TECHNICAL DIVING
Taking fun more seriously
MORE TIME, DEPTH & SAFETY
Technical Diving has many definitions, but all are based on these same ideas
The term 'Technical Diving' has been around since the early 1990s, but divers were engaging in technical activities for many years before then. The reason for this is rather simple - human nature always makes us ask questions like "Can I reach that place?" and "What is around the next corner?". As divers began asking these same questions, they had to develop new ways of diving to achieve their goals. Divers adopted new procedures required by our physiology while developing new equipment to support these new limits.
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Above all else, 'technical diving' is an approach to diving that has the philosophy of making the dive as safe as possible while allowing the diver to enjoy the wonders of the underwater world. Technical Diving is also a mental discipline that requires a concerted effort to calculate a variety of variables and to consider the "what ifs" of diving problems. Technical level training is not for everyone, but the core concepts and skills DO apply to all divers.
Technical Diving International (TDI) is the largest technical diving agency in the world and has developed a series of training courses designed to build the knowledge and skills that every technical diver needs to make safe and effective technical dives. Take a look through the courses available and see what might be right for YOUR technical training and diving goals.
TDI INTRO TO TEC DIVER
Discover what all the fuss is about
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This is the first step in any diver's technical education and introduces you to the equipment, approach, theory and skills required by the technical diver. It will also give you a taste of what is to come in technical level training to see if it is for you.
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You will build a solid diving foundation by developing precision buoyancy, trim, positioning, awareness and a complete range of propulsion techniques for maximum efficiency with minimum environmental impact.
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Diving in a full technical 'rig' with redundant gas supplies, you will become familiar with the setup and operation of technical equipment and become proficient with handling common emergencies and performing essential skills such as SMB deployment. You will not be certified to dive deeper than your current qualification, but you WILL be ready to take the next step in your technical training.
TDI ADVANCED NITROX
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Air is for tires, Nitrox is for divers....
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Extend your diving options by carrying additional gas and richer Oxygen mixtures to extend your existing recreational Nitrox knowledge & skills.
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Building from your technical base, you will learn to handle a third cylinder and manage your Oxygen exposure when diving with hyperoxic gas mixes.
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Making safe, in water gas switches is a critical skill for technical diving and will become a trained and automatic process. You will learn to make more advanced dive plans to include gas usage calculations as well as management of Oxygen exposure and risk mitigation.
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You will be qualified to make dives up to 40m within the no-decompression limit and use up to 100% Oxygen.
TDI DECOMPRESSION PROCEDURES
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Your first step beyond the recreational tables
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As a Decompression Procedures diver, you will learn to effectively plan your dives and gain the skills needed to complete required "decompression stops" during the most critical part of the dive - the ascent.
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As you will be exceeding your existing recreational dive limits, it is essential to be able to manage likely problems in the water to safely complete your ascent, since direct access to the surface is not always the best option.
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You will qualify to make decompression dives to 45 meters.
TDI HELITROX​
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Enjoy your dive with a clearer mind
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As you dive deeper, you will experience "gas narcosis" brought on by elevated pressures of the gas you breathe. By adding Helium "into the mix" you can offset this narcotic effect and be free to focus on the dive and all it has to offer.
You will be diving beyond the recreational decompression limits and using Helium in the breathing gas in addition to Nitrox to create a hyperoxic Helitrox mixture.
While still subject to Oxygen limits, you will now be managing Helium exposure, which in turn will affect your decompression schedule and calls for a higher level of skill and contingency planning.
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You will be qualified to make dives requiring staged decompression to 45 meters with up to 20% Helium in the breathing gas.
TDI EXTENDED RANGE​
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What lies beneath...
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You are already a skilled Decompression Procedures diver, but you want to make dives beyond the 45m range and reach areas previously off limits, so you can see that wreck or submerged artefact.
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Carrying four cylinders and three gas mixes requires additional equipment, dive theory and water skills. There will now be additional gas switches to handle and increased decompression obligations for the dive.
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Learning to manage the equipment, perform the skills and execute the required emergency procedures will make you a well-rounded and skilled technical diver.
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You will be qualified to make dives requiring staged decompression to 55 meters using any Nitrox gas.
TDI TRIMIX DIVER​
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Maximum depth requires maximum skill
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As a Trimix diver, you will add Helium to your breathing gas to offset gas narcosis and further reduce the Oxygen content to extend your depth limits.
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Since you now have a third gas in your mix, you are breathing a "tri" mix. This breathing gas has increased risks associated with the presence of Helium, which requires an increased level of diver knowledge and extensive dive planning.
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As a Trimix diver, you will have excellent core skills, perform multiple gas switches, handle up to five cylinders and be able to deal with the widest range of equipment failures and dive emergencies.
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You will be qualified to make dives requiring staged decompression to 60 meters using any amount of Helium with no less than 18% Oxygen in your breathing gas.
