Giant Turtle
New
This is a course report for the UTD Technical Diver 2 course was held over a month from mid May to Mid June, 2010. We, the students of the course, co-wrote this report as a resource for future UTD Technical Diver candidates. If you're thinking of taking the UTD Technical Diver program or have just completed UTD Tech 1 we hope this report will give you some idea what to look forward to.
The course was taught by Todd Powell, who is a luminary figure in the British Columbia diving community. Todd is a highly experienced instructor who has taught and dived all over the world, in all conditions and environments. I'll say a bit more about Todd at the end of this report, suffice to say he's an exceptional diver and instructor.
The team was made up of Lee Newman, Eric Cayla, Jim Sargent and Mike Barton. Our individual experience ranged from a few years diving to more than 3 decades of dives. Everyone in the team had previously completed Tech 1 with Todd, except for Lee, who (much to the team's advantage) is an experienced trimix diver who was looking for the edge that UTD training provides.
The course structure was a weekend of diving and practical skills with Todd, a month of once a week classroom sessions and a final weekend of training and scenarios with Todd. During the month between the two ocean sessions we got together as a team and worked on our skills in the ocean. Finally we held a decompression dive at average depth 150' to put all the skills and knowledge together.
Arranging the schedule over a month had many advantages. On the first dive we had the opportunity to try the physical skills we would eventually need to master, all before entering the classroom and taking on the knowledge required to conduct actual decompression dives. Having time to practice the new skills before heading out to do scenarios ensured we were up to a solid level on our technique prior to adding the task loading, physical and mental stress of scenarios. In turn, adapting to the complexity and stress of scenarios meant that when it came time to do the actual dive we were prepared to handle anything that came at us. Adding the theory knowledge incrementally throughout the training meant we had everything locked in our brains by the time we needed it for the actual dives at that end. It's a very effective teaching structure that allowed us to reach the level of proficiency and mental focus required to do Tech 2 dives without burning out on the steep learning curve. If you're reading this thinking about doing Tech 2, don't expect to do it in a weekend. A month was the perfect time frame.
A lot of skills involved in Tech 2 are focused on the addition of a stage bottle to the single deco bottle used in Tech 1. Adding a stage to the deco bottle and doubles configuration requires learning new mechanics, essentially physical habits that make handing the unfamiliar array of tanks and four regulators second nature. This was the focus of almost all of our practice dives.
Initially every one of us had a hard time clipping stages off correctly, unclipping and moving bottles to and from the leash - these skills don't come naturally. We would make tangles of bolt-snaps, cord and hoses. We would lose buoyancy, or worse, drop bottles. However, much of the learning simply requires repetition. With stubborn practice muscle memory slowly set in until we were all managing our skills almost effortlessly with our heads up. Allocating adequate time to practice is essential to the success of anyone seeking to complete Tech 2.
The actual training dives were well organized, preceded by a thorough pre-dive briefing in which the goals and objectives were made very clear, organized and clear communication both underwater and on the surface, and followed by another very thorough post-dive debrief. Part of every pre-dive briefing were helpful comments made about the things we learned from the previous dive and comments made during the post-dive debrief emphasized things we should be focusing on for the next dive. The dives were mentally and physically demanding so this clarity was essential to success.
After every training dive we reviewed a video of the day. The video caught everything we did and everything we didnt and allowed for a very intensive review with both comments from Todd and input from the rest of the group. It can't be overemphasized how helpful it is to actually see oneself doing the skills. The camera does not lie! Thanks to Gary for providing this extremely valuable service and for welcoming us into his home for the reviews.
The theoretical subject matter in Tech 2 is identical to Tech 1, but goes into a bit more depth. Overall the learning curve in Tech 1 classroom was much steeper. In Tech 2 we were able to review what we studied before and now think a bit more about it in the context of actual dives. The focus is on Ratio Deco and Gas Management. The classroom environment made everyone feel included, and encouraged active participation in the learning. At the Tech 2 level we are expected to know a lot already, so Todd would ask questions as much as he lectured, encouraging us to come up with our own answers to some of the challenging decisions we may have to make in the field.
If you aren't familiar with the UTD system, one of the core concepts is that of the "thinking diver". We are expected to develop the ability to reason through all of our decisions before and during dives. Ratio Deco, the theory that we use to create decompression profiles, is designed to be calculated "on-the-fly", adapted by the diver to the needs of the dive, during the dive. In Tech 1 there is more emphasis on doing things "correctly", learning protocols and skills that standardize procedures. In Tech 2, the emphasis shifts towards adaptability. Both the classroom environment and the in-water training emphasizes this ethos at every step.
During this particular course we benefited from having experienced guest divers visit our classroom. Rob Hines and Kat King were present and their contribution to conversations was invaluable. Some of the best class moments included conversations between the guests and Todd. Their combined expertise meant that the conversation could go to a level that we, the new students, didnt yet have the experience to reach. However, we learned a lot from listening in. Thanks to Rob and Kat for joining in.
