I wasn't all that impressed.

I considered going tech because I've literally run out of wrecks in the SE Florida area, had I not retired and moved to Europe I would have pursued tech diving so I could see more rusty metal and maybe do some caves.

Beside the expense, the complexity and weight of the extra gear, the main drawback for me is the long decompression hangs. I get bored easily. I have no problem doing shorter dives and relaxing in the sun on the boat rather than on the line.

I have my SDI solo and I can only solo dive with one operator.

You aren't doing enough research. There are plenty of dive charters in SE Florida that permit solo diving for those so certified and equipped.

 

[Fat old english bloke]

Just dive.

Add further training as and when your planned dives look like they might require it. If there’s an appeal to deeper/longer dives then train and build your experience as needed.

Some might class me as a baby tech-diver, but I’m not a ‘tech’ diver and never will be, I just enjoy being underwater.

 

[divezonescuba]

On of my PADI self-reliant students lived in the South Florida area for a year. He dove frequently out of West Palm Beach by himself. The requirement that they imposed on him was to have his own diver down flag on the surface.

In the same area for tec diving there is the Ande (185 ft), Korimu (230 ft), and Hydro Atlantic (165 ft). There is also the Sylvania Express (290 ft), but I have not dove that one.

You can consult www.wreckwiki.com for a complete listing.

 

[fred32176]

Thank you in advance for any comments and feedback.
I'm a 4-5 hour drive from Key Largo and Pensacola. I'm interested in diving Chuuk at some point, maybe in 2026. In any case, it would not be an annual trip, likely a one and done.
For the FL dives, it's easy to do tech diving with Horizon Divers. I have never seen a tech diver on my Key West dives on the Vandenberg. And my 2 trips on the Oriskany I didn't have tech divers.
I don't have a dive buddy at rec level. Not sure I will have one as a tech diver.
My question is, if I start "tech diving" what are my opportunities locally in FL? What dive operators host a single tech diver? I have my SDI solo and I can only solo dive with one operator. I'm concerned with making the effort to become a tech diver and being limited in what I can do with the equipment and training.
Thanks,
Kevin

Look up the Facebook group it's dive o'clock somewhere in central Florida. We regularly dive as a group and a lot of the dives are within 2- 3 hours of St Augustine on a weekend. We are doing Blue Springs (Orange City) tomorrow and Blue Heron Bridge next Friday. These are not technical dives but you can catch a couple of dives a month with the group. My dive shop (Ormond Beach) does a monthly drift dive out of West Palm and does stuff like Bonaire, the Oriskany, Cozumel... once a year. Lots of opportunities to dive in Florida.

 

[vspeeds]

I did a week long Truk liveaboard on Steel 100s, 4-5 dives per day, plenty to see. Although if I returned, I'd probably be diving the same wrecks because there are only so many worth diving that are shallower than 130'. Many of the dives we did were "tech" to some degree as recreational divers were not discouraged from incurring a few minute long deco obligation

I've dived all the wrecks within recreational limits from Jupiter through West Palm, Boyton, Pompano, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, and the Keys.

Going tech gives you longer dives and access to deeper wrecks, as well as caves. I've been told by tech divers that the deeper wrecks are more pristine as only a small number of people dive on them, but from the videos I've seen I wasn't all that impressed.

I considered going tech because I've literally run out of wrecks in the SE Florida area, had I not retired and moved to Europe I would have pursued tech diving so I could see more rusty metal and maybe do some caves.

Beside the expense, the complexity and weight of the extra gear, the main drawback for me is the long decompression hangs. I get bored easily. I have no problem doing shorter dives and relaxing in the sun on the boat rather than on the line.



You aren't doing enough research. There are plenty of dive charters in SE Florida that permit solo diving for those so certified and equipped.

Super helpful and appreciated. Regarding the research, I will be more proactive while on their boats/trips. By email its been a no-go.

 

[vspeeds]

Look up the Facebook group it's dive o'clock somewhere in central Florida. We regularly dive as a group and a lot of the dives are within 2- 3 hours of St Augustine on a weekend. We are doing Blue Springs (Orange City) tomorrow and Blue Heron Bridge next Friday. These are not technical dives but you can catch a couple of dives a month with the group. My dive shop (Ormond Beach) does a monthly drift dive out of West Palm and does stuff like Bonaire, the Oriskany, Cozumel... once a year. Lots of opportunities to dive in Florida.

Thanks, great resource, I've signed up.

