What Is Technical Diving

Technical diving refers to the use of advanced and specialised equipment and techniques, to enable the diver to gain access to depth, dive time and specific underwater environments, more safely than might otherwise be possible.

Most components associated with technical diving could, justifiably, be regarded as posing a higher risk, than conventional scuba pursuits.  Technical diving is a concept which has evolved over the last 10 years,  to enable safer access when diving caves, deep sea wrecks or under ice.

 The use of breathing gases, other than air, have been used in these circles, and as common practise for a long time; as has solo diving (dare I mention it).

Who makes a good technical diver?

Good technical divers are divers who take themselves seriously. They accept that you cannot learn everything over night or solely from books; but develop their skills gradually over years.  They know their limits and appreciate when they are close to them.  They also know when to back off!  Good technical divers are able to cope very well with highly stressful situations, and can visualise and effectively manage risk, before it arises. They know their equipment, how it works, and how to use it to its full potential. Most importantly, they have the right attitude!

So develop an attitude to your diving and ask yourself some basic questions?

• why do you want to develop your diving skills?
• what are you prepared to sacrifice?
• how much are you prepared to learn?
• how long are you prepared to spend learning?

I am not going to say there is a correct answer to any of these, but if your answer is "because I want to go deeper to get more brass and brag!" then it's not for you.  If the answer is along the lines of "to improve my diving, and safely stretch the boundaries", then you're going in the right direction.

Technical diving, whether using Nitrox or Trimix  to increase bottom time or depth, or solo diving, is as potentially dangerous as letting an untrained driver loose in a formula one car.  Before you go on the track, you have a lot to learn and you should never stop being prepared to learn.  Never assume you know it all, you never will.  Learn to cope with yourself, and how you react, before stretching your underwater horizons.