The Team concept is a key component of the UTD system. The other diver or divers in your team, their judgement, skill, equipment and resources are all part of your successful dive and yours is part of theirs. At all times during the course the team concept was continually reinforced. Although Todd provided lots of support and guidance, this is the one part of the course that cannot truly be taught - good judgement has to be developed by each team member through self awareness. Going into the course, some of us had only just met and some of us had not yet been diving together. However, we all quickly realized that to succeed in the course we would have to pull-together, not only to get to know each other as divers, but also as people in an effort to capitalize on the individual strengths and address our individual weaknesses. This required humility and a willingness to listen and learn from each other, in balance with being assertive and effective when necessary.
In time it became natural for us to consider the other members of the team to be as important as ourselves. We worked hard to ensure our team communication was good. We admitted to ourselves that no one person could think of everything, so we also learned to use the most valuable of team resources, the other brains on the dive! This teamwork was notable in our pre-dive briefs, which we patiently held until everyone was clearly on the same page and ready for the dive. Between the four of us it was also a safe environment to ask questions, get clarification or offer an alternative everyone welcomed the input and nobody was afraid to challenge assumptions. Lee put it best, "Rarely does one get to experience a class at this level with such a group of mature, motivated, capable, humble, smart and fun guys as this!". If you are thinking of taking the course the best advice we can give is to bring that attitude with you everything else you an learn on the course.
Finally, some words of kudos for our instructor Todd Powell. In the water, theres no doubt hes in his element. Just watch him hovering in 20 of water just off the up-line, under a very wavy surface, managing his gas switch while clipping up his scooter. Theres no one more skilled at this stuff!
Hes also as competent an instructor as he is a diver. If you havent taken a class with Todd, youre missing out on some of the finest instruction there is in this sport (indeed in any walk of life). Todd is not just knowledgeable and capable beyond the course content, he is meticulously detailed, absolutely attentive to everything, notices every nuance, and has only the motivation of making you a better diver, to help you reach your goals. He's a natural leader, yet a humble and considerate team member. His generosity of spirit and amazing support impressed us all very much.
It is obvious in watching Todd, both in an instructional setting and also when hes in the water for fun, that diving is his lifes passion, equaled only by his enthusiasm to help make better divers. Better divers means training them so that they can use more of their brain to actually enjoy the dive itself rather than for worrying about the process of diving in that, Todd is going above and beyond in every course he teaches. Todds students, including the four of us, are lucky to have him - and so too would you.
The course was taught by Todd Powell, who is a luminary figure in the British Columbia diving community. Todd is a highly experienced instructor who has taught and dived all over the world, in all conditions and environments. I'll say a bit more about Todd at the end of this report, suffice to say he's an exceptional diver and instructor.
The team was made up of Lee Newman, Eric Cayla, Jim Sargent and Mike Barton. Our individual experience ranged from a few years diving to more than 3 decades of dives. Everyone in the team had previously completed Tech 1 with Todd, except for Lee, who (much to the team's advantage) is an experienced trimix diver who was looking for the edge that UTD training provides.
The course structure was a weekend of diving and practical skills with Todd, a month of once a week classroom sessions and a final weekend of training and scenarios with Todd. During the month between the two ocean sessions we got together as a team and worked on our skills in the ocean. Finally we held a decompression dive at average depth 150' to put all the skills and knowledge together.
Arranging the schedule over a month had many advantages. On the first dive we had the opportunity to try the physical skills we would eventually need to master, all before entering the classroom and taking on the knowledge required to conduct actual decompression dives. Having time to practice the new skills before heading out to do scenarios ensured we were up to a solid level on our technique prior to adding the task loading, physical and mental stress of scenarios. In turn, adapting to the complexity and stress of scenarios meant that when it came time to do the actual dive we were prepared to handle anything that came at us. Adding the theory knowledge incrementally throughout the training meant we had everything locked in our brains by the time we needed it for the actual dives at that end. It's a very effective teaching structure that allowed us to reach the level of proficiency and mental focus required to do Tech 2 dives without burning out on the steep learning curve. If you're reading this thinking about doing Tech 2, don't expect to do it in a weekend. A month was the perfect time frame.
A lot of skills involved in Tech 2 are focused on the addition of a stage bottle to the single deco bottle used in Tech 1. Adding a stage to the deco bottle and doubles configuration requires learning new mechanics, essentially physical habits that make handing the unfamiliar array of tanks and four regulators second nature. This was the focus of almost all of our practice dives.
Initially every one of us had a hard time clipping stages off correctly, unclipping and moving bottles to and from the leash - these skills don't come naturally. We would make tangles of bolt-snaps, cord and hoses. We would lose buoyancy, or worse, drop bottles. However, much of the learning simply requires repetition. With stubborn practice muscle memory slowly set in until we were all managing our skills almost effortlessly with our heads up. Allocating adequate time to practice is essential to the success of anyone seeking to complete Tech 2.
