Tech Mania

[Sergio Longhi]

Hi,

after rushing in our PADI OWD, AOWD, Nitrox, Deep Dive, me and my wife would like to go Tech.
What's the path we should follow?
We probably will do here, Croatia, Europe, we live in Trieste, Italy : Diving Center Shark they are PADI Tek Rec and IANTD.

Any suggestion?

 

[tstormdiver]

IANTD is generally more recognized in the technical diving world.

On a side note,... You mentioned that you rushed through your courses,... Have you gotten much experience in these types of diving? Rushing into tech is not a wise thing in my opinion. I started into tech diving (Adv. Nitrox & Deco Procedures) with about 150 dives logged. I found out very quickly I was woefully unprepared. It wound up taking me nearly 2 yrs to complete the course. Basically to be ready for technical diving training, you need to have ALL your basic skills perfected, especially buoyancy control. Comfort in the water is an absolute must, as with technical diving, going to the surface for a problem is rarely an option. Technical diving is a whole new level of diving. I am not trying to discourage you & your wife in any way, but rather suggesting (looking at your stated dives & realative experience) that you get lots of experience & make sure your skills are rock solid, before taking such a huge leap. Some people can do it, being realatively inexperienced, but they are generally few & far between. Good luck in your pursuits!:cool2:

 

[Mod63]

First, go diving, diving, diving. The, go diving some more. Practice all those skills from your OWD class. Get your bouyancy right. Then look for a good experienced instructor, and definately do not rush.

 

[gsk3]

Take GUE Fundamentals with these folks in Italy:
centro immersioni a Santa Margherita Ligure - Genova - Liguria - Portofino Divers

That will give you a solid base of skills. You can then continue on with GUE for Tech1 or go with another organization for AN/DP.

 

[DennisS]

Hi,

after rushing in our PADI OWD, AOWD, Nitrox, Deep Dive, me and my wife would like to go Tech.
What's the path we should follow?
We probably will do here, Croatia, Europe, we live in Trieste, Italy : Diving Center Shark they are PADI Tek Rec and IANTD.

Any suggestion?

Why are you rushing through your courses to take a tech diving course. I see by your profile that you have between 25-49 dives. A lot of your dives must have been in courses.

There is a lifetime of things to see under 30m, do you have a specific reason that you want to go tech. A deep reef, wreck etc. that you want to dive.

 

[Sergio Longhi]

Why rush? Why go tech? That's right.

Let's say that I use to skin dive since when I was a kid, then my wife push me into scuba diving recently, we started this spring in Thailand, almost for a chance, since then we are trying always to pursuit more, more deep, more things, we like wrecks the most, and we think that the tech dive configuration is one of the safest possible, everything is double, you always have a backup gear.

Buoyancy is quite good now, we have a loooooot to learn of course, and this is why we want to go tech, to learn as much as possible on diving.

Today we went on the wreck "Luana", Pula Croatia, 45 m on Nitrox 27%, visibility 15m, it was gorgeous!

 

[tstormdiver]

I understand your excitement, as new divers. Heck I'm still excited. Just realize the technical configuration is a tool & a tool only. There are different technical configurations for different applications. You may have redundancy, yes, but if you do not know how to effectively use it, it is useless. As I mentioned above, skills are by far,as important, if not more important. Many of these skills can be improved on by just diving & having fun. The equipment is only 1 part in the equasion. If you can not hold a deco stop (precision buoyancy control), then you risk severe injury or worse, If you are inside a wreck, do you know how to find your way back out even in absolute 0 vis (silt- out)? Or how to prevent silting things out in the first place? Those are things that certainly should be covered. In my AN/DP course I had to cope with all kinds of equipment failures (including a real life free flow) & environmental problems (heavy silt, very cold waters). During my cave course, I spent more time looking at the inside of a blindfold or the guideline, than I did the cave. Technical diving is not something to be rushed into or through. Technical diving is very meticulous & requires a good deal of planning & discipline. Not to say that you can or can not do it, but, if it is a proper training course, do not look at it as a 1 or 2 day wonder course. The wrecks & reefs you want to see aren't going anywhere, there is no reason to be in a rush. They will wait for you to get the proper experience & training & still be there for your enjoyment.

 

[DevonDiver]

The first step is to assess why you want to dive tech.

Once you've answered that, then you can assess the pros and cons of different agencies in helping you towards that goal.

Doing tech, for tech's sake? Just go with the cheapest and quickest.

 

[down4fun]

I love wrecks. I have loved wrecks from the second dive of class when we landed on the bow of one and i peered inside and got the finger wave of no! from my instructor. From that day on, I have always been fascinated with wrecks and especially exploring the inside of wrecks...the deeper the better. BUT experience to do those dives takes time. There is no substitute for just getting out there and diving. The more you dive the more experience you will gain and probably encounter some small problems or gear failures that hopefully you will handle with skill and that confidence. it is the cummulation of that experience and confidence that prepares you to go to the next level.

Nobody wants to be told no. At around 30 dives I had already done my OW and AOW and I wanted to go dive the Spiegel Grove ( a local wreck in the keys 132ft to the sand and subject to strong current) My instructor told me i wasn't ready for that dive. Of course Ididn't want to hear that, but I listened. Fast forward 5 years and I am full mix and doing the kind of dives I always dreamed of.

The point...you too can get to the deep wrecks but it takes time, dedication and patience. Lots of good divers with lots of experience die every year doing technical dives. It is not to be taken lightly or rushed.

 

[tstormdiver]

Thank you Down4fun, I couldn't have said it better.....:blinking: