How To Get Into Tech Diving
There are many routes into Technical Diving, but they all start with you having built up a good strong underwater skill base...This is not based soley on depth - but most importantly it is based on the number of dives (and hence Bottom Time), type, skills and depth.
Before you go out and buy twinsets and loads of clips, gadgets and lots more cylinders. The first step is find a school (or ask at your local facility/store), that has staff who teach Technical Diving. Find out and make sure they don't just teach all the time, make sure they really get out there and do Technical Diving and lots of it that isn't teaching.
It is tapping into and hence gaining this experience that is crucial for you to get a good and safe start into Technical Diving.
You should get NITROX and ADVANCED NITROX (Decompression) training first. You should then go out and dive using these skills for a good couple of seasons - really consolidate these skills. Get yourself a good buddy who you can book on day boats etc and dive dive dive. Your can both safely practice skills (such as shutdowns & pat-down drills), on each and every dive. Make sure one looks on whilst the other does the skill though !
Your first training session will help sort out the equipment you need - try not to do this spending spree first - you'll be surprised at the pile of kit you'll end up replacing otherwise, I did! Most good schools and instructors will hire you the right kit and do a half day session after the course with you once you have purchased your own kit and help you set it up. That's a really big sign of a good facility and instructor.
Don't try and fast track Technical Diving it isn't wise nor sensible. Make sure you really consolidate the experience and skills at each step and definitely become very comfortable and extremely calm under pressure (no pun). However, don't become complacent nor over confident - have a healthy respect that you are a long way from home and safety.
Technical Divers need to be able to think a solution to any risks or problems they face (or the team face) in water and deal with them IN WATER. To do so needs you to be totally confident with your kit, its configuration and know instinctively where everything is.
I did 250 hours in water on my Twin 18's in relatively shallow waters bashing loads of skills before using them in earnest to progressively extend my range of diving beyond 75msw, to now past 100msw.
I also recommend that you are a little promiscuous when it comes to Technical Training and that you don't just stick to one instructor or school - no matter how good you or others perceive them to be! I strongly believe that you have to become a well trained, well disciplined diver who thinks through different solutions or configurations for a Dive. Get first class training from several of the really good schools and Instructors and you yourself will see the benefit of this.
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