What defines technical diving - and how to get there?
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IMHO tech isn't about going deeper or carrying more gear (in fact you'll see plenty of rec divers carrying more gear). And it's defintiely not about sinking faster 
I'd say it's about attitude; leading to gear choice/set-up, trying to be prepared for all eventualities/self-sufficient while part of a team of similarly-minded people (or diving solo); and about valuing practical experience over certification
As far as getting there, I'd start with becoming a good rec diver, then finding a good instructor with tech experience
You'll find plenty of discussion threads about tech diving here on SB - just search - and plenty of experienced divers to share their knowledge
Welcome & enjoy
I'd say it's about attitude; leading to gear choice/set-up, trying to be prepared for all eventualities/self-sufficient while part of a team of similarly-minded people (or diving solo); and about valuing practical experience over certification
As far as getting there, I'd start with becoming a good rec diver, then finding a good instructor with tech experience
You'll find plenty of discussion threads about tech diving here on SB - just search - and plenty of experienced divers to share their knowledge
Welcome & enjoy
Technical diving is anything that denies you direct access to the surface. So that means diving in a hard (cave/ wreck) or soft (decompression) overhead. Because of this, you need additional training, equipment, and planning to handle a myriad of eventualities while remaining underwater. All critical gear is redundant, gases are selected and planned to support a variety of contingencies, and procedures are established and practiced in order to migigate as much risk as possible from numerous emergency scenarios.
Becoming a technical diver requires time, patience, MONEY, and a good mentor/instructor. That path you take to get there should depend on your goals. If you want to be a technical diver just to be a technical diver, you should reconsider your motives. If you want to see wrecks, caves, deep stuff, then that's how you need to lay out a training plan. Find some technical divers in the area and go on a practice dive with them. Ask questions, see what they do, how often they dive, how much work it takes to plan and execute dives. Most people tend to grossly underestimate the time, effort, and money required to do these dives proficiently. If you think you are ready for that kind of commitment, then come join the madness
In the meantime, dive dive dive.
Becoming a technical diver requires time, patience, MONEY, and a good mentor/instructor. That path you take to get there should depend on your goals. If you want to be a technical diver just to be a technical diver, you should reconsider your motives. If you want to see wrecks, caves, deep stuff, then that's how you need to lay out a training plan. Find some technical divers in the area and go on a practice dive with them. Ask questions, see what they do, how often they dive, how much work it takes to plan and execute dives. Most people tend to grossly underestimate the time, effort, and money required to do these dives proficiently. If you think you are ready for that kind of commitment, then come join the madness
In the meantime, dive dive dive.
Why would you want to get there when you don't know where "there" is?
No one knows what technical diving is, they just know what it means to them. There's another thread going on that demonstrates that point quite well. The problem with "technical diving" is there are many different definitions of the term. Folks have never gotten together to agree exactly what it means.
A better approach for you would be to decide exactly what type of diving interests you, examine it to see if it's something you really want to do, then find an instructor who does an excellent job teaching in that area and take classes designed to get you where you want to go. If you want to dive caves, you'll need different training than if you want to penetrate wrecks. Deep diving requires a different set of skills. First decide exactly what you want out of diving.
No one knows what technical diving is, they just know what it means to them. There's another thread going on that demonstrates that point quite well. The problem with "technical diving" is there are many different definitions of the term. Folks have never gotten together to agree exactly what it means.
A better approach for you would be to decide exactly what type of diving interests you, examine it to see if it's something you really want to do, then find an instructor who does an excellent job teaching in that area and take classes designed to get you where you want to go. If you want to dive caves, you'll need different training than if you want to penetrate wrecks. Deep diving requires a different set of skills. First decide exactly what you want out of diving.
Blackwood
Contributor
And it's defintiely not about sinking faster
Depends. How much helium do you want to waste as a travel gas
ucfdiver
Contributor
Technical diving doesn't fit into a nice definition.
Most would say a cavern dive is recreational, yet it's overhead, so that screws the definition of "any overhead dive" up. Some would say multiple gases, but that means someone diving 2000ft (a solid 30-45min) from the surface in a cave at peacock springs is doing a recreational dive.
I've said this before. I don't have a solid definition, and I don't waste my time trying to find one. I simply seek the training to go where I want to go. Living in FL, that has a natural attraction to caves, so I got training for that. If I was up north, I would get training for wreck's I'm sure. When I get more experience, I'll get Trimix training so that I can go dive Eagles Nest, Alachua Sink, and Indian Springs.
