Technical Diving

[H2Andy]

1) Why you learn technical diving?

i live in prime cave-diving country. seemed a shame not to do it.


2) What make you crazy about it?

it's challenging. it's satisfying to be able to do difficult things.


3) Advice for divers who want to learn technical diving.

i'm a beginner too. i guess "just do it" and don't wait around wishing.


4) Which diving associations will you consider for taking technical diving course?

i only know about cave diving ones. GUE i hear has a great program, but
expensive. NSS-CDS and NACD are both great organizations.

i'd pick the instructor, not the organzation.

 

[Jason Ooi]

After you been certified as tech diver are you consider continue your diving education to take -
1) SC Rebreather
2) CC Rebreather
3) CC Trimix Rebreather
4) Cavern
5) Trimix
6) Normoxic Trimix
7) Wreck
8) .......other

 

[karstdvr]

1) I can't remember that far back
2) I've gotten very involved in scientific work with biological surveys,dye tracing,radio locates etc etc Give purpose to what I do.
3) The common problem is going too fast,too soon. The caves aren't going anywhere,take your time and enjoy it
4)I know many say the instructor,but the agency shapes the instructor. Some agencies have rigorous standards to become an instructor with peer review,and some just require a course to become an instructor - caveat emptor

 

[grazie42]

1) Why you learn technical diving?
Because thats what it took to dive the wrecks I want to.

2) What make you crazy about it?
I like challenges and I don´t like being told that I can´t do something

3) Advice for divers who want to learn technical diving.
Get in doubles, figure out bouyancy and take a course.
Don´t think, do!

4) Which diving associations will you consider for taking technical diving course?
Whoever the instructor I want to teach me works with.
I´m sceptical about PADI-tech but thats propably just prejudice...

After you been certified as tech diver are you consider continue your diving education to take -
1) SC Rebreather
2) CC Rebreather
3) CC Trimix Rebreather
4) Cavern
5) Trimix
6) Normoxic Trimix
7) Wreck
8) .......other

I have 4-7, doing 8 (full cave) this summer.
I am thinking about 1-3 but I´m not comfortable with the idea of diving something that can kill without me noticing and that costs an arm and a leg...yet...

 

[Hoyden]

I just finished my first tec class and these were questions that we discussed in class quite a bit.

1) Why are you interested in learning technical diving?

I wanted to get more bottom time on some of the deeper local wrecks and have a chance to continue to improve as a diver, learning skills that will serve me well even in recreational depths. Another common theme in my small class was that we all seemed to be pretty anal gear freaks.

2) What make's you crazy about it?

I am crazy about diving in general - if there is a hole in the ground with enough water to submerge, I will probably be willing to dive there. I am happy diving in an aquarium. The big plus of tec diving is that you can go places that are not quite as heavily visited - the wrecks are in better shape.

3) Advice for divers who want to learn technical diving.

Take advanced recreational training - at least up through rescue. I was the only student in my class who wasn't a dive master or instructor. Find a dive buddy who shares your interests. Find an instructor - someone that does the kind of diving that you want to do on his/her own time. Jim Wyatt has a good article on how to choose an instructor at http://cavediveflorida.com/instructor.htm. Narrow your choices down and get to know them. Once you choose your instructor, follow his/her advice - or find a mentor within your local tec diving community. Make equipment purchases carefully - otherwise you will waste tons of money on gear that you ultimately won't use. Don't try to save money on gear purchases by buying less expensive gear - I can't say that loudly enough. You can save money buying used (if you are careful), but don't compromise on quality.


4) Which diving associations will you consider for taking technical diving course?

The one your chosen instructor recommends - the instructor I chose teaches for multiple organizations - including TDI, IANTD, and PADI/DSAT - after looking at the training materials/course structures and talking to my instructor, I chose among those.


After you been certified as tech diver are you consider continue your diving education to take -
1) SC Rebreather
2) CC Rebreather
3) CC Trimix Rebreather
4) Cavern
5) Trimix
6) Normoxic Trimix
7) Wreck
8) .......other


I plan to do cavern/intro this summer and probably Trimix and apprentice/full cave (if I like it) next year. Rebreathers... maybe way down the road. I find the idea of CCR very attractive - being silent in the water certainly could open up new wildlife experiences and there is no such thing as having too much time (gas available) underwater, but I still have reservations about the safety issues.

Jackie

 

[Jason Ooi]

How do you evaluate a good tec instructor and how you find him/her?

 

[Jason Ooi]

How do you find and evaluate a good tec instructor?

 

[Diver0001]

Well,

If you're already hanging with other tek divers then finding an instructor is mostly a question of asking for recommendations and asking everyone you know what they think of the recommendations you got. Naturally, no matter what, you have to dive with your prospective instructor and evaluate them in terms of skill, knowledge, ability to communicate and most of all attitude.

Also, you don't have to just find one instructor. It's a mentor, not a marriage. I actually have two instructors who teach and mentor me and I'm happy to have that because they're both strong at different things. One is more into adventure (overheads, wrecks, caves and extreme conditions) and the other is more into the technique, deep diving and deco theory.

If you don't have any contacts in the tek community then I would work on getting connected before choosing an instructor. At least that's how I would do it.

R..

 

[*Floater*]

Hi All,
1) Why you learn technical diving?
2) What make you crazy about it?
3) Advice for divers who want to learn technical diving.
4) Which diving associations will you consider for taking technical diving course?



Jason

I'm not tech certified yet, but the reason I'm moving in that direction is because I'm sick of missing out all the great sites below 40m and the NDL limits are too restrictive even above 40m for my taste - I'd rather stay a little longer if I feel like it followed by deco stops.

I hear about these great sites after getting into discussions with the DM's about their best dives and such on my dive vacations but generally get told that I can't go unless I take another course, hence I need the course. I'd prefer GUE tech-1, but since it's not widely available I may go with whatever else is next time I'm in need of access...

 

[Jason Ooi]

Hi,

Sure! look for a good Tec Instructor discuss about it.

Tec diving is beyond recreational limit stay longer non stop dive, not many diver may able to go, something you never done before.

Good dive safe dive

Jason

I'm not tech certified yet, but the reason I'm moving in that direction is because I'm sick of missing out all the great sites below 40m and the NDL limits are too restrictive even above 40m for my taste - I'd rather stay a little longer if I feel like it followed by deco stops.

I hear about these great sites after getting into discussions with the DM's about their best dives and such on my dive vacations but generally get told that I can't go unless I take another course, hence I need the course. I'd prefer GUE tech-1, but since it's not widely available I may go with whatever else is next time I'm in need of access...