Some very interesting and enlightening replies! I'm camped out with those who discovered tec diving relatively early, but having little to no exposure or guidance didn't pay much attention to it. When I started diving relatively shallow wrecks and finding a high level of comfort in bone chilling muck, my curiosity sparked and I began researching it. Shortly thereafter, I spent some time in the Northeast doing a few wrecks on Lake Erie and interacting with a few technical divers, and then the deal was pretty well sealed.
This is exactly the feeling I was given when I started diving, and part of what prompted me to ask. As a new diver, for me to ask the question of "what's tec diving?" would elicit responses from "Those guys are nuts!" to "Why would you want to dive in THAT?"
The addition to this is a perceived conflict of interest as a soon-to-be instructor. On one hand, we are encouraged to share our diving passions, experiences, and goals. In my case, I've taken a specific interest in the Empress of Ireland. While this is a looooong way down the road, it remains a key motivator of mine. On the other hand, we've been specifically told to avoid speaking of technical diving unless we're a technical instructor. This is further complicated by the fact that I can't bring myself to recommend the tec instructor our store has on staff, so any referrals would go to a competing location (however far away). As I've never been that crazy about reefs and sharks, this doesn't leave much for me to talk about without upping the BS factor.
Without opening a can of worms, would you mind elaborating on this? I understand that the cert mills have left a bad taste in our mouths, and equipment manufactures have responded with bells, whistles, and wireless everything *shivers*. But are you trying to say that the number of incoming divers is a bad thing, or simply the standard of training/education that often follows?
I ran into the bolded statement myself as a DM. Along with a number of other reasons, it played into my decision to walk away from that shop and not look back. I was told not to talk about tech diving, tech gear, mixed gasses other than nitrox, etc. Primarily because the shop provided none of it and it meant students would need to look elsewhere, as I had to, to get into it. We can't have that. Divers have to be controlled by the LDS and what they want to do, sell, and provide.
It's BS and another factor in the failure of shops and the industry. They are still operating on outdated ideas and looking at people's own interests as a threat to them. BeforeI did the crossover to TDI to teach Intro, the HOG course, and TDI Nitrox I was teaching what some referred to as "tech skills and concepts" from OW on up.
Starting with anti-silting kicks, which are a necessity locally, gas management, use of SMB's and reels/spools, deep stops, and horizontal trim and proper buoyancy with balanced rig approaches, up through the use of stage bottles for AOW classes. I see absolutley nothing wrong with teaching and in some cases requiring "tech level" skills as something every diver should strive for.
I also do something that was not really done with me. I interview my students and they interview me before I accept any payment. I find out what their interests are. Some admittedly really don't know. THey just think this is cool and want to do it. Fine. The standard OW class approach that I teach is what we'll do. But I have also had students who knew or thought they knew what they wanted to do from day one. And so I tailor the class from OW on to that goal. I started them out in BPW's and long hose set ups.
Spent extra time on non silting kicks and stuff like horizontal air shares. Along with more eyes closed skills to simulate low or zero vis. Then we did more skill related checkout dives as opposed to just verifying their skills. We did skills on every dive not because I required them to but because they wanted to. From there we skipped the AOW class and went into my UW Nav class after they got some dives in on their own. Mainly because it reinforced the team approach, introduced the use of lines, reels, and spools for navigation, and took their anti silting skills to a new level for them. Since we were doing the Nav dives most of the time 1-2 feet off a silty bottom. On purpose.
They then got more dives in and then took AOW. Which they were now ready for the way I teach it. And the required Nav dive was ramped up to really test their Nav skills.
Next was a rescue class after yet again more experience dives.
Then the husband got posted to Africa. When he gets back it looks like Wreck and Intro to Tech.
They have kept diving. So other than a reintroduction to cold water it will not be a huge transition since they have been working on the skills necessary to do so. Because they were introduced to them early.
I do agree that it is not for everybody and am somewhat concerned at the push to put more divers into it who are not ready. But it is to be expected. There's money in it. And those who for years pushed it back or said be quiet are the same ones who called nitrox voodoo gas until they saw they could make a buck from it. Now it's push the nitrox and make extra cash. Don't even make them do caculations for it. Just tell em how to set their computers, collect a check, and send us a cut.
Tech is going the same way because of this. Pretty soon some courses will stop talking about how many people die and how nasty the death is as the introduction to Tech because it will reduce revenue. Then they'll come up with "Get tech certed in a weekend! Just like Open Water! It's fun and you'll meet new people, travel to interesting places, and see new things!"
There'll be hot models in bikini's wearing doubles and slinging stages. With wreck reels as earrings bumping the snorkel on their mask. And they'll all be kneeling in the pool doing s drills.
Again there is nothing wrong with talking about tech to OW divers. Just make sure they know that in tech if something goes wrong they are going to die a lot faster than in the OW class. Although we have seen that quickie OW classes kill people as well.