The actual training dives were well organized, preceded by a thorough pre-dive briefing in which the goals and objectives were made very clear, organized and clear communication both underwater and on the surface, and followed by another very thorough post-dive debrief. Part of every pre-dive briefing were helpful comments made about the things we learned from the previous dive and comments made during the post-dive debrief emphasized things we should be focusing on for the next dive. The dives were mentally and physically demanding so this clarity was essential to success.
After every training dive we reviewed a video of the day. The video caught everything we did and everything we didnt and allowed for a very intensive review with both comments from Todd and input from the rest of the group. It can't be overemphasized how helpful it is to actually see oneself doing the skills. The camera does not lie! Thanks to Gary for providing this extremely valuable service and for welcoming us into his home for the reviews.
The theoretical subject matter in Tech 2 is identical to Tech 1, but goes into a bit more depth. Overall the learning curve in Tech 1 classroom was much steeper. In Tech 2 we were able to review what we studied before and now think a bit more about it in the context of actual dives. The focus is on Ratio Deco and Gas Management. The classroom environment made everyone feel included, and encouraged active participation in the learning. At the Tech 2 level we are expected to know a lot already, so Todd would ask questions as much as he lectured, encouraging us to come up with our own answers to some of the challenging decisions we may have to make in the field.
If you aren't familiar with the UTD system, one of the core concepts is that of the "thinking diver". We are expected to develop the ability to reason through all of our decisions before and during dives. Ratio Deco, the theory that we use to create decompression profiles, is designed to be calculated "on-the-fly", adapted by the diver to the needs of the dive, during the dive. In Tech 1 there is more emphasis on doing things "correctly", learning protocols and skills that standardize procedures. In Tech 2, the emphasis shifts towards adaptability. Both the classroom environment and the in-water training emphasizes this ethos at every step.
During this particular course we benefited from having experienced guest divers visit our classroom. Rob Hines and Kat King were present and their contribution to conversations was invaluable. Some of the best class moments included conversations between the guests and Todd. Their combined expertise meant that the conversation could go to a level that we, the new students, didnt yet have the experience to reach. However, we learned a lot from listening in. Thanks to Rob and Kat for joining in.
The Team concept is a key component of the UTD system. The other diver or divers in your team, their judgement, skill, equipment and resources are all part of your successful dive and yours is part of theirs. At all times during the course the team concept was continually reinforced. Although Todd provided lots of support and guidance, this is the one part of the course that cannot truly be taught - good judgement has to be developed by each team member through self awareness. Going into the course, some of us had only just met and some of us had not yet been diving together. However, we all quickly realized that to succeed in the course we would have to pull-together, not only to get to know each other as divers, but also as people in an effort to capitalize on the individual strengths and address our individual weaknesses. This required humility and a willingness to listen and learn from each other, in balance with being assertive and effective when necessary.
In time it became natural for us to consider the other members of the team to be as important as ourselves. We worked hard to ensure our team communication was good. We admitted to ourselves that no one person could think of everything, so we also learned to use the most valuable of team resources, the other brains on the dive! This teamwork was notable in our pre-dive briefs, which we patiently held until everyone was clearly on the same page and ready for the dive. Between the four of us it was also a safe environment to ask questions, get clarification or offer an alternative everyone welcomed the input and nobody was afraid to challenge assumptions. Lee put it best, "Rarely does one get to experience a class at this level with such a group of mature, motivated, capable, humble, smart and fun guys as this!". If you are thinking of taking the course the best advice we can give is to bring that attitude with you everything else you an learn on the course.
Finally, some words of kudos for our instructor Todd Powell. In the water, theres no doubt hes in his element. Just watch him hovering in 20 of water just off the up-line, under a very wavy surface, managing his gas switch while clipping up his scooter. Theres no one more skilled at this stuff!
Hes also as competent an instructor as he is a diver. If you havent taken a class with Todd, youre missing out on some of the finest instruction there is in this sport (indeed in any walk of life). Todd is not just knowledgeable and capable beyond the course content, he is meticulously detailed, absolutely attentive to everything, notices every nuance, and has only the motivation of making you a better diver, to help you reach your goals. He's a natural leader, yet a humble and considerate team member. His generosity of spirit and amazing support impressed us all very much.
It is obvious in watching Todd, both in an instructional setting and also when hes in the water for fun, that diving is his lifes passion, equaled only by his enthusiasm to help make better divers. Better divers means training them so that they can use more of their brain to actually enjoy the dive itself rather than for worrying about the process of diving in that, Todd is going above and beyond in every course he teaches. Todds students, including the four of us, are lucky to have him - and so too would you.
Only need one more reg for the stage LOL!
