Technical Diving

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Technical Diving is the use of science, equipment, and techniques to safely perform dives beyond the scope of standard recreational limitations. This can mean exceeding depth limits of 40m, or exceeding No Decompression Limits, or both. It can also mean entering into overhead environments, and even use of equipment beyond the training limits of recreational standards.

Technical diving is diving for a purpose. Whatever that purpose may be, technical divers must understand the increased risks inherent in the activity. Considerable planning and preparation goes into every dive, additional safety requirements must be built in, and specialized emergency procedures exist that must be trained and maintained in order to perform dives safely. Just as there are an array of personality types and mentalities that are not appropriate for even recreational dive training, technical divers must have strong self-discipline, remain dedicated to continuous practice, improvement, and growth, be conservative in decision-making, humble, and be capable of holding themselves fully accountable and responsible for their own decisions and choices.

Technical courses require a very different mentality than that of Recreational diving. Candidates must be assessed for authorization to enroll before being accepted into a course, intensive study and practice are mandatory once enrolled, standards are far higher, and so are the expectations--Just like Leadership courses. Also just like Leadership courses, candidates can not begin Technical training until after all Core Recreational courses have been completed, and even then, candidates are constantly evaluated, and not guaranteed certification.

Candidates for all courses are expected from day one to show up with highly developed diving KSA's. They should already have well-developed knowledge of dive science (physics, chemistry, biology), equipment (types, function, use, benefits, etc.), mastery of ideal breathing, buoyancy (within +/- 0.1m), trim (within 0-30deg AoA), and finning techniques (with emphasis on frog kicks, helicopter turns, and back finning), a solid understanding of decompression theory, and considerable experience in a wide array of environments and conditions as a diver.

Students must supply their own equipment, and all equipment must meet safety requirements. A Minimum Required Equipment list will be provided upon course registration.

All courses, Open Circuit or Closed Circuit, may be taught in back-mount or sidemount configurations. If the diver is not already sidemount certified, and desires to complete a course in sidemount, they must complete the Sidemount Diver course first. The Technical Sidemount Diver course (below) will then be used to prepare students for technical diving using a sidemount equipment configuration.

Course graduates will receive a lifetime internationally recognized certification for each course from the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD).

What are the costs of each course?

Please read the Course Costs section below to learn more.

The IANTD Advanced Nitrox (EANx) Diver course provides MSD or above certified divers with their first look into technical diving as a practice. It teaches equipment configuration for technical diving, standard practices and procedures, team diving practices and procedures, technical dive planning, simulated, staged, and mandatory decompression procedures, handling and management of higher oxygen-enriched mixtures up to 100% oxygen, and more. As a part of the course, students will plan and conduct standard mandatory decompression dives not exceeding a maximum depth of 45m (150 ft.).

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are considered competent to plan and execute dives that require mandatory decompression to a maximum depth of 45m (150 ft.) utilizing air or EANx mixtures for bottom gas, and EANx and/or oxygen for decompression, without direct supervision, provided the diving environment, activities, areas dived, and equipment, approximate those of training.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 3 - 4 Days, 4 - 6 Dives

The IANTD Technical Sidemount Diver course provides Advanced EANx certified divers or above, who are already Sidemount certified, with the knowledge and skills necessary to use a sidemount equipment configuration for technical diving. It teaches equipment configuration for technical diving, standard practices and procedures, team diving practices and procedures, cylinder configuration, staging and mounting, and more.

This course may be combined with the Advanced EANx Diver course, or given as a stand-alone course for divers already certified at the Advanced EANx level or above.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 3 - 4 Days, 4 - 6 Dives

This Program is designed to extend the knowledge of Advanced Nitrox (EANx) certified divers in the use of Helium for diving by developing the skills for Recreational Trimix use. Divers will be trained in the safe use of EANx mixes, from 21% oxygen to a maximum of 1.6 PO2, combined with Helium, to reduce the total gas END to a maximum of 100 fsw (30 msw). The purpose of this program is to qualify divers to safely dive up to 150 fsw (45 msw) and perform mandatory required decompression dives.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 4 Dives

This program is a continuation or add-on to the Advanced Recreational Trimix Diver program. The "Plus" program extends the range of ART divers to conduct mandatory decompression dives to depths up to 170 fsw (51 msw).

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 2 Days, 2 Dives

This Program is designed to train Advanced Nitrox (EANx) certified divers to conduct dives to depths between 30m (100 ft) and, at the instructor’s option, up to 55m (180 ft) using custom blend breathing gas mixtures, and technical decompression techniques and procedures. It provides a greater understanding of custom blend breathing gas mixtures, a complete knowledge of the limits of any EANx mixture, and the use of EANx and oxygen for decompression diving. The knowledge and skills taught in this program are more than adequate to qualify divers to perform dives unsupervised up to 55m (180 ft).

