Technical Diving

Technical diving (sometimes referred to a Tec diving) is a form of scuba diving that exceeds the scope of recreational diving (although the vast majority of technical divers dive for recreation and nothing else). Technical divers require advanced training, extensive experience, specialized equipment and often breathe breathing gases other than air or standard nitrox.

The concept and term 'technical diving' are both relatively recent advents, although divers have been engaging in what is now commonly referred to as technical diving for decades. There is some level of professional disagreement as to what the term should encompass. Broadly, technical diving is any type of SCUBA that is considered higher risk than conventional recreational diving.

However, some advocate that this should include penetration diving (as opposed to open-water diving), whereas others contend that pentrating overhead environments should be regarded as a separate type of diving. Others seek to define technical diving solely by reference to the use of decompression. Certain minority views contend that certain non-specific higher risk factors should cause diving to be classed as technical diving. Even those who agree on the broad definitions of technical diving may disagree on the precise boundaries between technical and recreational diving.

• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), the largest recreational diver training agency in North America, defines technical diving as "diving other than conventional commercial or recreational diving that takes divers beyond recreational diving limits. It is further defined as an activity that includes one or more of the following: diving beyond 40 meters/130 feet, required stage decompression, diving in an overhead environment beyond 130 linear feet from the surface, accelerated stage decompression and/or the use of multiple gas mixtures in a single dive."

• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) defines technical diving in this way: "Technical diving is a term used to describe all diving methods that exceed the limits imposed on depth and/or immersion time for recreational scuba diving. Technical diving often involves the use of special gas mixtures (other than compressed air) for breathing. The type of gas mixture used is determined either by the maximum depth planned for the dive, or by the length of time that the diver intends to spend underwater. While the recommended maximum depth for conventional scuba diving is 130 ft, technical divers may work in the range of 170 ft to 350 ft, sometimes even deeper. Technical diving almost always requires one or more mandatory decompression "stops" upon ascent, during which the diver may change breathing gas mixes at least once." NOAA does not address issues relating to overhead environments in its definition.

The next pages will explain to you the depth, inability to ascend directly and decompression stops in technical diving.

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