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Southeastern Divers Technical
Diving Courses
The “New”
Tech
When I was coming up through
the ranks of technical diving and technical diving instructing, PADI had just
three classes. Tec 1, Tec Deep, and Tec Trimix. Each course represented a big
commitment of time and resources just to get started. In addition to being a
bit unwieldy as courses go, these coursed didn’t line up very well with the
course offerings from other training organizations, which meant there wasn’t a
good way for someone who’d trained with another training agency to switch over.
A while back, PADI re-vamped the curriculum and made every thing better.
For open circuit diving, PADI
now has five classes in technical diving. Tec 40, Tec 45, Tec 50, Tec 65, and
Tec Trimix. These courses line up just about exactly with the Advanced Nitrox,
Deco Procedures, Extended Range, Normoxic Trimix and Full Trimix courses offered
by other agencies, so it’s much easier to cross over to PADI/DSAT if you have
taken these courses. There are also two classes that will help you decide if
technical diving is your thing or not. Discover Tec is conducted in a pool, and
lets you find out what it’s like to dive in a technical diving rig. Tec Basics
expands on the Discover Tec experience by training you to do dives in technical
gear but staying within recreational limits. Each class builds on the previous
one and each one expands the diver’s limits so they can then do dives to ready
themselves for the next level. The numbers in each course’s name are the
student’s new depth limit (in meters) after completing the course.
Tec 40 is the first course in
the PADI/DSAT Technical Diving series, and students who successfully complete it
will be qualified to dive to 40 meters (130 feet), using a single deco gas up to
EANx50 to extend no decompression limits, or to use that gas to conduct actual
decompression dives with no more than 10 minutes total decompression time.
You’ll learn some dive planning and gas management skills, as well as lots of
problem solving techniques. The pre-requisites for this course are Advanced
Open Water Diver, Deep Diver, and Nitrox diver.
Tec 45 is the second of
the PADI/DSAT Technical Diving courses and in this course you’ll push through
that 130’ recreational depth limit for the first time. After you successfully
complete this course, you’ll be qualified to dive to 45 meters (150 feet), using
a single deco gas of nitrox or oxygen to decompress or extend your no-stop
limits. Your decompression limit is removed, meaning you can plan and execute
dives with as much deco time as you want. This course also has some diving
pre-requisites. You’ll need to have
a minimum of 50 dives. At least 12 have to be on nitrox and
deeper than 60 feet, and at least six (with or without nitrox) are deeper than
100 feet.
Tec 50 is the third of the PADI/DSAT Technical
Diving courses, and in this course, just like in Tec 45, you’ll go deeper than
you’ve ever been before. After successfully completing this course, you’ll be
qualified to dive to 50 meters (165 feet) using up to two deco gases of nitrox
or oxygen to extend no-stop limits or to decompress on. In addition to all the
pre-requisites for Tec 40 & 45, you’ll also need to have earned a Rescue Diver
rating. Also, there are some dive experience requirements. You’ll need at
least 100 logged dives. Twenty of them have to be nitrox dives, 25 must be
deeper than 60 feet, and 20 must be deeper than 100 feet.
To take these courses, you’ll need some gear that’s different
from what you used in your recreational classes. For Tec 40, you can do the
class in your recreational gear, but it really isn’t recommended… a set of
technical diving gear is what you should have. You’ll need a set of double
tanks (backmount or sidemount), a regulator for each of the double tanks, plus a
regulator for each of your deco cylinders. For backmount, you’ll need a
technical diving harness, or for sidemount you’ll need a sidemount BC. You’ll
also need knives, two methods for determining depth & time, a canister light,
two backup lights, a lift bag & finger spool and a couple of masks. Finally,
though it isn’t “required”, I highly recommend that you have experience diving
in a dry suit. Most of the time, it’s chilly to cold at the depths we’ll be
diving, and a wetsuit just won’t keep you warm enough.
There’s more information
below about each of the courses we teach and a full equipment list.
Think you’ve got what it
takes to join the ranks of the diving elite? Want to have skills and control in
the water better than everyone else? Come get started on your technical diving
learning experience!
See you underwater… deep,
deep, deep underwater!
max
Discover Tec
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Purpose: |
Discover Tec is an experience for
certified divers interested in trying out open circuit technical equipment
in controlled conditions |
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Prerequisites: |
Certification as a PADI Open Water
Diver (or equivalent)
Have a minimum of 10 logged dives |
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Cost: |
Free |
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Dates: |
Please call or e-mail for next
available class. |
Tec 40
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Purpose: |
PADI Tec 40 course introduces
divers to limited decompression diving within accepted recreational depth
limits. Although the student who clearly intends to continue through Tec 50
is encouraged to complete Tec 40 in complete tec diving gear, the limits of
the Tec 40 qualification allow more flexibility. Therefore, 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. |
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Prerequisites: |
·
Certification as PADI Advanced Open Water (or equivalent)
·
Minimum age of 18 years old
·
Certification as PADI Enriched Air Diver (or equivalent)
·
Certification as PADI Deep Diver (or equivalent)
·
Have a minimum of 50 logged dives, of which at least
- 10 dives must be on enriched air
- 12 dives must be deeper than 18 metres/60 feet
- 6 dives must be deeper than 30 metres/100 feet
·
Have a medical form signed by your physician |
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Duration: |
Each section of the course will
require 2-3 days of diving (including pool and open water sessions), 2-3
academic sessions, and 2 or more equipment configuration sessions.
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Depth Range: |
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Dive 1: 0-30
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Dive 2: 30-60
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Dive 3: 50-90
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Dive 4: 85-130 |
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Limits: |
·
Use decompression software and dive computers to plan and make decompression
dives with not more than 10 minutes of total decompression and not deeper
than 40 metres/130 feet.
