55 replies to this topic

[finGrabber]

I'm curious at what point you're considered a tech diver?

is it depth? or equipment? or mixed gasses that determine this?

[David Evans]

I'm curious at what point you're considered a tech diver?

is it depth? or equipment? or mixed gasses that determine this?

In my opinion any dive that features an overhead environment qualifies as a "technical" dive, meaning that you don't have direct access to the surface. This would include dives involving a decompression obligation...

Bottom line, if you are doing a dive that demands that you cope with an emergency underwater rather than have an option of escaping to the surface, you're doing a "technical" dive.

[Dive_Girl]

OK I realize the term "technical diving" may be argued by some. But the term used is not the real issue because at some point a change or division in diving DOES occur.

For me this sort of division occurs when I leave the recreational dive plan realm and plan a dive that involves non-minimal decompression* (direct ascent here is not an option) where additional gear is absolutely neccessary.

* some people actively go into minimal decompression on a single tank with/or without a bail out/pony/additional air source. I don't categorize this dipping into the deco cookie jar type of diving as technical.

I have no issues calling this technical diving because when I do - people get what I am talking about. It's just like naming anything. If I say go get me a chair instead of a thing-a-ma-jig, you know what I am talking about. Arguing about terms (which happens all to often OFTEN by those divers who will certainly let you know they were diving long before the term was coined) is just arguing semantics to me and ultimately overshadows the issues people are often attempting to intelligently exchange.

[intotheblue]

I'm curious at what point you're considered a tech diver?

is it depth? or equipment? or mixed gasses that determine this?

What does it mean to you, finGrabber???

[finGrabber]

I'm thinking all of them plus overhead environments; mostly due to increased dive planning and redundent systems

[intotheblue]

I'm thinking all of them plus overhead environments; mostly due to increased dive planning and redundent systems

Yes... and I like the answer that "anything that causes a ceiling, whether physical or virtual, between you and the surface that prevents your direct ascent to the surface without some kind of stop involved". A hard ceiling of a wreck or cave, or a required deco stop that if ommitted gives you significant risk of death or injury. Those dives should be approached and planned from the "technical" standpoint, with contingency planning performed. In fact, I believe contingency planning should be a part of every dive.... asking the proverbial "what if" question continuously as you observe things that could alter your current plan. Even when done "subliminally"... we do this when we realize our buddy is too far away and we realize we could get lost (separated) or not have a "redundant" air supply within grasp... and we speed up or slow down to close that gap. We modify our diving continually without necessarily acknowledging there was a potential problem that could occur. So, maybe we are more technical than we might think when we are recreational diving... at least some of us! Then there are those of us that are oblivious to what is going on around us... that keeps a rescue diver/DM on his/her toes!

[gcbryan]

To me it would include more than minimal deco, mixed/switching gas, and/or physical overhead environment. It would not include single tank even with pony deep dives with only minimal deco not involving mixed/switching gas.

Therefore, I don't consider that I do technical dives yet under other definitions I do.

[VADiver]

Technical diving involves more than merely going into minimal deco and breathing off you back gas till your computer clears. It takes dive p[lanning and the knowledge of what to do if something happens while you are under the overhead obligation. Divers who jump in with a pony bottle to extend their bottom time or as a back up are not technical divers...just unsafe (IMHO). A pony bottle does nothing for a dive...it only means the diver did not plan the dive correctly, The "...I carry it just in case of an emergency..." doesn't cut it because you have a buddy and the plan should include a rock bottom gas calculation that allows two divers to go from the bottom to the surface (or deco gas) in an emergency gas sharing situation. This is basic dive planning for the recreational range...as you progress the planning remains the same but the complexity increases. Just my .02

[finGrabber]

is a pony bottle one that is 19cu or smaller? and a stage bottle one that is 30cu or bigger?

my understanding of stage bottles is you use them to carry travel gas or deco gas, but you breathe on the bottom from your back gas

is this correct?

and, of course, any one who dives a configuration that includes stage bottles should have proper training from the proper agencies

[VADiver]

I use a 40cft for my 100% and 50% O2 bottles. For my level of diving that works out great for my deco obligations. I understand the concept of a stage bottle for a travel gas, but I have never used one. I'm sure people better versed to speak to that one.

As for the pony bottle...I know a guy who carried a 40cft strapped to his tank. He ran out of back gas and sucked his pony down while looking for the upline instead of shooting a bag and doing a free ascent. SO I guess the size of a pony bottle is dependant upon the diver. But in reality...what would a 19cft bottle give you?

(Just my opinions! not trying to stir anything up)

[Dive_Girl]

The proper size of a pony bottle that can accomodate a single tank diver looking for an independent alternate air source depends on the size of the diver and buddy. When I dove with a pony, it was a 13cf and only meant for a direct ascent to the surface in the event of a catastraphic primary tank/reg failure. The more advanced diving I got under belt, the more I realized I needed something else! I now use the 13cf as an Argon bottle.

[6Gill]

It is also intresting how what at what one time was thought of as technical are now not.Nitox and now Triox(trimix for non deco diving) for example.People use their computer to deco dive but as has been pointed out there is more to it than waiting for the computer to clear.To sum up I have no hard fast definition to offer.

[Diverbrian]

Size does matter. My stage bottles are the sizes that they are for a reason.


I use an Al40 for EAN50. I shouldn't need any more than this to do decompression from a moderate dive and I was forced to do the math in my Adv. Nitrox and Normoxic Trimix courses to confirm this. Boats like that size because it tucks under benches fairly easily.

I keep EAN36 in an AL80. Normally, I use this as a transition gas on deeper dives to allow me to do my deeper stops on a nitrox mix instead of my backgas. Again if one does their math, one can concievably come too close for comfort on deco gas amounts from deeper depths if that "transition" or "deep deco" gas is limited to 40 cubic ft.

Currently my O2 is kept in a LP45 to allow me to NOT have to use a booster and take enough O2 on a trip to do all of my shallow deco. Current plans are to change this to an Al80 because of the better buoyancy characteristics of that size tank.

My training is that I account for enough gas to get my dive buddy up with me if necessary. But my safety is my responsibility in the end. For that reason, I do NOT count on having my buddy around in an emergency. My dive planning revolves on being able to rescue my buddy if possible and get myself up. If I have an emergency and something happens to my buddy (out of their control) at the same time, I need to survive. One expression that I like to remember is that only I can breathe for me, only I can swim for me, and only I can dive for me. This is one philosphy where I have a disagreement with many other tech divers trained differently. If I think that I may need it to survive, I should have one and so should my buddy.

Oh, and my definition of a technical mirrors many of the other ones here. The minute that you plan a dive knowing that you HAVE to solve underwater problems underwater or those problems will lead to you not making it back up intact, you are doing a technical dive.

[ScubaDadMiami]

One expression that I like to remember is that only I can breathe for me, only I can swim for me, and only I can dive for me.

I just finished training with the author of that saying. Anyone know who that is?

[6Gill]

One expression that I like to remember is that only I can breathe for me, only I can swim for me, and only I can dive for me.

I just finished training with the author of that saying. Anyone know who that is?

I know.....