When to start tech?

[dsteding]

I'd suggest reading this.

I'm right at 100 dives, all in a dry suit (except for my six certification dives in Thailand) all in dark, cold water in the PNW. Past 60 have been in doubles.

Around 50 dives I got a notion that tech training was something that I'd be interested in. At 100 dives it is still a goal, but it is at least 200 dives away. I've seen friends go through tech training (both GUE and NAUI), and that has been humbling. Very good divers that have been stretched and challenged in the training.

Emerging from those observations is the concept that technical training--although getting increasingly popular and available--is nonetheless really serious. I'm not going there until I know I can solve all the problems I am going to face underwater. I am going to take GUE-F this April, which is the first step, but actual decompression dives is at least 200 dives and two years away. At the minimum.

At 50 dives I didn't really understand the seriousness of technical diving and was attracted to it because I thought I was getting my stuff together. At 100 dives I am just starting to realize the skills I will need, so I'll go work on those for a while, and build experience in a wide variety of situations. Then, I'll pursue technical training when I am sure I am ready.

 

[Colliam7]

One question about doubles, though. Is it ok to start diving doubles w/o training? I'd just hate to start diving them and develop bad habits then have to worry about reprogramming myself once I start tech. I guess that goes back to finding the right instructor to help me through the transition.

Very good question! I would not be quite as concerned about bad habits per se, as about safety, although you are certainly thinking along the right lines. The irony is that tec courses include instruction on doubles-related safety practices (valve shutdown drills, redundant buoyancy considerations, etc.). But, you really should have doubles (and drysuit) experience prior to the course in order to be succesful and get the most out of the course.

I support the good advice from another poster to identify the potential / probable instructor early, and seek advice before starting, if at all possible. I worked with my LDS to set up my doubles, prior to the course. The owner is a friend and occasional dive buddy, and was the instructor with whom I ultimately trained. Both the owner and the shop manager are tec certified and proved to be great sources of advice.

In my case, for better or worse, I started swimming with my doubles in a pool, then in the quarry (shallow at first, then deeper as I gained confidence), then off the NC coast, in all cases with a known and capable, non-tec DM buddy. In the pool, quarry and initially off the coast, I dove my drysuit so I had redundant buoyancy. I also bought a dual bladder wing for use in diving wet several times with my doubles off the NC coast (3 mm wetsuit, SS BP, and double steel HP120s - the textbook description of a dirt dart ).

Perhaps, some would suggest I pushed the safety envelope more than I should (diving doubles in open water without the formal tec training), although I believe I built in multiple safety margins. But, I decided I needed to be comfortable taking on the challenge of the equipment, if I was to have confidence that I was up to the challenge of tec training.

 

[battles2a5]

Thanks again, guys. I already have a good bp/w singles set-up (Dive Rite SS BP, Venture wing), good reg's (Diver Supply Tek-X which I think is a copy of the Dive Rite reg, which is a clone of the Apeks from what I've heard). I was going to pick up another identical reg set for a pony bottle and move my octo to the pony, and the use the Tek-X second stage as my back-up when I switch to a long hose/ necklace set-up on my rig. I figured that was a good first step and it would help facilitate the swith to doubles if I had two identical first stages. I think I may accelerate my plans to get a dry suit and start keeping my eye out for a set of doubles.

 

[Jason B]

If tech diving is what you want to do, I'd say scrap the whole DM idea and use that cash to take GUE Fundamentals or one of the intro to tech classes taught be NAUI or TDI. It will do more for your diving than the DM course will.

 

[steve2281]

If tech diving is what you want to do, I'd say scrap the whole DM idea and use that cash to take GUE Fundamentals or one of the intro to tech classes taught be NAUI or TDI. It will do more for your diving than the DM course will.

Agreed. It seems that many divers take the DM route because they think it is the next step in a dive education. This is true, of course, if your goal is to be an instructor. If the goal is tech diving, I'd take a cavern course with a good cave instructor. It doesn't matter if cave diving is part of your goals or not; cavern is a great course.