·
Use a single cylinder of decompression gas with up to 50 percent oxygen
(EANx50) to add conservatism to the required decompression. The Tec 40
course consists of knowledge development, three practical application
sessions, one confined or limited open water dive, two open water no stop
dives (simulated decompression) and one open water decompression dive.
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Certification: |
DSAT |
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Cost: |
$500.00 |
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Dates: |
Please call or e-mail for next
available class |
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Tec 45
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Purpose: |
PADI Tec 45 course provides a
transitional qualification while continuing to develop as a technical diver.
The equipment requirements are the same as for the Tec Deep Diver Course.
This diver is qualified to make limited technical decompression dives using
the equipment and the procedures used at the Tec Deep Diver level. However,
qualifications are narrow, reflecting comparatively limited training and
experience. The expectation is that a Tec 45 diver plans to continue on to
Tec 50. |
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Prerequisites: |
·
Certification as PADI Advanced Open Water (or equivalent)
·
Certification as PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent)
·
Minimum age of 18 years old
·
Certification as PADI Enriched Air Diver (or equivalent)
·
Certification as PADI Deep Diver (or equivalent)
·
PADI Tec 40 (or hold a qualifying certification from another organization)
· Have a
minimum of 50 logged dives, of which at least:
- 12 dives were made with enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 metres/60 feet
- 6 (with or without EANx) dives were deeper than 30 metres/100 feet |
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Duration: |
The course will require 2-3 days
of diving (including pool and open water sessions), 2-3 academic sessions,
and 2 or more equipment configuration sessions. |
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Depth Range: |
·
Dive 1: 8-30
·
Dive 2: 40-60
·
Dive 3: 60-100
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Dive 4: 90-145 |
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Limits: |
·
Make single and repetitive dives to a maximum depth of 45 metres/145 feet.
·
Use a single decompression gas of EANx, or oxygen, to accelerate or add
conservatism to the decompression. In addition to the Tec 40 course
requirements, the Tec 45 course consists of knowledge development, three
practical application sessions, one confined or limited open water dive, two
open water no stop dives (simulated decompression) and one open water
decompression dive. |
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Certification: |
DSAT |
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Cost: |
$550.00 |
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Dates: |
Please call or e-mail for next
available class |
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Tec 50
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Purpose: |
PADI Tec 50 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. |
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Prerequisites: |
·
Certification as PADI Advanced Open Water (or equivalent)
·
Certification as PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent)
·
Minimum age of 18 years old
·
Certification as PADI Enriched Air Diver (or equivalent)
·
Certification as PADI Deep Diver (or equivalent)
·
DSAT Tec 45 Diver (or hold a qualifying certification from another
organization)
·
Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, of which
- 20 dives must be enriched air dives
- 25 dives must be deeper than 18 metres/60 feet
- at least 20 dives must be deeper than 30 metres/100 feet |
|
Duration: |
Each section of the course will
require 2-3 days of diving (including pool and open water sessions), 2-3
academic sessions, and 2 or more equipment configuration sessions.
|
|
Depth Range: |
·
Dive 1: 8-30
·
Dive 2: 40-80
·
Dive 3: 100-165
·
Dive 4: 130-165 |
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Limits: |
·
Use air, EANx and oxygen for multiple stop decompression dives as deep as 50
metres/165 feet using standard open circuit, multiple cylinder (backmount
and/or sidemount) tec diving equipment.
·
Use two decompression gases (EANx and/or oxygen) to accelerate or add
conservatism to the decompression. In addition to the Tec 45 course
requirements, the Tec 50 course consists of knowledge development, two
practical application sessions, two open water no stop dives (simulated
decompression) and two open water decompression dives. |
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Certification: |
DSAT |
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Cost: |
$550.00 |
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Dates: |
Please call or e-mail for next
available class |
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Equipment/Materials Required:
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·
DSAT Tec Deep Crew Pack.
·
Diving cylinder with at least 80 cubic feet or 2
diving cylinders at least 80 cft back mount or sidemount
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Primary & secondary regulators for doubles
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One with a seven foot hose for air sharing
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One with an SPG
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Stage/deco cylinders with regulator, SPG &
staging kit – properly labeled. One cylinder required for Tec 40 & Tec 45,
two for Tec 50.
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Back-up deco gas as required
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BC, back plate & harness (dual bladder or dual
wings unless dry suit diving)
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Dive computer (single or multi-gas), and either
back-up computer or timer & depth gauge
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Back-up decompression information (computer,
dive tables, etc.)
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Exposure protection (dry suit use requires prior
dry suit diving experience)
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Weight system (if needed)
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Lights as necessary, including primary and
backup
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Jon line (for current diving environments)
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Safety reel
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Two slates, (1 wrist-type, one pocket)
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Compass
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Z-knife and back-up cutting device
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Spare clips, pull-ties, tank wrap bands & other
rigging accessories
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Back-up mask (optional)
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Lift bag (100lbs min) |
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ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
CONSIDERATIONS
Equipment provided by SDI: |
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·
Computer with decompression software
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Oxygen analyzer
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Emergency Oxygen & first aid kit
·
Contents labels
·
Forms & support materials |
Divers will read the appropriate
section of their TecRec manual and answer the Knowledge Reviews prior to the
practical application portion. A score of at least 80% is required on all exams.
Divers enrolled in the Tec 40, Tec 45, Tec 50 or Tec Deep courses
MUST have DAN Master Plan dive insurance (or equivalent). Additionally, all
divers MUST have a physician's signature to participate in the classes.
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Southeastern
Divers, Inc.