Tech Diving Recommendations

[Mike McG]

Hi guys, I'm currently a PADI AOW diver. I've been diving for around 10 years and I'm regularly diving now with my club in the UK which is BSAC. I am crossing over so I can do a couple of the more advanced REC courses with BSAC and then head down the tech route and I was wondering if anyone could recommend any good books? Obviously I'll be doing my training through the relevent agency so I don't really want learning material but perhaps some good books by advanced divers about their experiences or their lives as divers. Exploration/expeditions/discoveries etc...

Cheers,

Mike.

 

[Wibble]

There's a bunch of books available covering "technical" diving. Probably the Mark Powell ones are best for you:

• Deco for Divers - discusses the theory behind decompression which is an essential part of technical diving
• Technical Diving an introduction.

Technical diving is a journey not a goal. It doesn't matter where you end up, it's the continuous learning and skills development you gain on the way that matters.

In the beginning this is mastering your core skills of buoyancy (rock steady especially in mid water), trim (horizontal, knees bent, arms forwards), and finning (frog kick, back kick, helicopter turns). You then need to master the use of redundant equipment such as a twinset or sidemount; the use of stages (carrying them, deploying them, cleaning up and putting away). All of this is done at recreational levels and you constantly work at them.

Then comes your ANDP (advanced nitrox and decompression procedures) course. Lots to learn there but all skills are based on rock solid core skills and your theoretical reading (above).

Becoming a technical diver is a long-term evolution and not just a single course. We're talking years of development that never ends as it is a mindset as much as anything else.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Good Luck with your journey!!

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

You can also look for some decent blogs:

Doppler's Tech Diving Blog

Lectures and Essays about Technical Diving

decodoppler.wordpress.com

InDEPTH: A Technical & Professional Diving Magazine

Get Deeper into Diving

indepthmag.com

TDI Blog -

TDI Blog. Read some of the top blog articles in the technical diving industry.

www.tdisdi.com

Depending on where you are in your diving journey, BSAC Sports diver is a good way to get a well-rounded recreational training. You can also really fast track your “progress” by taking Intro to tech (or Fundie) with a reputable instructor.

Try to dive with different people and different clubs - the clubs can be absolutely brilliant in getting people go diving but some are a bit insular, quality control is nonexistent (I’m salty because I just got off a boat where an active BSAC instructor and his buddy approximated a seahorse, silted out the wrecks, repeatedly failed to analyse their gas and did not understand why could it be a problem…)

 

[Mike McG]

Thanks guys,

In terms of training progression I still get on well with my PADI instructor and I personally find him really good so I was planning to do the PADI Self Reliant training course with him before crossing over, then completing my Sports Diver and Dive Leader Training with my club. From there I would like to progress into either a Twinset or Sidemount before an ADP course and I feel like with plenty of regular diving this will be a good foundation for a future foray into Tech.

 

[Wibble]

Try to dive with different people and different clubs - the clubs can be absolutely brilliant in getting people go diving but some are a bit insular, quality control is nonexistent (I’m salty because I just got off a boat where an active BSAC instructor and his buddy approximated a seahorse, silted out the wrecks, repeatedly failed to analyse his gas and did not understand why could it be a problem…)

This is the crux of "technical diving"; core skills and attitude.

Most of the people I dive with would barely call themselves a "technical diver", but all of them most definitely are "technical divers" due to their skills, attitude and equipment. You kind of recognise one when you see how they behave in and around the water.


Has to be mentioned again: GUE Fundamentals is an excellent course to sort out your core skills and basic twinset diving. It is extremely hard with high standards and gives you the skills to constantly practice for your future diving. You do not have to sign up to continue with GUE; make your own decisions afterwards.

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

Thanks guys,

In terms of training progression I still get on well with my PADI instructor and I personally find him really good so I was planning to do the PADI Self Reliant training course with him before crossing over, then completing my Sports Diver and Dive Leader Training with my club. From there I would like to progress into either a Twinset or Sidemount before an ADP course and I feel like with plenty of regular diving this will be a good foundation for a future foray into Tech.

I think you have too much training on the list and too little diving .

If you are really heading the techie route, I would personally skip self-reliant/solo as any tech course will include the skills and nobody cares about a solo card in the UK except Wraysbury. Same for dive leader - unless you plan to herd club newbies, it’s not very useful in terms of diving. You don’t need DL to book a boat and split the costs with friends. Sports diver would be great on the other hand if you haven’t done Rescue.

What worked for me was having a goal: I wanted to dive Scapa Flow wrecks (perfect baby techie goal in the UK) and booked myself on a trip. That gave me a timeline of a couple months to switch to a twinset and get ANDP done and opened a lot of options.

 

[Rich1280]

I agree with the too much training too little diving shout. I'd say SD is perfect for an intro to most things UK diving, then book a trip to Scapa. It can be done really nicely for a first visit on a 15 and pony within the 40m limit and 15 mins planned deco if you want. I'd not say DL is worth it at this stage with the 40m limit now, and you're not going to be organising trips for others necessarily at this point. Up the M6 to the Sound of Mull for the classic wrecks is another good way to get some nice 30-35m diving in for development too.

QC in branch can be challenging, but regional teams can help and thats worth a look out. In branch as SDCs you can run Buoyancy and Trim workshop, Twinset diver and Accelerated Decompression Procedures, which will give you decent diving and the tech package as a starter, and a nice basis for the next visit to Scapa. Alternatively you can look at an Intro to Tech course or Fundies if so inclined to cover off the B&T workshop and twinset diver equivalence, then add on ANDP, Helitrox or T1 or whatever you fancy. There are some good Tech instructors in the area you can tap into, I'd suggest Ian France or Tim Cutter as starting points for non GUE, or Rich Walker comes up to Capers moderately often for Fundies. Cards on the table, Fundies/T1 completely blew the BSAC route out of the water for me having done both paths. (My path: SD => Fundies => DL => B&T, ADP => T1).

Timeline wise, I'd smash SD out over winter and spring, that should be doable, look at a SoM trip early season for depth progression, then maybe your SDCs and development through summer mixed into normal diving (they're just easier if you're dived up) and finish in Scapa in September. A cracking year!

 

[Rilelen]

If you’re looking for books, I think you’d enjoy “The Six Skills and Other Discussions: Creative Solutions for Technical Divers” by Steve Lewis. It’s a collection of essays/talks on core skills but also the general mindset/approach. And it’s well-written, interesting, and a good read!

 

[chrisch]

I also agree this is too much training and too little diving. The PADI rescue diver is the next course in that system and will give you the BSAC Sport equivalent but with more emphasis on rescue than the BSAC system. Most people feel it is the best of the PADI courses.

Depending on the club and regional training content the BSAC twin course is often a good one in the club system. However most "technical" training will move to long hose and primary donate which may not get covered all that well in the BSAC system.

Clubs are great for going diving and making friends - you can do all that and work towards a goal with a mixture of some club and some commercial training. In my experience getting a variety of training environments works well, not just sticking to one system.

A lot of good advice from people posting above - above all enjoy what you do and don't get caught up in the endless training loop.