Specific Skills - These are the skills required to perform specific types of diving. Navigation and line skills are developed until they are effortless for overhead diving. Decompression divers have the ability to execute stops and gas management plans without a blink of an eye. Rebreather divers test, build and then disassemble their equipment meticulously to ensure it works properly. Each course requires skills that are established at the initial level. Then, it is possible to move on to higher levels. Each step further or hones these skills, and adds more challenges to make a diver well-rounded and knowledgeable.
Sidemount BCDs are a harness that has a bladder and an intricate system of sliding D rings, bungee cables, and clips. They are important for the tank position and trimming later in the water. Your instructor will likely spend quite some time making sure they fit perfectly.
A great fact book about technical diving is ‘Deco for Divers – A Guide to Decompression Theory and Physiology’ written by Mark Powell.
Your Sidemount BCD is a harness equipped with a bladder. It also has a system of sliding Drings, bungee chords, clips, and other intricate features. The fit and position of your tank are critical for how your tank looks and is trimmed later in the water. Your instructor might spend quite a while to make sure you have them exactly right.
Rebreathers can increase your diving skills by using smaller cylinders. This can significantly increase the dive duration, especially when used for deeper dives. Rebreathers can be mounted sideways or back. It all depends on how they are configured.
Every PADI Specialty completed will get you one step closer towards the Master Scuba Diver(tm).
How To Become A Technical Diver
New gear means new techniques. Even though sidemount diving is simple, you will need to master some new skills.
With GUE as a non-diver, the first levels to be completed before a technical diver training are Recreational Diver 1 to a maximum depth of 21m. After completing the course the Fundamental Rec Pass can be completed which is teaching the basic fundamental skills for a diver and prepares the diver for the Fundamental Tech Pass.
‘Caverns Measureless to Men’ by Sheck Exley, one of the pioneers of cave diving in Florida, USA. He also wore ‘Basic Cave Diving: A Blueprint for Survival’ which studies many cave diving accidents.
Sidemount diving was originally developed in cave diving. However, it has now made its way into recreational non-overhead diving. Simply put, sidemount diving means that you no longer wear one or two tanks on your back. Instead, you wear your tanks on either your side. The tanks can be attached to a Sidemount BCD with clips and/orbungee cords. This gives you great flexibility. Cave divers were able to use this flexibility to allow them to transport their tanks underwater and fit into tight spaces.
Technical divers can explore wrecks and reefs down to depths of 40 meters/130 feet. They can dive in underwater caves or other areas that are not accessible to recreational divers.
Sidemount regulators are also covered. You'll usually find one regulator on long hoses and one on shorter hoses with a necklace. Sidemount regs can be marked to distinguish the tank from which you are inhaling, unlike regular regs. This was a swivel-joint that I used to control my short hose regulator during my training. Additionally, you will receive two SPGs for each stage.
At first, technical diving was not something that interested me. I can clearly recall chuckling to my self at the Tec divers I observed, and wondering why anyone would want to have more equipment under water. I love the feeling of freedom and closeness to nature that can envelope you in "the quiet world". Tom was a respected teacher who I felt it was important to share my experience in Tec courses with.
Academics – The academic portions of a technical course are very similar to any other scuba class. Students will do some self study and bring the new knowledge to a discussion with their instructor. The dive planning aspects for a technical course are significantly extended from what most individuals are used to but a vital part of executing a successful dive. In overhead and decompression diving, the gas management portions of the planning discussion will take longer than most divers are used to. They even utilize a computer program to calculate their gas volumes and reserves required for the dive.
To register for the PADI Advanced Rebreather Diver course, you must first: You must be a PADI Open Water Diver, but you must also be a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver to become a PADI Advanced Rebreather Diver. Have at least 30 dives under your belt.
Technical diving (also known as tec diving or tech diving) is non-professional scuba diving that exceeds the agency-specified limits of recreational diving.
To begin a technical diving course, you must have completed the following prerequisites: a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certificate or equivalent, a PADI Enriched Air Diver certificate or equivalent, and a PADI Deep Diver certificate or proof of at least 10 dives to 30 metres/100 feet.