It’s technically a virtual ceiling.
I think the difference is that you need to plan to solve a failure without surfacing immediately, can be redundancy for example.
What Defines a "Tech" Diver
- Thread starter NW Dive Dawg
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I think the difference is that you need to plan to solve a failure without surfacing immediately, can be redundancy for example.
I think it is a very reasonable question, especially for the Advanced forum. For example, are military and commercial divers automatically "technical" divers? I never thought of myself as a tech diver.
How about divers who do relatively deep decompression dives that never took any tech diving courses? Is a solo diver a tech diver?
I think the type of dive is defined by the dive itself, not by the training of the diver. That concept is more controversial than it may seem. Whenever someone without cave training goes into a cave and dies there, some people will insist that it is not a cave diving fatality because the person who died was not a certified cave diver.
Going deeper than 130 feet doesn't make it a tech dive.
Technical Diving; diving that requires complex planning, skills or kit requirements
For example:
A rebreather can be used on some 40 minute 18m/60ft RIB dive. The dive may be recreational, but the kit most definitely is technical.
A small amount of deco isn't particularly technical; requiring oxygen rich gasses to execute the dive most definitely is.
Going into an overhead isn't per-se technical. Relying upon skills and specialist kit is technical.
Using helium -- if you can afford it -- isn't particularly technical. The depths quickly become decompression dives which are technical.
For example:
A rebreather can be used on some 40 minute 18m/60ft RIB dive. The dive may be recreational, but the kit most definitely is technical.
A small amount of deco isn't particularly technical; requiring oxygen rich gasses to execute the dive most definitely is.
Going into an overhead isn't per-se technical. Relying upon skills and specialist kit is technical.
Using helium -- if you can afford it -- isn't particularly technical. The depths quickly become decompression dives which are technical.
1st rule about tech diver club... "don't talk about tech diver club"
I think the end result is other people define what type of diver you are. We can't really define ourselves. It's the experience that people see, not the cards (even if the card gets you in the door).
Is the guy that dives 3 times a year with AN/DP under his belt who obviously needs some time to figure things out tech? Is the guy that isn't "tech certified" whos been diving for 50 years tech? I really don't know.
Wasn't there a time when you guys didn't have all these certs? What did you call yourselves back in the day? Divers?
No, perhaps not, but it is no longer a recreational dive, since it exceeds accepted limits. This is part of the gray area. Think of it as a continuum: from 0 depth to 130 ft, 130 - (say) 165, and > 165. (I choose 165 since that seems to be the "limit" in some agencies and countries.)
Above 130 (if no overhead --real or virtual) we can probably get massive agreement that it is not a tech dive. Below 165 we can also probably agree it is a tech dive. Between 130 and 165 we can have endless semantic discussions on SB and come to no conclusion.
Not per-se. But the decompression obligation becomes quite technical and the longer you're down, the more there is. Also a single ali80 won't be enough, start to need redundant gas and alternative gasses, switching as you go and needing NoTox procedures. Technical.
Something about if the crap hits the fan at different depths...
Recreational diving's so simple in comparison. Got a full tank; check. Is it on; check. Snorkel; check. Jump in.
- From 18m/60ft -- swim up. Probably be OK
- From 30m/100ft -- gets harder, can be hurt, but you'd probably be OK
- From 40m/130ft -- can't make it to the surface without a stronger risk of getting hurt, might be OK
- From 50m/165ft -- you'll probably be hurt. Certainly bent.
- From 60m/200ft -- you will be hurt, possibly seriously, may well die.
Recreational diving's so simple in comparison. Got a full tank; check. Is it on; check. Snorkel; check. Jump in.
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