Want to explore deep wrecks? Explore underwater caves? Stay longer at depth? If you answer yes to any of these questions, then technical dive training is what you need.

Unlike recreational sport diving which keeps you within no-decompression limits and a depth limit of 130 feet, technical diving lets us go deeper and/or stay longer at depth with proper knowledge, training, and experience.

Is this type of diving safe? As with any type of diving, technical diving has risks. To reduce the risks we prepare our gear thoroughly, plan extensively, and practice our skills on a regular basis.

Dive gear for this type of diving is a bit different than recreational gear. Divers wear either stainless steel or aluminum back plates with a continuous webbing harness to reduce failure points like buckles. The webbing has stainless steel d-rings that can be positioned in the exact required area it is needed to secure our gear. Sandwiched between the back plate and tanks is a back buoyancy device, a.k.a. wing, which are designed to be used in conjunction with twin cylinders. The tanks are twinned together with a manifold system so divers can breathe from both tanks at the same time or isolate a problem with the system.

Redundancy is a key aspect to technical diving: divers carry a spare masks, two 1st stages, and two adjustable 2nd stages on our tanks, two bottom timers, and other essential gear for the dive. In addition to carrying the twin tanks on our backs, a diver may have one or more additional tanks with decompression gases such as 50% and/or 100% oxygen.

Technical Diving International (TDI) is one of the forefathers of technical diving. The courses provided by TDI have developed over the years from practical experience in technical diving. Each course builds upon the other, giving the diver knowledge and experience prior to continue on to the next level. Getting the proper training for technical diving is essential for safe diving.

The first level of technical diving is “Intro to Tech Diving”. In this course, the student will learn how to assemble and prep their gear, emergency procedures, trim (horizontal) position in the water, situation awareness, fin kicks (modified frog, backwards, modified flutter, helicopter), surface marker buoy (SMB) deployment, and dive planning to name a few. After the student completes and builds experience from this course, he/she may continue onto Advanced Nitrox Course and Decompression Procedures Course.

While technical diving is not for everyone, divers that are looking to venture deeper, longer, or would like to penetrate a wreck or cave, may want to consider getting properly trained before attempting this type of diving.

Scuba Diving can be a dangerous sport if you do not take a ‘be safe always’ approach when entering the water. There are some steps every diver should follow to ensure he has a safe dive.

Scuba Diving Safety Rules:

Get proper training

Being comfortable underwater will go a long way towards having a safe dive. Proper training is one key to being comfortable underwater. The beginning of proper training is to get your open water certification. If you go diving in caves, caverns, wrecks, etc., you should also have the proper training for this type of dive.

Never dive alone

Always dive with a buddy no matter where you are. This is key. When you do dive with a buddy, keep an eye on him/her to make sure everything is OK (and hopefully they are doing the same). If something happens, that buddy can be the difference between life and death. Never violate this rule. Also do a pre-dive equipment check with your buddy.

Be in good physical shape

You don’t have to be a triathlete but you should be able to swim and take the stress of diving. A physical exam is a good idea before diving.

Don’t hold your breath

Remember to always breathe slowly and in a relaxed manner and to exhale fully. Don’t take short, shallow breathes and never hold your breath.
Holding your breath underwater can lead to lung injuries and worse, in the extreme case.

Ascend slowly and with control

As you ascend you are ridding your body of nitrogen in your tissues and bloodstream. If you ascend too quickly, you risk decompression sickness. Always do a safety stop at 15 feet for at least 3 minutes after deeper dives. After your safety stop, do not propel yourself to the surface either. Ascend that last 15 feet very slowly also.

Check your equipment

Checking equipment is especially important if you are renting. If you own your regulator and haven’t dove in a while, it should also be serviced to make sure it is working properly. Do a check of the regulator hoses also.

Relax

Being relaxed and comfortable underwater is key to a successful dive. If something happens, stop, breathe, think and act. Do not panic and rush to the surface. But observing this safety rule could be key to a safe dive.

Plan your dive and dive your plan

You will hear this in your training (or you should) and you should follow this advice. Prior to going under, you and your buddy should know the max depth you will go, the amount of bottom time you’ll have and how much air you will start to ascend with. Check your air supply often. You should also agree on the hand signals you will use to communicate underwater.

This is just the beginning of scuba diving safety rules. However, if you follow the above list you increase your chances of a safe dive.