 

[Warren_L]

One of the interesting things about tech diving is that it is so broad in scope, And the question of "Am I ready?" seems to come up quite regularly. It's great that you are asking questions, but ultimately there is only one person that can really say whether you are ready or not, and that is you. An instructor can tell you how your skills are but even if your skills are up to snuff, it doesn't mean that you're in the right mindset to be able to handle the type of technical diving you're striving for. There is an immense difference when making the move from recreational to technical as the margins for error are going to be so much smaller, the environments you may find yourself in will be less tolerant and less forgiving, and acceptance and undertanding of these risks and smaller margins for error can only be made by you. And more often than not, I would suggest that if you have to ask if you're ready, you're probably not. This is not to discourage you - keep diving and working on your skills to get more experience. but really just to encourage you to take a step back and look at yourself with a dispassionate eye and really assess yourself without bias.


For me, at 100 dives I thought I had the skills to do deeper mixed gas decompression diving - I had thought this was the direction I wanted to go. Maybe I was maybe I wasn't. It just didn't feel right at the time, though, and I spent the next 300 dives working on developing my skills and after about 400 or so, I finally got to the point where I felt it was the right time. But this was just me - everyone is going to be different. Only you will know for sure. Deep down, listen to what your gut tells you. And if there's any doubt, no problem with waiting. The dives you want to do will still be there later.

 

[DoubleDip]

For me GUE is the answer. I purchased Jarrod Jablonskis book "Doing it right, the fundamentals of better diving” and got to work. After reading the book and examining my own in water skill set I found that I was not a safe diver. I participated in GUE's Fundamentals course and just recently the Rec-Triox class. I now feel that I am a fundamentally safe diver within recreational limits. Currently I'm examining if I'm prepared to undertake diver training for an overhead environment. GUE's training is structured in incremental steps to ensure the safe exploration of different marine environments. Finally, GUE has the highest standards in their diving curriculum, the instructors to a man, are some of the finest people involved in diver training. Whether or not you decide to follow me and others in choosing GUE instruction for you diver training I strongly suggest you join GUE; please help GUE continue the conservation and exploration of our marine environment. Best regards, Kirk Hamblen

 

[Bob Vincent]

A friend asked me to help his friend ring out his new doubles. At a popular quarry. I asked him how many dives so far, reply was 5, good. What does he want to accomplish? OK adjust his harness underwater at about 80-100 ft. OK. Then what? Just dive and work on his trim by moving weights etc around, OK. How many dives total, how long, dives a year and last dive? Well that sounds good. Well we will get in the water swim to the buoy follow the line down to the 80 ft platform and adjust his harness then move on. Good.

Everything was fine we singled OK to each other I pancaked at started descending as did he. Then I seen it like it was slow motion ... he tucked in and Zoom then I heard the BBBOOOOOMMMMMBBBOOOOOMMMMMM from him hitting the platform at 80ft. Was I glad he wasn't hurt. What about the previous 5 dives between 80 and 100ft."? If he said zero then we'd of did things differently but it was my fault for thinking this is easy with a little help ...

You want to dive doubles take a class ... be happy!

 

[jeckyll]

I don't really see the need to take a class to initially dive doubles. You do have to take babysteps and need a buddy who can help if something goes sideways.

You will have more momentum. You have an extra valve and an isolator. Making sure these are turned on is rather important But if anything, the wider doubles wing will provide a more stable platform than a singles rig.

Staying shallow over a nice sandy bottom for the first few dives is key IMO. Make sure you could walk your rig out if you had to. Then start playing with your trim & buoyancy and figure out how to prevent 'turtling'. Make sure to purposely turn over onto your back and see what it takes to get turned around again. (remember over a nice soft sandy bottom in say 20 fsw )

Once you've got a bit of experience take a introductory course (I'd recommend Fundies but I'm probably biased )

YMMV

Bjorn

Edit: I also think you may want to modify your question. Ask: Why do I want to start tech diving? It really is key IMO.

 

[battles2a5]

Thanks again for all the great info and opinions. Dstedling, thanks for that link, that was another good thread. You have all definitely helped me work out an action plan for all of this. I started looking for instructors this past weekend and will be making some decisions soon. I'm starting to keep my ears open for a set of doubles and the other requisite gear and am going to move forward w/ my training. I'll keep you posted as I get closer