What Defines a "Tech" Diver

[EL1]

So I skimmed through this thread and found a whole lot of "Here is what I think the phrase should mean" and similar phrases. This reminds me of a portion of Alice Through the Looking Glass, which I will quote below to make this point: a word or phrase attains useful meaning when enough members of a group use the word or phrase in a way that communicates meaning. Once that is achieved, then the word or phrase means that, and it doesn't matter what you think it should mean. The staff of dictionaries and encyclopedias work year round to see how words or phrases are being used, and when they see that people have accepted a certain definition, then that definition becomes part the dictionary or encyclopedia.

For reference and amusement, here is the portion of Alice Through the Looking Glass to which I referred above.

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘glory,’” Alice said.​

​

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. “Of course you don’t—till I tell you. I meant ‘there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!’”​

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“But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean ‘a nice knock-down argument,’” Alice objected.​

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“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”​

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“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”​

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“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”​

​

Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. “They’ve a temper, some of them—particularly verbs, they’re the proudest—adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs—however, I can manage the whole lot of them! Impenetrability! That’s what I say!”​

​

“Would you tell me, please,” said Alice “what that means?”​

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“Now you talk like a reasonable child,” said Humpty Dumpty, looking very much pleased. “I meant by ‘impenetrability’ that we’ve had enough of that subject, and it would be just as well if you’d mention what you mean to do next, as I suppose you don’t mean to stop here all the rest of your life.”​

​

“That’s a great deal to make one word mean,” Alice said in a thoughtful tone.​

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“When I make a word do a lot of work like that,” said Humpty Dumpty, “I always pay it extra.”​

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“Oh!” said Alice. She was too much puzzled to make any other remark.​

​

“Ah, you should see “em come round me of a Saturday night,” Humpty Dumpty went on, wagging his head gravely from side to side: “for to get their wages, you know.”​

The thing is that saying tec is not recreational carries a second meaning, whether the definitions written down in some document say so or not: that a normal diver that just wants to have fun should stay away from it, should stay away from people trying to teach it.

 

[MichaelMc]

The thing is that saying tec is not recreational carries a second meaning, whether the definitions written down in some document say so or not: that a normal diver that just wants to have fun should stay away from it, should stay away from people trying to teach it.

I think technical is appended to parts of several sports. Technical sailing, climbing, racing. It does carry a meaning of needing more focus. Flow with the wind absent minded pursuit would carry a higher risk of mishap. Technical x is still fun if done with a suitably focused attention, for those for whom such focus is natural.

 

[tursiops]

Wikipedia says this:

Definition​

Technical diver during a decompression stop

There is some professional disagreement as to what exactly technical diving encompasses. Nitrox diving and rebreather diving were originally considered technical, but this is no longer universally the case as several certification agencies now offer Recreational Nitrox and recreational rebreather training and certification. Some training agencies classify penetration diving in wrecks and caves as technical diving.Even those who agree on the broad definitions of technical diving may disagree on the precise boundaries between technical and recreational diving.

• IANTD propose a description: "Technical diving is a range of knowledge, skills and suitable equipment, which when combined correctly, allow recreational divers to increase their safety while underwater. This information (sic) may be employed in either shallow or deep water, may be used to safely extend the divers submerged duration well into the realms of extended decompressions and is often used as a tool for exploration." in their Exploration and Mixed Gas Diving Encyclopedia
• NAUI's definition of technical diving states: "Technical diving is a form of scuba diving that exceeds the typical recreational limits imposed on depth and immersion time (bottom time). Tec diving involves accelerated decompression and/or the use of variable gas mixtures during a dive."
• NOAA defines technical diving as "all diving methods that exceed the limits imposed on depth and/or immersion time for recreational scuba diving. Technical diving often involves the use of special gas mixtures (other than compressed air) for breathing. The type of gas mixture used is determined either by the maximum depth planned for the dive, or by the length of time that the diver intends to spend underwater. While the recommended maximum depth for conventional scuba diving is 130 ft, technical divers may work in the range of 170 ft to 350 ft, sometimes even deeper. Technical diving almost always requires one or more mandatory decompression 'stops' upon ascent, during which the diver may change breathing gas mixes at least once." NOAA does not address issues relating to overhead environments or specify the recreational diving limits in its definition, and the use of single mixture nitrox is well established in mainstream recreational diving.
• PADI defines technical diving as "diving other than conventional commercial or recreational diving that takes divers beyond recreational diving limits (130 feet (40 m)). It is further defined as an activity that includes one or more of the following: diving beyond 40 meters/130 feet, required stage decompression, diving in an overhead environment beyond 130 linear feet from the surface, accelerated stage decompression and/or the use of multiple gas mixtures in a single dive."
• TDI defines a technical dive as any dive involving decompression, additional cylinders, alternative breathing gases, rebreathers, or overhead environments such as wrecks, caves or mines. This definition does not make a strong distinction between “recreational” and “technical” as both styles of diving are recreational and require similar equipment.
• The government of Queensland, Australia defines recreational technical diving as recreational diving using nitrox or other mixed gas, or any diving requiring decompression.
• BSAC varies from many agencies in allowing some staged decompression within recreational diving. Its definition of technical diving is diving which involves specialist equipment such as Closed Circuit Rebreathers (CCR), using multiple gas mixes on open circuit or that uses helium-based gas mixtures termed Mixed Gas.

