Technical diving means that a diver is not allowed to reach the surface from any point during the dive. It could be due to a ceiling in the form of a cave/wreck or virtual ceilings created by decompression obligations. To avoid decompression sickness, you must perform mandatory stops on ascent when the NDL's are exceeded. This usually requires the use special equipment like Sidemounts and Twinsets. Twinsets and Sidemounts require special gas mixes, additional training, and twinsets/sidemounts to ensure that you can perform these stops correctly on ascent in order to maximize Nitrogen offgassing.
Technical diving refers to being exposed to a ceiling which prevents divers from reaching the surface at all times. This could be caused either by a physical ceiling such as a cave or wreck or a virtual one created by a dive restriction. If the NDL is exceeded, mandatory decompression stops must be made on ascent to avoid any decompression sickness. Most cases require special equipment, such as Sidemounts or Twinsets. To optimize Nitrogen offgassing, Twinsets or Sidemounts are necessary.
Rebreathers allow for greater diving ability by eliminating large cylinders. Instead, they recycle the gas exhaled by divers, scrub the CO2 and inject small amounts of gas. This can greatly increase the time it takes to dive, especially if you are doing deeper dives. Rebreathers can either be sidemounted or back, and their profile is determined by the configuration.
While I still haven’t perfected this art, I am proud that after 20 Sidemount divers I can call myself a Sidemount Diver. It is the most comfortable way of diving!
While technical diving is still fun, it's not for people who wish to go deeper. Cave and decompression dives carry more risk. The best way to reduce the risk is to plan your dives and train well. This is why divers who take these dives must be held to a higher standard. It takes practice to become a competent diver. There is no substitute for the practice and time in the water. Divers will be able to see that the minimum standards are frequently exceeded during training courses. Individual technical instructors sometimes do this. Technical training teaches divers how to redundancy. It enables them to solve problems at 1500 feet inside a cave. It's not easy and it's scary, but it's an important aspect of diving within that environment. Technical training can be challenging, but it can also be fun. At the end of it, the diver will have the ability to see areas that are completely closed off to the rest of the world.
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Sidemount and technical were my first courses. Sidemount diving involves placing your tanks in your hands. I was so numb that my fingers and knuckles had been cut by the end. The idea is to take the tanks off of your hands and let them flow out in front. After making adjustments to the harness's size, the afternoon dive went much easier. I was now able to unclip the harness and 'Superman' with the tanks. Sidemount provides an amazing degree of freedom. Matt installed obstacle courses, and we soon found ourselves flying around them while holding tanks at our feet. We also tried barrel-rolling and swimming upside down.
You can choose from the following options to learn more about diving or for lessons alternatives.
Computer-assisted instruction is an integral part almost every course that we teach. The Why? The answer is simple: eLearning makes it easier for students to get in the water quicker and spend more time there. That's why we offer all applicable eLearning courses -- which are usually $140 worth -- at no extra cost. This means that you will get an extra day of training in the water. How valuable is that? Priceless.
Sidemount diving originates in cave diving and has since made its way into recreational, non-overhead dives. Simply put, you'll wear your tanks on the side of your body instead of one or two tanks strapped to your back. The tanks attach to the Sidemount BCD with clips and/or long bungee strings, giving you great flexibility. This flexibility allowed cave divers to get their tanks off the surface to make it fit through narrow spaces.
Computer-aided instruction is an integral part of nearly every course we teach. The Why? is simple: eLearning helps get our students in the water sooner and spend more time there. It’s why we include the cost of any applicable eLearning programs — usually a $140 value — in our courses at no extra charge. This translates directly into an extra day of in-water training. The value of that? Priceless.
There are three parts to certification: knowledge development, skill practice and open water dives. You can complete all three parts locally, on holiday, or split between the two.
Sidemount diving stems from the cave diving world but has also found its way into the recreational, non-overhead diving world in recent years.Simply put: instead of wearing one or two tanks mounted on your back, you will wear your tanks on your side. The tanks are attached to a Sidemount BCD with clips and/or bungee cords allowing for great flexibility. Initially, it was this flexibility that allowed cave divers to take their tanks off underwater to fit through narrow spaces as well as making their overall profile smaller.
Divers must maintain a minimum level fitness and health. Some conditions such as chronic illness, recent surgery or medication may make it necessary to obtain written permission before you can dive.
According to experts, approximately 40% of technical divers enroll in additional education and training programs. This yields a reasonable estimate of approximately 160,000 active technical divers worldwide.
5-6 days
Rebreather training classes are typically 5-6 days long, but can be longer depending on a variety of factors such as the training agency, your local conditions, your instructor, and your ability to meet the class standards.
Have a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor certification or have completed a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor course. Have at least 100 logged dives, including at least 20 enriched air dives, 25 dives deeper than 18 meters/60 feet, and 15 dives deeper than 30 meters/100 feet. You can become a Tec 45 diver.