What Defines a "Tech" Diver

[boulderjohn]

Since then PADI has been more conservative supporting only recro with NDl and some Tech 40,45,50 arrived well later. Probably only to have a piece of “tech market“.

PADI's subsidiary DSAT (Diving Science and Technology) taught its tech courses, all the way through trimix. Then PADI got rid of that subsidiary and taught the same classes under its own name.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

However, if SB is any representation of the greater community, erasing the demarcation line would induce an increase of unfocused divers casually surpassing recreational limits, injuring or killing themselves and inviting unhelpful attention to our activity.

Did you just call most of us dumb?

It’s miraculous some people survive their dives.

100%. It's scary what people get away with or think is "normal".

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Doesn't this meme cover it?

In all seriousness, does this even matter? Do we need to add an adjective before diving/dive/diver? Just use get the training, gasses, and equipment needed and go jump in the water. As long as your ascents match the number of descents and no health issues, all is good.

 

[tursiops]

I find the definition on the ANDI website compelling:

"Technical Diving is a term that is now used to describe an advanced diving discipline that has been practiced for many years, and in many forms. Cave and Penetration Wreck Diving are two examples. “Technical Diving”, as a term, was coined by Michael Menduno, and used in his Aquacorps publications. It has since become a fashionable term for describing the techniques used by advanced divers to carry out profiles that would be considered somewhat extreme by most of the “recreational” diving community. However, since all of these dives are being performed for the pleasure and recreation of the participants, they are in fact “recreational” in nature as well. For training purposes and educational clarity, we need to have a point of division between these two distinct disciplines. Therefore, ANDI defines the term Technical Diving to include: any dive that requires a planned decompression stop, or the use of more than two gas mixtures, or dives that exceed 40 m, or dives involving penetration into either wrecks or caves, or dives using more than two cylinders.​

​

Conversely we can limit recreational diving to dives that are within the 40 m maximum depth limit, within the “No Deco Limit”, using only two cylinders and two gases without any cave or wreck penetration beyond the light zone. The 40 m depth limit is reasonable for a recreational limit because dives deeper than this will require some element of stage decompression, and if properly executed, definitely more than one breathing gas. Further, we would include any dives involving penetration into either wrecks or caves, since this activity requires very specialized training and discipline regardless of the depth."​

 

[inquis]

I'm surprised they consider 2-gases recreational. Otherwise, spot on with my usage.

 

[tursiops]

I'm surprised they consider 2-gases recreational. Otherwise, spot on with my usage.

I do like the word "planned" in front of "decompression stop."

 

[scubadada]

I'm surprised they consider 2-gases recreational. Otherwise, spot on with my usage.

I agree, why would a rec diver need 2 gases for a no stop dive to no deeper than 130 ft? Nitrox to just 40% is all that is available to most of us. The rest of the definition seems fine

 

[tursiops]

I agree, why would a rec diver need 2 gases for a no stop dive to no deeper than 130 ft? Nitrox to just 40% is all that is available to most of us. The rest of the definition seems fine

Actually, their definition is a little ambiguous. Is a "gas" air, or is a "gas" oxygen? Perhaps "two gases" means oxygen plus nitrogen. Note the definition does not exclude Helium. Perhaps the two gases can be Nitrox and air? Unclear, unclear.

 

[L13]

Actually, their definition is a little ambiguous. Is a "gas" air, or is a "gas" oxygen? Perhaps "two gases" means oxygen plus nitrogen. Note the definition does not exclude Helium. Perhaps the two gases can be Nitrox and air? Unclear, unclear.

Still the best I've seen so far. But your critique is valid.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

I find the definition on the ANDI website compelling:

"Technical Diving is a term that is now used to describe an advanced diving discipline that has been practiced for many years, and in many forms. Cave and Penetration Wreck Diving are two examples. “Technical Diving”, as a term, was coined by Michael Menduno, and used in his Aquacorps publications. It has since become a fashionable term for describing the techniques used by advanced divers to carry out profiles that would be considered somewhat extreme by most of the “recreational” diving community. However, since all of these dives are being performed for the pleasure and recreation of the participants, they are in fact “recreational” in nature as well. For training purposes and educational clarity, we need to have a point of division between these two distinct disciplines. Therefore, ANDI defines the term Technical Diving to include: any dive that requires a planned decompression stop, or the use of more than two gas mixtures, or dives that exceed 40 m, or dives involving penetration into either wrecks or caves, or dives using more than two cylinders.​

​

Conversely we can limit recreational diving to dives that are within the 40 m maximum depth limit, within the “No Deco Limit”, using only two cylinders and two gases without any cave or wreck penetration beyond the light zone. The 40 m depth limit is reasonable for a recreational limit because dives deeper than this will require some element of stage decompression, and if properly executed, definitely more than one breathing gas. Further, we would include any dives involving penetration into either wrecks or caves, since this activity requires very specialized training and discipline regardless of the depth."​

Seems like recently there have been several threads that involve poorly worded statements or definitions. The ANDI Definition as stated above would seem to indicate that a dive using more than two cylinders is a technical dive... When I do a NDL dive to 100ft with an AL19cf Pony back mounted to a Steel HP100, I don't at all consider that a technical dive.