57 replies to this topic

[Dive_Girl]

So it appears the use of the word "technical" elicits rather strong feelings from divers.

The origin of the use of the term "technical" in regards to diving has been credited to Mike Menundo who first coined the term, "technical diving" in an issue of Aquacorps magazine.

As defined by the Wikipedia, Technical Diving is: Technical diving is a form of SCUBA diving that exceeds the scope of recreational diving. Technical divers require advanced training, extensive experience, and specialized equipment.

The term "technical" has been loosely used to define the following diving:

1) Diving beyond 130' in depth (or in depth + penetration distance)
2) Dives exceeding nodecompression limits
3) Full diving in an overhead environment (cave, ice, wreck)
4) Diving with additional tanks to meet all gas needs of a dive
5) Use of mixed gases while diving: O2 above 40%, trimix…etc.
6) Diving using closed or semi-closed rebreathers

Some people find the term "technical diving" useful. For example from an instructional standpoint, a majority of instructors are not trained to teach divers to exceed a dive depth of 130' or to make dives exceeding the nodecompression limits at any depth. The term technical instructor or technical diver is used in reference to exceeding those limits or as further expanded in the list above.

Others, however, find the concept of "technical" diving as invalid citing that divers are either diving for fun (recreationally) or diving for work (commercially). Some see it as an artificial separation that departs no useful information adding to the confusion since divers who use the term can't seem to agree on a definition, while others who may do types of diving that could fall within a common place technical diving definition don't define themselves as "technical divers." Some divers find the use of the term offensive, used to feed other divers' egos.

So as the discussion regarding this term has again come about. Although I recently organized this forum, Technical Diving, earlier this year to provide a place for discussion of such diving as noted above, we would happily welcome an alternative forum name so as not to confuse or offend. In an effort to have a user friendly navigateable site, one central General Diving forum is not the solution to house the bulk of diving discussions on a diving Web site. We would, however, like to avoid creating multiple mini forums such as Cavern Diver, Cave Diver, Ice Diver, Wreck Diver, Decompression Diver, Deep Diver, Rebreather Diver...etc. as often times the divers involved in these types of diving overlap and are smaller in number and tend to interrelate their diving discussions.

Guide for posting in this thread: constructive commentary is welcomed accompanied by the offer of a forum name.

[peterbj7]

"Technical"'s as good as any. Maybe "more advanced diving"?

[mantarraya]

Xtreme Diving!!!

Just kidding, of course.

[PerroneFord]

Technical diving is fine. Leave it alone. We know what it means.

[annasea]

Although I'd never have any reason to post in it, I rather like Peter's idea of naming it Advanced Diving, or something to that effect. General Diving and Advanced Diving -- no specifics mentioned but specific enough, methinks.

[PerroneFord]

Advanced diving sounds too much like AOW. If you are doing technical diving, you know what is here. If you are NOT doing technical diving, you know it's something you are not doing.

[gcbryan]

The name doesn't matter to me one way or the other. People do know what Technical means (more or less) but I also agree that Advanced Diving is more descriptive of what we are talking about as it allows for more bluring of the lines. One can have an advanced dive at 100 fsw in cold water, current, at night with difficult navigational requirements. One can also have an advanced dive due to depth, gas, over head, etc.

If a new forum is ever added you should consider something along the lines of "What I learned about diving from that mistake" or something similar.

[Blackhawk]

Keep it what it is. People fine reason to whine about anything. The industry considers it Technical diving so leave it Technical diving.

[ScubaDadMiami]

Not a biggie to me, but everyone already has a pretty standard label for what technical diving is. I think it's just easier to stick with it than to come up with our own name.

[6Gill]

As others have said no need to change it.Any other name we would use be be just as valid/invalid.

[Walter]

Well, I personally believe the term is useless, but I don't expect people to stop using it. I think the name is much less important than the content of the forum, but if you really want to rename it (we've historically looked for unusual names at SD - hense "Surface Interval") I think, Beyond the Limits, might work well.

[Dive_Girl]

I think, Beyond the Limits, might work well.

GREAT suggestion! We'll be looking at making a name change by the end of this week. Thank you for this one!!

[ScubaDadMiami]

I think, Beyond the Limits, might work well.

GREAT suggestion! We'll be looking at making a name change by the end of this week. Thank you for this one!!

I like this one, too. So far, this has my vote.

[WreckWench]

Walter I think that is too cool! And YES it is in typical SD style!!!

[Diverbrian]

I could go with that name.