Starting PADI Tec-40 - first Tec course, any advice?

[anand417]

Hello Diving Gurus,

I had been a silent visitor of this forum for many months. After seeing so many fellow divers sharing the knowledge & helping each other out, I finally decided to create a profile & share my views, questions & concerns here.

I am a PADI Rescue diver with some experience in cavern diving on side mounts (PADI specialties) with about a 100 dives logged so far. For a long time I wanted to venture into the world of Tec diving which would open me to wreck diving not limited by 40m. Also from my cavern diving experience, I know I enjoy detailed dive planning & execution - brings a lot of satisfaction at the end of the day.

That said, the more I read about the Tec-Deep courses, the more I am scared I will do my best to learn the theory & demonstrate the skills taught - carrying all the positive attitude with me to Koh Tao (where i'd start these courses next week). The plan is to start with Tec-40 and go all the way to Tec-50.

Is there anything I should bear in mind as I start these courses? Any general advice would be greatly appreciated. I'd sure post my experience doing these courses in this forum. Thanks everyone & happy diving

Cheers,
Anand

 

[victorzamora]

Have fun. Enjoy it. If it becomes overwhelming, don't be afraid to slow it down or delay the course. If you go for Tec 40-50 and end up with Tec 40/45....great. If you get Tec50, even better! If you end up with zero certs but a better diver, great. Remember that the trip isn't about certification but aobut training and you'll be lower-stress and better off.

 

[TSandM]

Make sure the person teaching you has both excellent skills himself, and high expectations of you. Technical diving definitely raises the risks of diving in general, so there really is no place for low standards in technical training.

One way to help ensure this is to ask your instructor about whether he regularly does the types of dives you are interested in doing. Someone who is actively doing technical dives is more likely to be good at doing them, and to understand why YOU need to be good, than someone who only teaches tech diving, but doesn't participate in it (which happens).

You might gain some insight from reading the GUE standards for their technical classes. Although people argue with what they see as a doctrinaire approach, I don't think there's much argument that GUE's standards for their technical classes are very high.

 

[victorzamora]

One way to help ensure this is to ask your instructor about whether he regularly does the types of dives you are interested in doing. Someone who is actively doing technical dives is more likely to be good at doing them, and to understand why YOU need to be good, than someone who only teaches tech diving, but doesn't participate in it (which happens).

This is spectacular advice, Lynne....and something to certainly keep in mind. I didn't mention it, though, because it seems OP has picked out a dive op and instructor already. One of my criteria on selecting my Tech and Cave instructors had to do with not only doing exactly the dives I dreamed of doing, but doing dives far bigger than those. I don't want my tec50 instructor to be a great tec50 diver....I want him to be a great Expedition Trimix diver. Having your instructor doing the dives (or bigger dives, but same type) you want to do with frequency ensures you're set up for it. PNW wrecks are different from NC wrecks are different from FL wrecks. They're all very similar in many ways, but if your ultimate goal is South Pacific wrecks....a South Pacific wreck diving enthusiast is who you want to learn from.

 

[decompression]

Couldn't agree more, I had that same thought today regarding myself. I have been teaching for over 15 years with just about every "specialty" you could mention. But I only consider myself to be "current" in about half a dozen or so that I'm doing on a daily/regular basis. Staying current transfers well to a great learning experience.


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[TSandM]

As far as doing the class goes -- make sure your basic skills are spot-on going in. You should be able to hover quietly in horizontal trim and perform all the basic 5 (reg remove/replace, regulator exchange, mask flood & clear, mask remove & replace, and modified S-drill) without sculling or losing depth, position, or awareness. During the class, SLOW DOWN. Most students get anxious and want to hurry, and that makes stability more difficult. Remember that your breathing has a huge effect on your buoyancy, so maintaining a steady rhythm will prevent a lot of the midwater buoyancy issues that folks run into.

And above all, keep a playful and positive attitude, even if you screw some stuff up. Diligent practice will solve problems, and not everybody gets this stuff the first time they try it.

 

[RJP]

That said, the more I read about the Tec-Deep courses, the more I am scared

1.) Buoyancy>Buddy>Skill
2.) Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
3.) Tech training puts the F.U. in fun

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Complete all the knowledge reviews before day one of class.

Take the advice given from Lynne & Vic.

The Tec 40-45-50 classes are only as good as the instructor teaching them. Ask your instructor to review the standards and performance requirements of each class on day one of each class.

Make sure you "Master" the skills. That means performing the skill so it meets the performance requirements in a reasonably comfortable, fluid and repeatable manner. It does not mean doing the skill once and moving on.

Good luck, have fun. I just finished teaching a Tec-40 class last week and we had a blast!!

 

[tomfcrist]

1.) Buoyancy>Buddy>Skill
2.) Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
3.) Tech training puts the F.U. in fun

I always thought it was slow is smooth and smooth is sexy....

 

[shoredivr]

When did it become that a diver should have skills like s-drills *before* they took a tech class? At some point these skills need to be acquired. Nowhere in the AOW-rescue path the OP took would those skills be taught. So where to acquire them?
Self-taught? Can learn bad habits, says conventional wisdom on SB.
Mentor? Does the mentor perform the skills correctly and can they check that the protege has acquired them correctly.
That leaves yet another course, intro to tech or some such.