If you are a diving neophyte, you might be surprised that the definition of technical diving varies among scuba diving organizations. In general, technical diving can be considered any sort of diving – except of course, commercial diving – that allows a diver to safely exceed recreational dive limits by using advanced procedures and equipment such as advanced technology diving computers.
Diving is generally considered technical diving if it includes:
There is some ambiguity in relation to dives in an overhead environment such as caverns and shipwrecks. Some dive associations consider any dive into an overhead environment a technical dive, while others allow recreational divers to swim a short distance in from the surface. However, again, this may depend on how deep the cavern or shipwreck is, based on the criterion above.
Likewise, some types of diving that are considered technical are:
Trimix is a breathing gas, consisting of oxygen, helium, and nitrogen, and is often used in deep commercial diving or during the deep phase of dives carried out for technical diving. Cave diving and wreck penetration are what was explained earlier as overhead environment technical diving, and the necessary use of technical dive computers is essential. Decompression diving is simply the decompression of a diver and the reduction in ambient pressure experienced by the diver during ascent, and also the process of elimination of dissolved inert gases from the diver’s body during pauses in the ascent known as decompression stops. The use of dive computers is very important in the monitoring of decompression.
The use of enriched air nitrox is not considered technical diving unless it is used to exceed recreational dive limits.
In reality, technical diving exposes the diver to significantly higher risks than traditional scuba or recreational diving, including permanent illness and death, and therefore requires extensive experience, advanced training, and specialized equipment such as dive computers. Technical diving also often involves breathing gases other than standard nitrox.
The term technical diving has actually been credited to Michael Menduno, who was editor of the former diving magazine Aqua Corps Journal.
Diving is generally considered technical diving if it includes:
- Dives deeper than 130 feet.
- Dives exceeding no-decompression limits
- Dives not allowing a direct ascent to the surface
There is some ambiguity in relation to dives in an overhead environment such as caverns and shipwrecks. Some dive associations consider any dive into an overhead environment a technical dive, while others allow recreational divers to swim a short distance in from the surface. However, again, this may depend on how deep the cavern or shipwreck is, based on the criterion above.
Likewise, some types of diving that are considered technical are:
- Trimix Diving
- Cave Diving
- Wreck Penetration
- Decompression Diving
Trimix is a breathing gas, consisting of oxygen, helium, and nitrogen, and is often used in deep commercial diving or during the deep phase of dives carried out for technical diving. Cave diving and wreck penetration are what was explained earlier as overhead environment technical diving, and the necessary use of technical dive computers is essential. Decompression diving is simply the decompression of a diver and the reduction in ambient pressure experienced by the diver during ascent, and also the process of elimination of dissolved inert gases from the diver’s body during pauses in the ascent known as decompression stops. The use of dive computers is very important in the monitoring of decompression.
The use of enriched air nitrox is not considered technical diving unless it is used to exceed recreational dive limits.
In reality, technical diving exposes the diver to significantly higher risks than traditional scuba or recreational diving, including permanent illness and death, and therefore requires extensive experience, advanced training, and specialized equipment such as dive computers. Technical diving also often involves breathing gases other than standard nitrox.
The term technical diving has actually been credited to Michael Menduno, who was editor of the former diving magazine Aqua Corps Journal.