The European diving agencies tend to draw the line between recreational and technical diving at 50 metres (160 ft) and many, as noted for BSAC above, teach staged decompression diving as an integral part of recreational training, rather than as a fundamental change of scope. The Bühlmann tables used by the Sub-Aqua Association and other European agencies make staged decompression dives available and the SAA teaches modest staged decompression as part of its advanced training programme.

 

[MichaelMc]

@mac64, I've reread your answer and thought more. Here is one take on your answer.

The day before the dive its none

So beforehand, the dive for them on an average day is not technical. Ok. I might argue approaching or a little, but ok.

For risk mitigation we usually do need to classify dives before we know how they turn out.

as you approach the stop you vomit into the reg and things get "technical."

If we change it to be bad conditions, sick diver, more likely and almost foreshadowed errors (the diving itself on that day really), the risk of the deco not being able to be handled increases.

In terms of "technical" being the term to use:
How would you feel about those events leading up to vomiting at 130' short of NDL? Is that technical? They need to breath for several more minutes before they can surface or they will drown.

What about vomiting at 40'?

Are you saying any dive can go bad?

 

[EFX]

A dive never just becomes a tech dive. Tech dives are planned pre dive.

Not necessarily. If the definition of a tech dive is doing mandatory decompression then some tech dives can be planned casually in the water. Planning is not a requirement only for tech dives; plenty of rec dives are planned predive.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Is there a difference between a Recreational Keyboard Diver and a Technical Keyboard Diver, on ScubaBoard?

Assuming that this is fully meant to be a satirical and "entertainment" related question...... here's my response.

A Recreational Keyboard Diver posts quick and non technical replies to Scubaboard from their flip-phone while hanging out at the beach in a swim suit and a rash guard top with a cold one......or 12...... and then logs off and goes for an underwater swim that might involve a normal jacket style or back inflate BC, snorkel and split fins (yellow) while breathing some regular compressed Earth air . Wait...... maybe the beer comes after the dive..... Whatever.... PS... Some RKD's use their snorkels as a supplemental beer bong apparatus and have learned that a basic J tube with mouthpiece works best.. PS.. They've learned that the old snorkels with the ping pong ball cage to prevent backflow don't really work that well. When the day is done they go home and BBQ great meals on their decks.

A Technical Keyboard Diver is typically strapped in with custom configured 2 inch webbing into a fully self contained Napper Crapper chair in a dark and extremely confined basement that is at least three levels below a normal basement. (Picture the pit in Silence of the Lambs). The Napper Crapper is a high tech system that includes a catheter or condom pee valve and various containers of mixed gases so that they can remain stationary in one place for one to three weeks while simultaneously manipulating at least four monitors that are wirelessly connected to a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse. Sometimes they order food to go from Grub Hub but then find that the delivery persons are either not qualified or inclined to go into the deep dark basements for deliveries any deeper than 15ft below the main level...

 

[Edward3c]

Diving is diving. The ‘technical’ term came about to increase the income streams for commercial agencies SSI PADI as examples.

 

[Lorenzoid]

The day before the dive its none, the morning of the dive surface conditions have changed and people have been getting sick on the way out, approaching the site your feeling a little queasy yourself but what the heck you'll be fine once your in the water. On the bottom your definitely not 100% but you don't want to be that diver that goes back early and your starting to regret the few beers the night before, as you approach the stop you vomit into the reg and things get "technical."

Here's a difference between technical and recreational diver: The tech diver knows the adage "Any diver can call any dive at any time for any reason without it being questioned." The tech diver would call that dive before reaching the site.

 

[tursiops]

My point is that a tech dive MUST be planned and have the necessary redundancy.

And a deep dive to NDL limit at 130' doesn't? Or shouldn't?

Whatever you want to do for an NDL dive, which by most definitions is not a tech dive. That does not mean that you shouldn't plan it, or that some redundant gas isn't a good idea.

(and I'd argue jumping in with two Shearwater dive comps will get you a long way, if that is how you want to roll.)

For an NDL dive to 130 ft, some redundant gas is probably more important than a 2nd computer. If the first one dies, you are still within NDL, so you ascend. It is like your SPG failing. No biggie. But if your 1st stage fails, or your neck o-ring blows, you'd really like to have some redundant gas. So, for your planned NDL dive, the extra gas is very nice.....but not essential. In contrast, a non-NDL -- i.e., deco -- dive means you cannot just go the surface....you plan to have a ceiling. You NEED the 2nd computer; you NEED the extra gas. That's a tech dive. And you've planned it all out, with your contingencies in mind, so if something goes sideways, it is not an emergency, it is an annoyance. That's tech diving.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Diving is diving. The ‘technical’ term came about to increase the income streams for commercial agencies SSI PADI as examples.

I may be mistaken, but I believe PADI was using the term "recreational" before the term "technical" was coined (e.g., the Recreational Dive Planner). The real income stream is minting hordes of OW divers. And I believe they do a satisfactory job of that.