Technical Diving
 

So you're interested in becoming a technical diver?  Great!  Technical diving requires great quality equipment, and backups of just about everything.  We recommend not even considering it unless you've logged at least 100 dives, and only if you consider yourself to be an exceptional swimmer, diver, and athlete.
Be prepared to spend upwards of $6000 on all of the equipment you'll need, and that's just to get started.  Cutting corners on your equipment configuration could cost you your life.  Seriously!  Here's a basic list of some of the typical equipment a technical diver might use.


So what is technical diving?  Well, the definition is technically, diving using more than one gas mixture to accelerate decompression.  In reality, technical diving is a few things.

  • Technical diving involves using double tanks for your bottom or "back" gas.  These tanks are typically mounted on your back, or for serious cave diving, on your sides.  (Called side-mount)  Although having double tanks is not "required", you honestly couldn't do a technical dive by the book without them.  The extra capacity, and extra redundancy the double tanks gives you is a requirement for proper technical diving.

  • Technical divers carry 1 or 2 (or sometimes more) stage/deco bottles with a different blend of Nitrox to accelerate their decompresion.  For example, a technical diver may carry an aluminum 80 with EAN50, and an aluminum 40 with pure O2.

  • Technical divers typically carry 1 (or more) reels, cutting tools, lights, and lift bags.

  • Technical divers, if properly trained, are extremely knowledgeable in decompression, gas mixes, gear repair and configuration, rescue measures, and are well disciplined both physically and mentally.  Yes, just like recreational diving, someone that sucks can do it, but typically a technical diver is a cut above.

  • The biggest thing is, with technical diving, because of the required decompression from the excessive depth and bottom time, coming to the surface in an emergency is just not an option, so you MUST have enough gas to properly complete your planned dive.  You MUST have excellent equipment, and backups of everything, so that you won't have to come to the surface before you've decompressed fully.

Dive Rite Deluxe Harness

Model# BC1080-BLACK
$57

Dive Rite Aluminum Backplate

Model# BC1034-BLACK (Silver OK too)
$65

Dive Rite Dual Rec Wings
Double Bladder Air Cell

Model# BC2075
$519.75

Dive Rite RG2500 Regulator System
(Includes: RG1208, RG2010, & RG1225BLK)

Model# RG2500
$425

Dive-Rite Trauma Shears

Model# AC2044RED
$15.75

Dive Rite 2nd Stage (Green)
(Used on O2 bottle)

Model# RG1015GREEN
$200

Dive Rite First Stage

Model# RG1208
Qty 2 needed (backup & stage bottle)
$200

Dive Rite Manifold with isolator

Model# VA3000-300
$280.95

Dive-Rite Doubles Bands Set w/Bolts
(For 7 Ό” tanks)

GM1033-SET $159

XS Scuba/Worthington Tanks
3442psi, 99.5cf, 7Ό”x24”, 33lbs

Model#  X7-100
Qty 2 needed $285

XS Scuba 30cf aluminum w/XS Scuba Pro-valve
 4.9” x 21.9” @ 13.7lbs

Model# XS-AL30
$159.95

Dive-Rite Hand-Held LED Dive Light
w/pocket & lanyard
300 lumens, 12-hours on eight AA batteries

Model# LT6078-300
$360

Dive-Rite Sidewinder #24, 400’ Reel

Model# RE50400
$166.99

Dive-Rite “See Me” Marking Bag (SMB)
8" x 60"

Model# AC2776YELLOW
$99

Dive-Rite Thigh Pouch
(5.5" x 9" or 6" x 10")

Model# BC2761
(Make sure it’s not the BC2762)
$39.50

 


 
 

 
 

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