 

[bradlw]

I'm probably not the best example...but I went through a similar decision a long time ago.
The diving that I enjoyed the most was the wreck diving in S Florida...so I thought it would be fun to get in on some of those wrecks that are in depths just beyond the reach of recreational divers
so
I went through the training all the way up to full Trimix. Found a guy up here for the training.
So after I earned a nice collection of IANTD cards for diving and for mixing/blending, life got in the way of diving. Back in those days tech. wasn't nearly as available as it is now. There were only a few charters I could find that would run trips, but I never did find a way to get hooked up with some dive buddies
and life was getting in the way anyway, so I never did get the chance to see those wrecks.
I'm so rusty with all of that now that I doubt that I ever will see them

That said, I'm still glad that I did it... Except for the money outlay, it was a great experience. Echoing what others have written... it made me a better diver, and it was fun too!

 

[NothingClever]

My question is, if I start "tech diving" what are my opportunities locally in FL?

Short answer = lots.

BACKGROUND:

Despite there being abundant sites and types of technical diving in Florida, based on your stated goals and questions above I wouldn't feel bad about skipping the tech training. I'd look at simply increasing the frequency and, as you’ve already indicated, expanding the locations of your diving.

I think by now if you really wanted to be a technical diver, you’d already know it. I don't intend that as a divisive or an elitist statement but simply as a cue that your doubts may be well founded for your situation.

To offer contrast, I think we can be great divers without having to commit to technical training. Although my favorite profile is a deep (~60m) Trimix cruise with a DPV along a coral wall with nothing beneath me as far as the eye can see and one or two decompression gases on board, some of my most memorable dives have been at ~10m in a ST configuration breathing regular air and moving under leg power.

What you might consider pursuing is a refresh on your skills. I’d consider hiring an instructor at a daily rate who can assess your proficiency and coach you on improving your foundational skills*. It's almost guaranteed that the small pool of instructors (coaches is probably a better word) who can dramatically but smoothly expedite development of your proficiency is made up of active technical divers.

There’s a parallel concept in the motorsports world.

Every year hundreds and hundreds of licensed, active motorcyclists who are hungry for improvement come to a training course staffed by the USA's top racers (and the EU has the same type of schools). Our goal is NOT to turn the customers into racers. Our goal is to meet each customer where he/she's at in his/her proficiency, share the principles and techniques developed in racing in digestible bites and take the individual through foundational drills on a track to help each individual improve his/her fundamentals at operating a motorcycle.

These premier motorcycle courses are not cheap. In fact, they are WAY WAY more expensive than hiring a really accomplished technical diver at a daily rate. Our course is $2500 - $3000 for two days. That's buckets cheaper than somebody like Jon Kieren, Kyle Harmon, Mark Messersmith or John Kendall at $200-400 per day.

And to be clear, these motorcycle courses don't provide a new license or certification but our customers leave our course with invigorated confidence, renewed focus and a new outlook on their skill trajectory knowing they've received training from the very best racers in the country (and sometimes our guest instructors are world champions). For almost every customer, their intended application isn't to go racing but simply to improve their operation of the motorcycle by having increased bandwidth in their skills when out on the road.

< soapbox >

I think the big box SCUBA certifying organizations whose profit model is focused on multiplying instructors and maximizing the volume of micro-courses they sell have skewed our perspective that we have to take on a new card-producing course to become better divers. This is wrong. Many of us just want high quality instruction so we can be the best divers possible regardless if the profile is 10m or 100m.

< / soapbox >

* Foundational skills:

• Buoyancy
• Trim
• Breathing
• Propulsion
• Awareness
• Planning

Good luck and enjoy your journey in training and development of your proficiency.

 

[bradlw]

I think @NothingClever makes some clever points.

On the other hand...or maybe to add to what's said
Maybe another way to look at it if part of your goal is to collect another card... technical diving is a journey. Lots of layers to it. I can't remember the exact order of things when I went through it but along the way I collected a few cards.... tech fundamentals, advanced nitrox, deep air, etc.... and my understanding is that there are even more levels now with all the recreational agencies offering what I guess would be called 'recreational tech' or 'tech-lite' stuff. It's not like getting started is committing to full-on trimix

 

[Kay Dee]

I did Chuuk on Aluminum 80's -- no need to go tec.

But when Jim? I did too, once, long long ago in a galaxy far far away (or so it seems now), and although it was 'adequate' then, I certainly wouldn't choose to do it non tec now.