What defines technical diving - and how to get there?

[highflowdiver]

Deja vu!!! You are correct, what you described is not tech. I refer to a
dive like this: Trained tech diver chooses the following profile. He/she is at a nice
quarry and the diver wants to go to the bottom,140 ft. His back gas is 32%. hmm
can't breathe that there. So Stage 26% for the bottom and diver also brings
a 50/50 to switch to at 70 all the while staying out of deco but still direct
access is available. Symantics? you gave a nice def but it doesn't cover dives
similar to what is described. A definition that covers all but recreational cave
diving: a dive that requires multiple bottles with switches.
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.

 

[Colliam7]

hey all. i'm curious what it means to be a technical diver and how one can get there. what is the difference from rec and tech- besides they go much deeper and lug alot more gear -er sink to the bottom faster?

Interesting that this question should come up at the same time another thread, involving a similar question, appeared. Walter makes a good point, that the term is becoming difficult to apply because it is not particularly specific. I am beginning to view it the same way I view the use of the term 'technical' to refer to a beat-up pickup truck with a machine gun mounted on the back. As several posts have appropriately indicated, there are some characteristics that are frequently and variously associated with the term 'technical diving', such as lack of availability of direct access to the surface (either because of a physical overhead such as a cave or wreck, or a physiologic overhead such as a decompression requirement), diving at depths greater than usual recreational depths (i.e. beyond 130') or diving under conditions where decompression stops are required, use of gas mixtures other than air or enriched air (at least, EA up to 40%), use of specialized equipment such as double tanks, stage or decompression bottles. The list is growing. The problem, as Walter and others have pointed out, is that none of these definitions are always applicable, nor are they unambiguous in themselves, nor are they agreed upon by a majority of divers. Because of indiscriminate use, or enthusiastic overuse, the term no longer has much meaning. So, if you are interested in deep diving, or decompression diving, or cave diving, or wreck penetration, all of which would be defined by someone as 'technical' diving, it may be more functional to specifically inquire about those entities.

 

[battles2a5]

Deja vu!!! You are correct, what you described is not tech. I refer to a
dive like this: Trained tech diver chooses the following profile. He/she is at a nice
quarry and the diver wants to go to the bottom,140 ft. His back gas is 32%. hmm
can't breathe that there. So Stage 26% for the bottom and diver also brings
a 50/50 to switch to at 70 all the while staying out of deco but still direct
access is available. Symantics? you gave a nice def but it doesn't cover dives
similar to what is described. A definition that covers all but recreational cave
diving: a dive that requires multiple bottles with switches.
Kal

Not only is this not a technical dive, it makes absolutely no sense. A "trained tech diver" would never choose that profile. First, why would you switch to 50/50 on an ascent when you haven't exceeded NDL's? Second, Why on earth would you plan your dive so that the working portion of the dive exceeds the MOD of your backgas? So at the deepest part of the dive, you have ZERO redundancy?? Why use the 26% stage at all? Why wouldn't you use 26% for backgas? And not that you would ever need it for this dive, but use your 50% deco gas (that you don't need) as the travel gas. This dive plan is ludicrous. My definition does not cover this dive because not only is it not technical, it is just stupid.

 

[highflowdiver]

Not only is this not a technical dive, it makes absolutely no sense. A "trained tech diver" would never choose that profile. First, why would you switch to 50/50 on an ascent when you haven't exceeded NDL's? Second, Why on earth would you plan your dive so that the working portion of the dive exceeds the MOD of your backgas? So at the deepest part of the dive, you have ZERO redundancy?? Why use the 26% stage at all? Why wouldn't you use 26% for backgas? And not that you would ever need it for this dive, but use your 50% deco gas (that you don't need) as the travel gas. This dive plan is ludicrous. My definition does not cover this dive because not only is it not technical, it is just stupid.

The diver is not going to stay on the bottom very long. The diver may have
to make due for the dive with the gases he has on hand. The diver may choose
to stay at a certain depth as long as possible so chooses the mix that
allows this. The diver may choose to take a risk you wouldn't so he can do the dive
he wants to, like short time on bottom and long time more shallow. Either
way, the definition still covers everything but rec cave diving. Do you think divers
that like to finish dives off on O2 is stupid too?
Kal

 

[battles2a5]

The diver is not going to stay on the bottom very long. The diver may have to make due for the dive with the gases he has on hand. The diver may choose to stay at a certain depth as long as possible so chooses the mix that allows this. The diver may choose to take a risk you wouldn't so he can do the dive he wants to, like short time on bottom and long time more shallow.

