Southeastern
Divers, Inc.908-A Bob Wallace Ave. Huntsville Alabama 35801 - Phone: 256-536-8404
"Training the best divers in North Alabama since 1980."
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908-A Bob Wallace Ave. Huntsville Alabama 35801 - Phone: 256-536-8404 "Training the best divers in North Alabama since 1980." |
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Welcome to 2010 and the new DSAT Tec Diver courses! Wow! 2009 was a whirlwind! There were lots of high points, but personally, I take a great deal of satisfaction from becoming Southeastern Diver’s first Technical Diving Instructor. I had a blast teaching my first DSAT Tec Deep course. I had barely finished the paperwork for the course when DSAT changed everything on me… for the better. The “old” DSAT courses were called Tec I and Tec Deep. Tec I was a prep class – students learn how to handle technical diving gear, but would still be limited to diving within recreational no-stop limits, using Enriched air up to EANx60 to extend bottom times. Tec Deep was the follow on course where students learned how to plan and execute decompression dives on Air, Enriched Air, and Oxygen as deep as 165 feet. DSAT has now broken those two courses into three courses, Tec 40, Tec 45, and Tec 50. The number in each course’s name is the max depth (in meters) that the certification allows divers to descend to. Here’s some information about each of the new courses. Tec 40 The PADI Tec 40 course introduces divers to limited decompression diving within accepted recreational depth limits. Students who intend to continue through Tec 50 (most everyone) are encouraged to complete Tec 40 in complete tec diving gear. However, the limits of the Tec 40 qualification allow more flexibility. To accommodate divers interested in very limited tec diving, the Tec 40 equipment requirements are only a bit beyond those of the standard recreational kit. A Tec 40 diver is qualified to use decompression software and dive computers to plan and make decompression dives with not more than ten minutes of total decompression and not deeper than 130 feet, and to use a single decompression cylinder of decompression gas with up to 50% oxygen (EANx50) to add conservatism to the required decompression. Tec 45 The Tec 45 course provides a transitional qualification while the diver matures as a technical diver. The equipment requirements are the same as for the Tec Deep Diver Course and the Tec 50 Diver Course. Tec 45 divers are qualified to make single and repetitive dives to a maximum depth of 145 feet, and to use a single decompression gas of EANx, or oxygen to accelerate or add conservatism to the decompression. Tec 50 This course is the complete entry-level skill set for extensive open circuit deep decompression tec diving (formerly Tec Deep Diver). The diver is qualified to make technical decompression dives within the limits of training and equipment. A Tec 50 diver is qualified to use air, EANx, and oxygen for multiple stop decompression dives as deep as 165 feet using standard open circuit multiple cylinder tec diving equipment. Up to two decompression gasses may be used to accelerate or add conservatism to the decompression. What are the prerequisites? The table below summarizes what you’ll need to do to get qualified to take the DSAT Tec classes. The course prerequisites don’t have to be PADI courses to meet the requirements. Equivalent certifications from other agencies are acceptable.
What gear do I need for the Tec 40 course? You can take the Tec 40 course using most of the recreational gear you already own. If you plan to move quickly through the Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses, then you’ll need a full tec rig, but if you’re just interested in “testing the waters” or if you’re a long way from the 100 dives you’ll need to qualify for Tec 50, you can just add a few pieces of gear to your current recreational gear. - Redundant breathing supply with two separate regulators (one regulator needs a 7 foot hose) o Single cylinder with H or Y valve o Single cylinder and a pony bottle - Deco cylinder with regulator & SPG - Two ways to keep up with depth & time o Two dive computers o Dive computer and a depth gauge & bottom timer. - Spool & lift bag (or Surface Marker Buoy) - Two cutting devices - Wrist slate - Back-up mask - Compass - Back-up buoyancy control ( o Dual-bladder BCD o Dry suit There are a few other odds & ends you might need, based on environmental considerations at the course venue. I’m hooked, what gear do I need to take tec courses? Here’s where it gets really interesting. Tec Divers are super gear-heads. Getting everything together and setting it all up is part of the fun. - Double cylinders, with an isolator manifold. - Primary and secondary regulators, one with 7 foot hose, one with SPG. - Decompression cylinders (1 for Tec 45, 2 for Tec 50), with regulators, SPG’s, and properly marked. - Tec diving BCD, harness & back plate. - Computers o Two multi-gas enriched air computers o One multi-gas enriched air computer & backup single gas computer & dive tables. o One single gas computer, backup timer, depth gauge & dive tables. - Exposure protection – usually means dry suit. - Weight system – usually a weight belt - Jon line (as needed for environment) - Surface marker buoy & audible surface signaling device - Spool & lift bag (or Surface Marker Buoy) - Knife & backup - Wrist slate & pocket slate - Lights (as needed for environment, canister light & backup strongly recommended) - Back up mask - Compass - Back-up buoyancy control ( o Dual-bladder BCD o Dry suit Wow, that seems like a lot of stuff. Can I try it first to see if I enjoy diving in tec gear? Sure! We can conduct a Discover Tec Program to let you try diving in a full technical rig, just to get the feel of it. You’ll wear the whole rig in confined water. It will feel awkward at first, but it’s lots of fun. Call SDI at (256) 536-8404 to set it up. When are the courses being taught? We’ve scheduled the courses for the following dates; Tec 40 March 6-7 Tec 45 March 27-28 Tec 50 April 10-11 Tec Classes tend to be small, so class dates and times are flexible. What do the courses cost?
What else is new? I’m on my way to becoming a Tec Trimix diver, and then a Tec Trimix instructor – it will probably take all year. 2010 will also see me taking classes to become a Gas Blender, Side–mount diver, and Side-mount Instructor You can follow my adventures at http://www.sdiscuba.blogspot.com/.
See you underwater… way down deeeep underwater! max
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