What does "Tech" mean to you?

[Walter]

When the shop decided to expand its offerings, it needed a term to describe the new classes.

Why?

A term is useful when it conveys information effectively. When a shop or instructor advertises technical instruction, people generally know what that means, and they know what to expect.

They have a vague idea what to expect. What classes are now available at your shop? Rebreathers? Cave? Wreck penetration? Trimix? Decompression? Deep air? All of those? Some of those? Which ones? Others I haven't thought about? Hmmmm. That is not, in my opinion, an example of a term that conveys information effectively. A much more effective method of conveying information about the classes offered is to simply list the classes.

I know the term isn't going away, but it would be so nice it it did.

 

[boulderjohn]

Why?

It creates a category that lets people know that something is being offered beyond the usual. If you were to go to the RMO forum, you will see that it is rare enough that people are looking for some way of identifying such sources of instruction. A simple two word phrase suggests possibilities and saves people from having to read multiple paragraphs to see if certain types of instruction exist.

Terms that identify categories into which more specific terms are lumped are abundant in all languages. It is a convenient way of grouping things. Would you say that the term "truck" is useless because it does not differentiate between pickups, semis, firetrucks, garbage trucks, etc.?

They have a vague idea what to expect. What classes are now available at your shop? Rebreathers? Cave? Wreck penetration? Trimix? Decompression? Deep air? All of those? Some of those? Which ones? Others I haven't thought about? Hmmmm. That is not, in my opinion, an example of a term that conveys information effectively. A much more effective method of conveying information about the classes offered is to simply list the classes.

Let's say I wanted to get instruction such as you have on that list. If I have to go to every potential shop in the Rocky Mountain region and read every blasted list of classes they offer, it would take me forever. If instead I look at the list of offerings and don't see a phrase like "technical diving," I assume that this shop does not offer what I want and I can move on with only a few seconds of time wasted. If I instead see that they offer something called technical diving, I can go to that specific site and see exactly what is offered.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

What do you consider "technical" and how would you define it? Do you feel your understanding is swayed by any particular certification agency?

The term "technical diving" means that I can read this thread at half-time and think about diving rather than how badly the Cowboys are playing the Vikings. My favorite team is playing my favorite quarterback. I feel so confused!

 

[Peter Guy]

Trace -- Favorite team Cowboys? Favorite QB BF? Shakes head. Yet another game where I wish both could lose.....

 

[Walter]

A simple two word phrase suggests possibilities and saves people from having to read multiple paragraphs to see if certain types of instruction exist.

Let's think this through. If we were both making a search to find a trimix class. You might do a search for "technical instruction" to narrow down the field so you wouldn't have to weed through all the places you can learn about diving that don't teach "technical" diving. At that point, you'd have a lot fewer websites to look through to find the ones that offer trimix instruction. Sounds like a great idea. On the other hand, I would do a search for "trimix instruction" to narrow it down even farther. I might even pick up a few possibilities that don't have "technical" anywhere on their website.

If I have to go to every potential shop in the Rocky Mountain region and read every blasted list of classes they offer, it would take me forever.

If I were already at the shop, I'd go in and talk with someone instead of reading the sign on the window. I've already taken the time to go there, reading the window wastes the time I spent to get there. Actually talking to someone might produce some good information.

 

[boulderjohn]

I think my point is that our language has many terms that are categorical in nature, and it helps us in the way we organize our thinking. (This is actually part of the science of semantics.) These terms are often vague, but we use them just the same. I mentioned trucks above. Would cargo vans be considered trucks? If so, would passenger vans? Do we have a hard and fast definition on which we all agree?

We sometimes see threads on SB asking whether scuba diving is a sport. Sport is another vague categorical term. My niece once competed internationally in ballroom dancing. Is it a sport? If not, how would you define sport in such a way as to exclude it? If it is not, does putting ice skates on their feet make it a sport worthy of Olympic competition? Sports Illustrated has included articles on bridge, poker, and chess. Are they sports? Does anyone have a definition that is so precise that it does not include personal feelings and blurred lines of distinction?

I don't see much difference with a term like technical diving. It is inclusive of a number of things, and we do not fully agree on the definition. If we throw out all such terms from our language, our language would be very limited. Our language includes terms like that because people find them useful. It is easier to say, "I am interested in sports" than it is to say "I am interested in football, jai alai, handball, tennis, basketball, soccer,baseball, luge, short track speed skating, rugby,...." Most people are happy enough with the first sentence and really don't want to hear the entire list in the second sentence.

We use these terms precisely because they are useful. If they were not useful, they would fade away.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Trace -- Favorite team Cowboys? Favorite QB BF? Shakes head. Yet another game where I wish both could lose.....

