Table of Contents
PADI Tec Courses
Technical diving is the sport of “extreme” diving with self-contained equipment, which Takes divers to beyond recreational limits both in time and depths.
Technical diving requires a much greater amount of equipment requirements and training to handle the additional potential hazards this type of diving entails, Tec diving is not for everyone, but for those who receive the call of this challenge, PADI TecRec is the answer.
What is technical diving?
Technical diving is defined as diving beyond the limits of recreational diving.It can best be defined as diving which includes one or more of the following points:
- Deeper than 40 meters.
- Mandatory decompression stops.
- Diving in an environment without exit to more than 40 linear meters / 130 linear feet of the surface.
- Accelerated decompression and / or use of variable gas mixtures during the dive.
As in technical diving the surface is effectively inaccessible in an emergency, technical divers use complex methodologies and technologies and training to handle the added risks. Even with this, however, technical diving has more risk and potential danger and allows less margin of error than recreational diving.
The prerequisites for TecRec vary (see descriptions for each individual course).
Most people will agree that cave diving is a form of technical diving. Cave diving was developed in the late 60’s and 70’s, giving rise to a discipline that looks very much like the current one towards the mid-80’s.
In the early 1990s, several groups of divers in the world began experimenting with deep diving technologies (beyond the limits of recreational diving) to explore caves and wrecks. These communities came together and emerged as “technical diving” or “tec diving” with the publication of the magazine AquaCorps (which is no longer published), which was dedicated to this type of diving. Since then, technical diving continues to grow in both reach and technology.
Tec diving is not only more risky, it requires much more effort, discipline and equipment. It is not something for everyone, and you can be a satisfied diver with a lot of experience all your life without doing a technical dive immersion.
That is, there are types of people who want to visit underwater sites that relatively few people can visit. Many spectacular intact wrecks rest at depths of more than 40 meters / 130 feet. Deep reefs have organisms you do not find on shallow reefs. Some people enjoy the challenge and dedication required by technical diving. Others like to get involved with next generation technologies. These reasons make technical diving rewarding.
The TecRec program came in the year 2000. Although TecRec is not the first technical dive program (cave diving training has been running for decades), it has received many awards on its merits.
The TecRec courses are integrated in a series of educational courses that take you from the beginner diver in technical diving to a diver prepared for the extreme limits of the sport diving using different gas mixtures.
Each level presents you with new equipment, planning and procedures to expand your diving limits.
The Tec Diver course is an integrated sequence of three sub-courses: Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50. You can complete them together, or you can do each level separately with a time interval between them. This offers your learning efficiency, educational integrity and programming flexibility.
The prerequisites for TecRec vary (see descriptions for each individual course), but the following points apply to anyone interested in technical diving:
– Over 18 years old.
– A mature, responsible person who strictly and faithfully follows the necessary procedures and requirements.
– Medically suitable for technical diving (doctor’s signature required).
– Prepared to accept the added risk of technical diving.
– An experienced diver with at least 100 dives recorded in the dive log.
– Certified as PADI Enriched Air Diver and PADI Deep Diver or equivalent (for this equivalent program is deep recreational diving training test between 18 meters / 60 feet and 40 meters / 130 feet consisting of at least four dives and training in Nitrogen narcosis, contingency / emergency decompression, safety shutdowns and air supply management OR, have a minimum of 20 logged dives at more than 30 meters / 100 feet.)
TEC 40
The PADI Tec 40 course is where you transition from recreational scuba diving to technical diving.
It’s a great place to start because as it’s the first of the 3 sub courses that make up the full PADI Tec Diver course and bridges the gap between no stop diving and full technical deep decompression diving. You gain experience and begin building the knowledge and skills you need to continue your tec diver training.