I strongly suggest approaching it from "Where do I want to go, and what training does that require", rather than just wanting to learn "tech diving" just to say you're a tech diver.
Most would say a cavern dive is recreational, yet it's overhead, so that screws the definition of "any overhead dive" up. Some would say multiple gases, but that means someone diving 2000ft (a solid 30-45min) from the surface in a cave at peacock springs is doing a recreational dive.
I've said this before. I don't have a solid definition, and I don't waste my time trying to find one. I simply seek the training to go where I want to go. Living in FL, that has a natural attraction to caves, so I got training for that. If I was up north, I would get training for wreck's I'm sure. When I get more experience, I'll get Trimix training so that I can go dive Eagles Nest, Alachua Sink, and Indian Springs.
I strongly suggest approaching it from "Where do I want to go, and what training does that require", rather than just wanting to learn "tech diving" just to say you're a tech diver.
highflowdiver
Contributor
Technical diving is anything that denies you direct access to the surface. So that means diving in a hard (cave/ wreck) or soft (decompression) overhead. Because of this, you need additional training, equipment, and planning to handle a myriad of eventualities while remaining underwater. All critical gear is redundant, gases are selected and planned to support a variety of contingencies, and procedures are established and practiced in order to migigate as much risk as possible from numerous emergency scenarios.
Becoming a technical diver requires time, patience, MONEY, and a good mentor/instructor. That path you take to get there should depend on your goals. If you want to be a technical diver just to be a technical diver, you should reconsider your motives. If you want to see wrecks, caves, deep stuff, then that's how you need to lay out a training plan. Find some technical divers in the area and go on a practice dive with them. Ask questions, see what they do, how often they dive, how much work it takes to plan and execute dives. Most people tend to grossly underestimate the time, effort, and money required to do these dives proficiently. If you think you are ready for that kind of commitment, then come join the madness
In the meantime, dive dive dive.
It is possible that a diver would not go into deco or
be in a hard overhead environment yet still require stage
switches during the dive and more than one mix. The diver would always
have access to the surface during this dive.
Kal
Ah yes, the typical Scubaboard symantics police. Diving a bottom stage w/o deco in OW is not technical diving. Switching the gas mix on a NDL dive seems silly to me, but do what you want. While it may not be a traditional form of technical diving, you are assuming unnecessary risks without the training you would recieve in advanced nitrox or a similar course. However, neither of these fall into the definition that I posted so I don't really see the point of your response.
UCFDiver- Granted, there are some generally accepted exceptions to the hard overhead rule (e.g. recreational cavern and wreck) but it is just as easy to get yourself in deep doodoo 30 feet inside a cave/wreck as it is 2000ft back without the proper training, and the accident analysis supports it, so you need to decide how to approach that. I was trying to give a general definition of technical diving. You can point out exceptions to the rule all day long, but diving in an overhead (properly) is the most basic definition I can think of.
sillygrendel
Contributor
A much higher degree of proficiency in basic skills is required. Depending on the type of diving, there will also likely be other more specialized skills required (running line, switching procedures, etc.)
It is important to realize that there are many levels of proficiency with even the basic skills. Until you've been exposed to divers with a very high basic skill level, it can difficult to understand what is required at 'the next level'.
Finding the right people can be tricky. For example, not all technical divers have great basic skills. Similarly, not all recreational instructors have great basic skills. For many new divers it can be difficult to distinguish between acceptable skills, good skills, and exceptional skills. (What defines acceptable/good depends on the environment/type of diving)
Your best bet in getting exposed to these sorts of skills is to go diving with people who have them The most reliable way to do this is to take a class that introduces those kinds of skills (cavern/intro to tech/fundies classes). The other way (which has already been mentioned) is to go find local people doing those dives and dive with them.
It is important to realize that there are many levels of proficiency with even the basic skills. Until you've been exposed to divers with a very high basic skill level, it can difficult to understand what is required at 'the next level'.
Finding the right people can be tricky. For example, not all technical divers have great basic skills. Similarly, not all recreational instructors have great basic skills. For many new divers it can be difficult to distinguish between acceptable skills, good skills, and exceptional skills. (What defines acceptable/good depends on the environment/type of diving)
Your best bet in getting exposed to these sorts of skills is to go diving with people who have them
The most reliable way to do this is to take a class that introduces those kinds of skills (cavern/intro to tech/fundies classes). The other way (which has already been mentioned) is to go find local people doing those dives and dive with them.
mwilding
Contributor
That is the best I have seen it explained. Thanks for putting it so concisely.
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