Tec, Tech, Tek and Technical Diving Instruction.
Deep Down, your training matters, so Train Right

Being from an island nation I am used to the salt water, being in TX I am very far from it.  Rectifying that I will be leading a tech trip to the Oriskany in a couple of weeks.  It will be good to be bad in the salt spray!

What a difference a rig makes!  One of the core, most common, and most frustrating challenges students on technical classes face is buoyancy control. 

With a good sidemount instructor, this hurdle can be beaten quickly- check www.sidemountinstructor.com for details

Breathe in, breathe out- repeat.  Breath control is a powerful tool in the tec diver's arsenal to increase focus and manage emotions.   Emotional management can make the diffence bewteen an exciting dive and a disastrous one should something go not quite according to plan. 

Part of this management is making reactions second nature; creating muscle memories, creating subconscious responses act before the conscious has time to draw attention to it.  This is partly ahieved by running scenarios through the mind and physically acting to them- two examples I have are skydive related (my other diving sport).  In the aircraft on the way up- look around.  The aircraft is full of skydivers making subtle, yet distinctive hand, body and head movements going through the sequence of the skydive from start to finish.  Then they go through emergency drills and contingency scenarios and again making those subtle movements.  Note the common thread here is that they are practising in their minds AND WITH THEIR BODIES.  How would it be if tec divers divers did the same?

Take some time, pre dive, to visualise the dive (anyone remember that visualisation training used to be included in tec classes?); close your eyes and mentally run through the dive plan and contingency scenarios physically touching items required- go through the drills, gas shut down (touch the valves), regulator switch (touch the regulator), entanglement (touch the knives) etc.  This builds muscle memory, subcoscious reactions and emotional management.

Or call me a complete quack!

Paul
Train Right!

Check out SIDEMOUNT- www.sidemountinstructor.com

Wow, technical dive training is expensive, isn't it?. 

If the training isn't a bit above what you expect to pay for recreational classes, then ask yourself what you are NOT getting. 

But, hey, a c-card is a card, right?  Wrong, wrong, wrong- very wrong.  There is a world of difference between a Mercedes, BMX or Lexus and cheaper cars, but a car is a car isn't it?  If you can't see the value- then quality instruction is not for you.

SAVE, SAVE, SAVE, SAVE $1200- $1600

I am just about to save you an enormous sum on your technical dive training BUT if you are the sort of diver who does not value quality but want a cheap c-card, then don't train with me- but more on that in a later blog. 

So you want to reduce the cost of your transition to technical diving?  I will save you $1200- $1600 in one fell swoop- train in SIDEMOUNT! 

Save the cost of the twin tanks, manifold and bands- just use regular rental, or your own, tanks for your primary gas.  Dispense with the backplate, wing and harness and slip into something more comfortable such as a Nomad from Diverite and save anything from $1200- $1500 by not buying the double tanks.

The cost of the Nomad is comparable to your backplate, harness and wing- indeed at the Nomad's core is the transpac harness so you can always add a wing and backplate later if you feel the urge.  But gone is the cost (and the weight!) of the twinset cylinders- a massive saving, more than the cost of the training and then some.  Plus in sidemount you dont even need to own your own primary tanks, use rental ones if need be- another saving there.


And the cream on the cake?  I can provide the Nomad rigs, too! 

Wow that training just got inexpensive!

Isn't that excellent?

Well, sort of- it depends who you train with. 

Only a small, handful of instructors are certified to teach technical diving in sidemount (and I am one of those very few instructore-  you lucky people) so think on that when you are adding up the cost of training- look at it as a total package consisting of both the class and equipment, for that is surely what it is. 


Save BIG Money on technical dive training.

Contact Paul for technical dive training and start to saving today!

I am regularly asked about an argon (Ar) inflation system for trimix classes, here are some thoughts.  Assuming that the class is not held in cold water, but rather somewhat more temperate, then with the early mixes on the DSAT Trimix class (about 20% He) then you can get away without an Ar inflation system, as the He% increases however (and on the deep dives of the class, students will be diving 16%O2, 50%He down to a max of 245') then a separate system for drysuit inflation becomes all the more useful.  That said, Ar is not necessary, air will certainly suffice in a separate system.  If the waters are colder however, then a separate system might be advisable right from the first dive- He certainly chills you down.

Remember, this information is NO SUBSTITUTE for proper training- attempting to perform technical diving without proper training or equipment may result in serious injury or death.

Train Right!

There are several issues associated with diving a drysuit that are not encountered with a wetsuit and one of the most concerning is that of being inverted.  Buoyant feet may quickly cause a diver to rise uncontrolably to the surface with all manner of potential DCS issues.  Righting oneself in this situation is straight forward with a single cylinder but not easy with doubles on.  People often arrive at class with fixes for this potential issue such as gaiters (keeping air out of the lower leg) or by adding gas into the wing to keep them slightly chest up in relation to the legs- all good fixes BUT these are fixes to compensate for inability to maintain correct trim- in my classes I teach trim as a key component, be able to control yourself rather than rely upon gear to do that for you. 

If your thoughts are turning to putting away the diving gear until Spring then I invite you to reconsider that decision and research drysuit diving to extend your diving year.  A quality drysuit (I own several and select depending upon the environment) will last for years- see blog below and you will quickly realise value for money. 

A drysuit is not the end however.  Insulation is key and a high quality loft undergarment, layered, will be just the ticket.  Weezle make excellent undergarments, Diving Concepts and DUI too- there are many others out there also.  But you do not have to purchase dive specific insulation- other sport quality layers can be multifunctional too.  My base layers for diving and cold weather adventure racing are Patagonia base layers, built on that might be a Berghaus fleece and I am toasty in all but the coldest of waters- and for those I pull out the heavier Patagonia fleeces.  Restriction of movement is something to be wary of.

On my head, I might add a thin beanie under my hood and either wetgloves with or without a liner or dry gloves for extremely cold conditions. 

Watch for the toes, too.  Quality, warm socks such as those used by hunters ones are first class.

Argon inflation is not necessary, although it is pleasant if you have it. 

Get some advice from your local quality dive store re suits, fitting, undergarments (many suits come with undergarments as a package deal) and seek out a quality instructor who regularly dives a drysuit and who accordingly will advance you in dry suit diving skills and train right!  There is much, much more to drysuit than is covered in a specialty programme.

Be safe.  Train Right!

My primary drysuit has bitten the dust.  20 years old and the CF200 material is about 1/2 the thickness of my secondary suit- amazing how even crushed neoprene will compress over time.  However I think that it illustrates an important point- buying quality, as high quality items will last you a lifetime.