- A PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent)
- A PADI Enriched Air Diver (or equivalent) with at least 10 dives using enriched air deeper than 18 metres/60 feet
- A PADI Deep Diver or proof of at least 10 dives to 30 metres
- At least 18 years old and have a minimum of 30 logged dives
- You also need to have a Medical Statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
The Tec 40 course consists of three knowledge development sections, three practical application sessions and four training dives. You’ll learn about:
- Technical diving’s risks and responsibilities
- Technical diving equipment, proper rigging and set up
- Gas planning, oxygen limits and decompression planning
- Team diving techniques and emergency procedures, such as dealing with free flows, manifold leaks and out of gas situations.
You will qualify to make limited decompression dives to 40 metres.
PADI TEC 40
PADI TEC 45
The PADI Tec 45 course is the second part of the full PADI Tec Deep Diver program.. It puts you in a complete tec diving rig, This is a course where you’ll rise to the challenge and make the commitment to become a technical diver.
- Be a PADI Tec 40 diver
- Be a PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent)
- Have a minimum of 50 logged dives, with at least 12 dives on enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 metres and 10 dives deeper than 30 metres.
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a Medical Statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
Your Tec 45 training consists of three knowledge development sections, three practical application sessions and four open water dives. Building on what you learned in the Tec 40 course, you focus on the function and maintenance of tec diving equipment and associated issues. You continue fine-tuning gas planning and calculating accelerated decompression stops. Plus, you learn to think like a technical diver.
You’ll extend your depth limit to 45 metres and learn to plan and execute repetitive decompression dives using a single stage/decompression cylinder. You’ll also make accelerated decompression dives using EANx or pure oxygen.
PADI TEC 45
PADI TEC 50
The third part of the full PADI Tec Deep Diver program is Tec 50. As a Tec 50 diver, you show that you’ve developed competency as a tec diver and have the skills to become a fully-fledged Tec Diver dive. It’s not easy to reach this level and earning your Tec 50 certification opens the door to a whole new world.
- Be a PADI Tec 45 diver
- Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, with at least 20 dives on enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 metres and 15 dives deeper than 30 metres
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a Medical Statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
The Tec 50 course includes two knowledge development sections, three practical application sessions and four open water dives. A primary focus of this course is mission planning and execution. You also learn more about handling emergencies and how to think like a technical diver.
Allows you to dive to a maximum of 50 metres. Making extended, accelerated decompression stops using up to two gases.
PADI TEC 50
PADI Tec Trimix 65
If you’re into technical diving then you know that to extend your depth range you need to use trimix – a blend of helium, oxygen and nitrogen.
The Tec Trimix 65 course introduces you to using trimix.
There are advantages to using three gases, but you need to know how to do it right. Earning the Tec Trimix 65 certification makes deeper exploration a reality.
- Are a PADI Tec 50 diver
- Have a minimum of 100 logged dives
- Are at least 18 years old
- Have a Medical Statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
Tec Trimix 65 course topics include:
- Trimix diving depth ranges
- Exposure planning
- Selecting a mix
- Argon inflation systems
- Handling three or four decompression cylinders
- Decompression models
- Emergency procedures
- Decompression software and multi-gas computers
Using normoxic Trimix dive to a maximum depth 65mtrs.
PADI Tec Trimix 65
PADI Tec Trimix Diver
Ready for the outer edge of technical diving? The Tec Trimix Diver course takes experienced tec divers and turns them into extreme divers who go deeper and visit pristine sites where few others will ever go.
During the course, you’ll make dives as deep as 90 metres,Your training teaches you to build experience gradually and you do it because you’ve made it this far and have more exploring to do.
- Be a PADI Tec 50 diver or Tec Trimix 65 diver
- Have a minimum of 150 logged dives
- Are at least 18 years old
- Have a Medical Statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
The Tec Trimix Diver course emphasizes mission application:
- Gas selection options, especially deco gases
- Bubble models and deep stops
- Using multigas trimix computers
- Handling up to four stage/deco cylinders
There is no depth limit after this course, you find your own limit by building your experience gradually.
