DSAT Tec Rec Diving Programme
Technical Diving Course
Technical diving is scuba diving’s “extreme” sport, taking experienced and
qualified divers far deeper than in mainstream recreational diving.
Technical diving is marked by significantly more equipment and training
requirements to manage the additional hazard this type of diving entails.
Tec diving isn’t for everyone, but for those who hear its challenge call,
the DSAT TecRec courses are the answer.DSAT (Diving Science & Technology)
is a PADI affiliate, with DSAT TecRec courses the most instructionally
coherent and demanding tec diving programs available. They’re not easy – nor
would you want them to be for this kind of diving.
What is technical diving?
Technical scuba diving is defined as diving other than conventional
commercial or research diving that takes divers beyond recreational scuba
diving limits. It is further defined as and includes one or more of the
following:
- Diving beyond 40 metres deep
- Required stage decompression
- Diving in an overhead environment beyond 40 linear metres/130 linear
feet of the surface
- Accelerated decompression and or the use of variable gas mixtures
during the dive.
Because in technical diving the surface is effectively inaccessible
in an emergency, tec divers use extensive methodologies and technologies
and training to manage the added risks. Even with these, however, tec
diving admittedly has more risk, potential hazard and shorter critical
error chains than does recreational scuba diving.
How long has technical diving been around?
Good question. Most people would agree that cave diving is a form of
technical diving. Cave diving developed in the late 1960s and 1970s,
developing into a discipline largely like it is today by the mid 1980s.
In the early 1990s, several groups of divers around the world began
experimenting with technologies for deep diving (beyond recreational
limits) to explore both caves and wrecks. These communities united and
emerged as “technical diving” or “tec diving” with the publication of
aquaCorps (no longer in print), which dedicated itself to this type of
diving. Since then, tec diving continues to develop both in scope and in
its technologies.
Why would I want to be a tec diver?
Honestly, maybe you
wouldn’t. Tec diving not only has more risk, but it requires
significantly more effort, discipline and equipment. It’s not for
everyone, and you can be an accomplished, avid top-notch diver your
entire life without making a tec dive.
That said, there’s a cadre of individuals who want to visit places
underwater that relatively few people can. Many spectacular, untouched
wrecks lie at depths well below 40 metres/130 feet. Deep reefs have
organisms you don’t find in the shallows. Some people enjoy the
challenge and focus tec diving requires. Still others love being
involved with cutting edge technologies. These reasons make tec diving
rewarding.
The DSAT TecRec Difference
The DSAT TecRec program debuted in 2000. Although
TecRec is not the first tec diving program (cave diver training has been
around for decades), it repeatedly receives accolades for its merits.
- TecRec courses are integrated into an instructionally valid,
seamless course flow that takes you from beginning tec diver to one
qualified to the outer reaches of sport diving using different gas
mixes.
- Each level introduces you to new gear, planning and procedures
appropriate to extend your diving limits.
- You can complete the
Tec 40 level,
Tec
50 Deep Diver, as a single
course, or divided into two or three courses. This gives you learning
efficiency, instructional integrity and schedule flexibility.
Prerequisites
TecRec prerequisites vary (see individual course descriptions), but the following applies to anyone interested in technical diving: You must be
- 18 years or older
- A mature, responsible person who will follow the required
procedures and requirements strictly and faithfully
- Medically fit for tec diving (physician’s signature required)
- Willing to accept the added risks that tec diving presents
- An experienced diver with at least 100 logged dives,
- Certified as a PADI Rescue Diver. PADI Enriched Air Diver and
certified as a PADI Deep Diver or equivalent (for this program
equivalency is proof of training in recreational deep diving 18
meters/60 feet to 40 meters/130 feet consisting of at least four
dives and training in nitrogen narcosis considerations,
contingency/emergency decompression, making safety stops and air
supply management OR, have a minimum of 20 logged dives deeper than
30 meters/100 feet.)
The Fun Part of DSAT Tec course
The fun part of
TecRec is rising to the challenges as you dive deeper and longer than most
divers ever do.
Next:
Discover
Tec Diving »
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