None of these excuses justify the approach "this diver" has taken. Ditching all redundancy where you need it the most is just plain poor planning. If you don't have a gas that can get you down and back safely, then don't do the dive. Dive planning 101.

This example reminds me of the guys that did a dive like this at the Eagle's Nest. Took one bottom stage each to reach the deep section of the cave beyond the range of their BG, essentially ignoring all of the trianing they had received. Upon posting the dive report on a public forum, they had their butts handed to them by the collective cave community. And for good reason.

Either way, the definition still covers everything but rec cave diving. Do you think divers that like to finish dives off on O2 is stupid too?
Kal

How does my definition not cover recreational cave diving? You are in a hard overhead. It depends on what you mean by "finishing off". If you are using oxygen for accelerated decompression or because you are running against NDLs, then no. If you are breathing O2 for the hell of it on a NDL dive, then yes. Why would you carry a gas to depth that can kill you if you don't need it?

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

hfc - my advise would be to stop while you are only this far behind.

 

[highflowdiver]

None of these excuses justify the approach "this diver" has taken. Ditching all redundancy where you need it the most is just plain poor planning. If you don't have a gas that can get you down and back safely, then don't do the dive. Dive planning 101.

This example reminds me of the guys that did a dive like this at the Eagle's Nest. Took one bottom stage each to reach the deep section of the cave beyond the range of their BG, essentially ignoring all of the trianing they had received. Upon posting the dive report on a public forum, they had their butts handed to them by the collective cave community. And for good reason.



How does my definition not cover recreational cave diving? You are in a hard overhead. It depends on what you mean by "finishing off". If you are using oxygen for accelerated decompression or because you are running against NDLs, then no. If you are breathing O2 for the hell of it on a NDL dive, then yes. Why would you carry a gas to depth that can kill you if you don't need it?

Well, I didn't say your def does not cover rec cave.
I didn't say the diver is neccessarily carrying the O2.
I appreciate your restrictive diving, good for you.
But to assume if someone doesn't maintain your
tight practices is not a tech diver is likely not
true. Obviously you feel the definition for tech
requires an overhead environment. I would
respectfully disagree.
Kal

 

[JeffG]

hfc - my advise would be to stop while you are only this far behind.

lol..

 

[highflowdiver]

None of these excuses justify the approach "this diver" has taken. Ditching all redundancy where you need it the most is just plain poor planning.

There may be multiple divers or bottles.

If you don't have a gas that can get you down and back safely, then don't do the dive. Dive planning 101.

Sage advice,, all should remember.

This example reminds me of the guys that did a dive like this at the Eagle's Nest. Took one bottom stage each to reach the deep section of the cave beyond the range of their BG, essentially ignoring all of the trianing they had received. Upon posting the dive report on a public forum, they had their butts handed to them by the collective cave community. And for good reason.

Yeah, cave staging is different that quarry diving. They probably
shouldn't even be compared.


How does my definition not cover recreational cave diving? You are in a hard overhead. It depends on what you mean by "finishing off". If you are using oxygen for accelerated decompression or because you are running against NDLs, then no. If you are breathing O2 for the hell of it on a NDL dive, then yes.

I didn't say it doesn't.


Why would you carry a gas to depth that can kill you if you don't need it?

If you can clip it off that's nice. Some don't
trust that in some situations.



Kal

 

[TSandM]

divechk, to get back to your original question. People have tried to define for you what technical diving is, and they have trouble, because it isn't well-defined. Some things almost anybody would agree fall into the realm of "technical" diving: The cave diving I do, for example, or deep wreck diving with multiple deco gases. Other things sort of lie in a gray area, like long scooter dives, or recreational helium.

What is common to all more complex diving is that the diver needs very well developed skills, sharply honed emergency procedures, and above all and MOST critically, the diver needs to be able to remain calm, focused, and thoughtful in the face of problems. Anxiety and apprehension are major problems for ordinary divers, but can be lethal to someone at 200 feet.

My advice to you is not really to think about it, except perhaps to set your original gear up so that it would be compatible with a move to double tanks later on (which you have already done). Just go diving. Find a mentor or mentors, and work on good skills, and above all, work on becoming confident and calm in the water. Get in a hundred or so dives, and then take NAUI Intro to Tech or GUE Fundamentals, and get a sense of where the bar lies for more ambitious diving, and then go off and work until you're there.

Don't rush things. There is a TON of absolutely fantastic diving to be done in our area in recreational depths. Puget Sound can also teach a lot of lessons, about functioning in low viz, and dealing with current and cold. Enjoy all of those lessons, and move on when you're really ready. As Joe Talavera told us in our Rec 2 class, "Do all the dives you can do with the training you have, and when you're really bored, then get technical training."