PADI Tec Trimix Diver
TEC Instructor courses
PADI TEC Instructor
Tec Instructor has a nice sound to it, especially if you’re a PADI Instructor interested in technical (tec) diving and ready to combine your interests. The Tec Instructor course is your entry into the tec diving world and your opportunity to join the PADI TecRec professional ranks.
To start the course:
- Be a renewed PADI Instructor
- Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver
- Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor
- Be a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor
- Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, with at least 20 enriched air dives, 25 dives deeper than 18 metres and 15 dives deeper than 30 metres
For certification you need:
- Be a renewed PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
- Be a Tec 45 Diver
- Have a minimum of 20 stage decompression dives
- Have successfully completed the Tec Instructor course exams
If you aren’t a certified tec diver, then your Tec Instructor course will include the entire Tec 40 and 45 Diver course.
Part One of the course focuses on the knowledge and skills required for technical deep diving. Part Two fine-tunes your ability to conduct knowledge development, practical application and open water teaching segments.
You’ll also go over the philosophy, organization and marketing considerations for technical diver training.
As a Tec Instructor, you’ll be qualified to conduct Discover Tec programs, teach the Tec 40 course and assist a Tec Deep Instructor with Tec 45 Diver courses.
PADI TEC Instructor
PADI TEC Deep Instructor
Diving beyond recreational depths with open-circuit technical gear has allowed tec divers to discover amazing wrecks and photograph never-before-seen organisms. Tec Deep Instructors contribute to deep exploration by training the next generation of tec diver.
To start the course
- Be a renewed PADI Instructor
- Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver
- Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor
- Be a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor
- Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, with at least 20 enriched air dives, 25 dives deeper than 18 metres and 15 dives deeper than 30 metres.
For certification
- Be a renewed PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
- Be a Tec 50 Diver
- Have assisted with at least one Tec 50 Diver course or one Tec 45 Diver course
- Have a minimum of 270 dives logged, with at least 25 stage decompression dives deeper than 40 metres.
- Have certified a total of 10 or more PADI Deep Divers and/or PADI Enriched Air Divers.
- Have successfully completed the Tec Deep Instructor course exams.
- Meet a peer review waterskill requirement.
If you are not already a certified Tec diver, then your instructor course will include the entire Tec 40, 45 and 50 Diver courses as necessary. In fact, the first part of the course makes sure you have a good grasp of the knowledge and skills required for technical deep diving. During the second part of the course, you practice conducting knowledge development, practical application and open water teaching segments. Your Tec Deep Instructor Trainer will also go over organization and marketing considerations for TecRec courses.
Once completed you can conduct Discover Tec programs and teach Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 Diver courses.
PADI TEC Deep Instructor
PADI TEC Trimix Instructor
Becoming a Tec Trimix Diver takes you to the outer edge of technical diving. Earning the Tec Trimix Instructor rating makes you the person who trains these extreme divers. It’s a respected tec diving instructor certification that few achieve. If you’ve got the experience and are up for the challenge, then it could be your next step.
To start the course:
- Be a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
- Be a PADI Tec Deep Instructor,
- Be a PADI Tec Trimix Diver
- Have a minimum of 200 logged dives, with 20 tec decompression dives of which at least 10 dives were deeper than 40 metres using trimix.
For certification:
- Have assisted with at least one Tec Trimix Diver course
- Have a minimum of 350 logged dives, with 50 decompression dives deeper than 40 metres of which 30 dives must be deeper than 40 metres using trimix and 10 dives deeper than 50 metres using trimix with less than 21 percent oxygen.
- Have successfully completed the Tec Trimix Instructor course exam.
You begin your training by reviewing the Tec Trimix course content and practical skills. Then, you complete multiple practice teaching scenarios in the classroom and in the water to ensure you know how to cover all the materials, organize skill practice and control open water dives.
As a Tec Trimix Instructor you can teach the full range of deep open-circuit tec diving courses, including Tec Trimix 65 and Tec Trimix Diver.
PADI TEC Trimix Instructor