what can a rec diver learn from tech realm?

[Benthic]

I'd agree with gas management skills and learning to truly operate as a team (buddy skills).

Brian

 

[Lead_carrier]

I don't get your point Sparticle, what was their dive plan? Just a WAG on my part is they weren't doing a 50 foot reef. Overkill for a rec diver, definitley, but it goes back to what Hobbie was asking. These guys seemed to have learned continuing education (unless they printed their own cards), looks like they might know a bit about gas management. I'd also venture a guess to the fact they checked each other over real good, thus, good buddy skills. Past the realm of rec diving, definitely, but an rec diver could find out what they were diving and decide whether or not they wanted to go in the tec direction.

 

[*Floater*]

Well, I took DIRF and the first basic tech and cave courses. Ignoring DIRF for now, I guess tech and cave classes helped to improve my buoyancy, trim and most of all my ability to handle task loading. My awareness of correct ascents also increased... for that matter I started to consider rec dives as deco dives of sort.

My tech/cave courses and reading a lot about tech diving also made me think more and understand better O2 toxicity, and I've become more prepared to deal with equipment failures, lost buddies, and stuff like that.

None of it is needed for rec diving of course, but it doesn't hurt. Oh, and after diving doubles with several stages a single tank feels like nothing.

 

[divad]

I did AOW with a technical diver and he was really happy when I asked him about BP/Ws and the long hose, as opposed to making me feel like a misguided, idiot, hodag like some rec instrucors did. I feel like I learned tons of stuff by osmosis just being around him and diving with him. He was really into teaching and you could sit in on any class for free or just hang around the shop and pick his brain. I sheepishly asked him about a pony so he put me in a transpack and a slung AL 40 and took me all through the Capt. Dan. I saw him in a parking lot in Pompano recently and asked him about my just-serviced-and-not-right regulator. He drew me a diagram of the regulator and explained what he thought may have been done out of sequence and told me to put an IP gauge on it before diving it again. I did, and in ten minutes the IP shot up and the regs freeflowed. He was great.

 

[Drewski]

What the heck are all those connections?! Specifically look at the tank on the very left. ?!?!?!?

SparticleBrane, I really NEED to get you out of the "woods" in NC and up the shore more north sometime!

Anyone who is a SERIOUS wreck diver KNOWS that's a "custom" rigged pneumatic tools manifold. You don't think we grunt and groan on those thick bolts in 200 FSW with saws and wrenches do you? Hell NO! Just hook up the pneumatic cutter with the carbide hardened flat blade, pull the trigger and the six bolts on that helm pedestal are coming off!

Wow, did I really admit I knew what that was on this forum?

Disregard this post! I don't know what I'm talking about....

 

[WesTexDiver]

Gas management, teamwork....although most of the Recreational divers I know prefer not to have a buddy much less a team depending on the dive, bouyancy, signs and symptoms of -[DCS, DCI, ox-tox, narcosis]- to mention a few, how to plan a dive and dive a plan, fundamentals of mixed gasses as far as where when and what to and not to use, learn what is actually dangerous and what is a myth. I guess you never know untill you have studied the chemisty, physics, and theories about why and what can and will happen, which by the way seems to be a large part of tech diving...information gathering that is. The list seems endless, but I feel that this is most of the basics. Unless you want to throw out equiptment management, but I got scolded last time I hinted at that.


Edited to add...[When to call off a dive]... Rec divers seem to have a hard time determening when this should be done, but tec divers know what they are risking and have no problems calling a dive for the most part....at least this has been my experience....even with the increased price of the gas on their back.

 

[fweber]

Gas management and dive planning.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I think that if we take "tech" as an abreviation for technique rather than for "technical", we have the answer to the original question of the thread.

 

[laivindil]

Sometimes one can learn how not to dive. For example:
***Images cut to save bandwidth and reader sanity***

I don't know what was going on there but the divers I know who are tech certified don't have rigs that look like that.

From my personal experience and from what I've read I'm going to have to say gas management, dive planning, continued basic (and advanced if one is so certified) skill practice, buddy awareness and recognition of one's own skill level and abilities are all good things to take from the "tech" community.

 

[SparticleBrane]

I think that if we take "tech" as an abreviation for technique rather than for "technical", we have the answer to the original question of the thread.

Mike--great post. That really sums it all up nicely.