Roger Staubach was my hero as a kid. I've been a Dallas fan since. But, as a 41 year-old, I have been following Favre and the Vikings closely this season because I'd love to have a 40 year-old QB in the SuperBowl. Dallas lost. Go Vikings!

Back on topic ...

The schism between recreational diving and technical diving was probably exacerbated by the recreational agencies in the early 1990's when nitrox was DEMA's version of minority rights.

Had "the diving industry" embraced the use of nitrox and trimix, I doubt we'd be making the distinction between recreational and technical. Instead, we'd be wall diving, reef diving, cave diving, night diving, wreck diving, air diving, nitrox diving and trimix diving.

Over time the same mainstream industry has also devalued the activities of snorkeling and breath-hold diving to a point where very little time is devoted to skill development, if skills are taught at all. In doing so, and with competitive freedivers heading agencies solely dedicated to that discipline, diving is further divided.

The industry has followed the model of taking people with little water experience, rob them of developing solid snorkeling and freediving skills which does everything from create a better mind-body connection to greater comfort in the water, stick regulators in their mouths, do a few scuba skills in a short amount of time without developing those skills, and handing out a C-card. To protect the "fast food" instruction, the industry has dropped the importance of freediving and fought the technical philosophies of diver education.

The industry lost the battle as divers saw the merits of training and gases. Now, the industry says, "If we can't beat 'em, we'll join 'em." Almost ever agency has a technical program. After fighting tech, they are now pushing tech for profit.

The marketing helps to serve the agencies, allowing both fast food education and better training, without the need to better training standards for diving in general because what has been learned from the technical community.

The industry first divided divers into freedivers, recreational divers, and technical divers and now they are also dividing divers between "local" divers and resort divers.

Divers have picked up the dividing ball and are running with it. DIR divers ... OC divers ... rebreather divers ... BP & Wing divers ... etc. Most technical divers are people who work hard for their training and are proud of it. They may seek recognition or maybe just want to say, "I'm a REAL diver."

The industry created that by creating fast food training. If every course from every agency was worthy of respect, then divers would simply be divers who use the tools they want or need for the dive at hand.

I think for many, being a "technical diver" simply means, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm well-trained, skilled, and confident. I'm a real diver."

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Let's think this through. If we were both making a search to find a trimix class. You might do a search for "technical instruction" to narrow down the field so you wouldn't have to weed through all the places you can learn about diving that don't teach "technical" diving.

Actually, there are two people: Anne and Brendan. Anne knows all about diving beyond PADI's "Master Diver" card thingie, she already has some extended range and deco procedures instruction, and knows she's interested in Trimix. She searches for "Trimix Instruction" and spends her time decising whether she is interested in starting all over again with Fundies so she can take Tech and Tech 2 with GUE, take Advanced Recreational trimix with IANTD, stick with TDI and their track, and so forth.

Brendan is interested doing much deeper dives. He was recently at his LDS and he was looking at a set of doubles. The salesperson told him doubles were for "Technical" divers and said that the LDS offered "Tech" instruction through the DSAT program. Brendan is now on the 'net searching for "Tech Diving" to see what it's all about and who else teaches it in his area.

Anyone advertising "Technical" instruction on their site probably has a page with more detailed course descriptions. A search engine is going to lead both Anne and Brendan to the same information. A shop that caters to neophyte technical divers is going to include some brief introduction to the world of technical diving on their site, which caters to Brendan. But they will also have pages or sections for each course, catering to Anne.

I think you can have your cake and eat it too.

 

[lamont]

Then there's Charles. Charles is a purely recreational diver who understands that wreck diving, decompression diving, deep diving and cave diving are "technical diving" and he's not trained to be a "technical diver" so he doesn't do any of that...

Of course he also thinks that gas management, anti silting fin kicks and good buoyancy control are also "technical" diving skills, so he doesn't do any of that either...

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Then there's Charles. Charles is a purely recreational diver who understands that wreck diving, decompression diving, deep diving and cave diving are "technical diving" and he's not trained to be a "technical diver" so he doesn't do any of that...

Of course he also thinks that gas management, anti silting fin kicks and good buoyancy control are also "technical" diving skills, so he doesn't do any of that either...

That being said, Charles is usually seen on vacation doing two-tank group dives where the DM sets the dive plan and instructs him to alert the DM when he hits 1000psi and return to the boat with 700psi.

Charles has never observed anybody else doing gas management on these dives, nor has he observed anyone else checking tables. A lot of people have a computer, but when he asked if the computer was useful he was told it was primarily for when the owner was on a liveaboard and diving 4-5x per day.

I doubt Charles knows that the funny kick the DM uses has anything to do with silt