Tech dives experience

[ToneNQ]

You don't need to hit 45m to get experience. Diving doubles at every opportunity, take a S40 deco bottle even if you don't need it. Dive with a buddy pair and run 5m deeper because you're self-sufficient, you'll hit NDLs quickly. Even if you don't, its practice with the gear that really matters. Gearing up, gearing down, shifting your extra bottles around, managing buoyancy and trim whilst doing other skills. Get your D-rings in the right spot, learn to grab your clips and get them open and connected. You'll drop things, especially when you think you've go it mastered. Do that in shallow water.

But yeah, try to change your circle. If you can find a few tech divers, even new tech divers, that is the superior option.

Trimix comes with a bit more gear and a lot more cost, so aim for more than 20-30 dives and be as steady as you can before you step up. You're not putting man on the moon, you don't need to be a star. But with Trimix comes gas bills, you want value for your money. Air at 30m is just as good for learning those skills.

 

[Rilelen]

I mean, I live in Florida and have regular cave buddies, and we have a few deep caves around here. I have a circle of recreational dive buddies, and a circle of cave buddies - i love both, but there’s not much overlap.

I imagine you want to do the same - make friends with other like-minded folks and work on making dedicated tech buddies. Then go find your local places that get you the depths you need, and a boat willing to take you there. Sounds like a few folks in this thread have made suggestions about that!

 

[Blackcrusader]

Just wondering, how are you getting you tech dives log growth? Short story long.. I am working at Philippines, so pretty close to a lot of dive shops. I got my TDI ANDP here hoping that after that my life as a diver became brighter, longer and deeper... But... Reality is that it is very hard to obtain required for next TDI level 20-30 logged dives... It appeared that you can not just pop up in front of any dive shop and get tech dive... True is that from other 210+ dive shops in Ph might less than 10 provide support for tech dives and mostly in form of courses... And if you want to just get ordinary training dive shallower 45m and less than 30 minutes of deco you can spend weeks aligning with DC your options.... So it sounds like that even in "diving capital of the world" it can takes years to get 20-30 tech dives to feel confidence on Trimix course... Unless you settled in couple of well known tech supportive DCs and volunteer as I don not know who So question is - how you get you experience in tech? outside of two-years-ahead planned 100m expedition somethere ?

Look for Phil Jennings he can put you in contact with lot's of divers who could buddy with you.