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 6 Dives

This Program is designed to give divers a better and deeper understanding of the models used for generating dive tables and dive computer profiles, and trains students to use dive tables, dive computers, and decompression software programs, for technical decompression use.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 1 Days, 0 Dives

This Program have been designed to provide qualified divers with “self-supported - self-sufficient” training, and is intended for those who don’t rely on circumstances or a buddy system; also known as solo diving.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 3 Days, 5 Dives

This Program is designed to provide responsible training for those persons wishing to supervise OC technical divers up to the EANx level.
These additionally include Open Water Divers, Advanced Open Water Divers, EANx Divers, and Rescue Divers.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: Until Completion

This Program is designed to provide responsible training for those persons wishing to supervise OC technical divers up to the ART level.
These additionally include Open Water Divers, Advanced Open Water Divers, EANx Divers, and Rescue Divers.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: Until Completion

This Program is designed to train EANx certified recreational divers in the safe use and technology of basic CCR diving, and to independently plan and conduct dives within no decompression limitations, using up to a 1.3 PO2, and to depths up to 100 fsw (30 msw), on the specific unit on which they received the training.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 6 Days, 8 Dives

This Program is designed to qualify Recreational CCR certified divers to safely conduct no-stop rebreather dives using air as diluent to a depth of 132 fsw (40 msw).

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 6 Days, 7 Dives

This Program is designed to qualify Recreational CCR certified divers to safely conduct rebreather dives at altitudes greater than sea level.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 2 Days, 3 Dives

This program is designed to provide RCCR certified divers with a breathing medium for extending their dive depth to the maximum recreational limit of 132 fsw (40 msw), without exceeding no-decompression limitations, by using recreational trimix mixtures with ENDs no greater than 100 fsw (30 msw).

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 4 Dives

This Program is designed to develop proficiency of RCCR certified divers, who maintain current DFA-Pro certification, in self-rescue and buddy-rescue KSA's and techniques.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 4 Dives

This certification has been designed to provide divers with the highest recognition in the recreational rebreather level before entering the professional diving circle in teaching or in technical diving.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 4 Dives

This Program have been designed to provide qualified divers with “self-supported - self-sufficient” training.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 4 Dives

This Program is designed to train Technical OC and higher certified divers in the safe use and technology of basic CCR diving, and to independently plan and conduct dives with mandatory decompression using up to a 1.3 PO2, and to depths up to 132 fsw (40 msw), using air or nitrox as diluent, on the specific unit on which they received the training.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 6 Days, 8 Dives

This Program is designed to train RCCR or higher certified divers in the safe use of trimix mixtures, and technology of basic CCR diving, to safely and independently plan and conduct dives with mandatory decompression, using up to a 1.3 PO2, and to depths up to 150 fsw (45 msw), on the specific unit on which they received the training.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 6 Days, 8 Dives

This program is a continuation or add-on to the Advanced Recreational Trimix CCR Diver program. The "Plus" program extends the range of ART CCR divers to conduct mandatory decompression dives to depths up to 170 fsw (51 msw).

Minimum Training Days/Dives: 2 Days, 2 Dives

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This Program is designed to provide responsible training for those persons wishing to supervise divers up to the RCCR level. These include RCCR or RSCR Divers, and RCCR or RSCR Rescue Divers.

Minimum Training Days/Dives: Until Completion

This Program is designed to provide responsible training for those persons wishing to supervise divers up to the Advanced EANx CCR level. These include RCCR Divers and RCCR Rescue Divers

Minimum Training Days/Dives: Until Completion

This Program is designed to provide responsible training for those persons wishing to supervise divers up to the ART CCR level. These include Advanced EANx CCR Divers, RCCR Divers, and RCCR Rescue Divers

Minimum Training Days/Dives: Until Completion

The Triton is a CE rated, chest-mounted, mixed-gas mCCR, capable of recreational and technical use, that is currently the lightest, smallest, most capable mCCR on the market. Chest-mounted rebreathers have the superior advantage of being able to mount to any harness, and as such, can be used in any configuration (backmount or sidemount), making them the most versatile and adaptable rebreathers there are. Additionally, chest-mounted rebreathers can be used by themselves, or in conjunction with a second rebreather in a dual or bailout configuration. And finally, chest-mounted rebreathers have the best Work of Breathing (WoB) as the counterlungs are below the diver. The M3S Triton holds the title of "Best Work of Breathing", with 1.57 j/L at 100 m, and at 75 L/min with HELIOX 10/90 diluent, and it is also the first, and only (at this time) mCCR to be approved IAW CE EN 14143 : 2013, 0 - 100 m.

We teach, train, and certify Triton divers under IANTD standards in both backmount and sidemount configurations, at both recreational and technical levels.

To learn more about the Triton, and to buy your own, please visit: https://en.ccrtriton.com/

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Please reference Question 6 on the Frequently Asked Questions Page

Course costs are broken down into three parts: Enrollment costs, Instructor Daily Rate, and Facilitation costs.

All courses have an enrollment cost, which will be charged before the course starts, as this is what the certification agency charges for us to enroll a student in a course. This is only the cost of course enrollment. It includes registration, account setup, access to online academics (if any), access to student course materials (sent to the student), certification fees, and the certification card.

Next, all courses are billed per day for instructor costs. PDC's daily rate for technical instructors is ¥25,000 per day. This includes all academics, lectures, exams, and all practical instruction and training.

*Returning PDC students receive a discounted rate.

Finally, the costs for travel, accommodations, parking, food, specialty gases (other than air), facility usage fees, cylinder and weight rental, any expendable items, etc., are paid separately as they occur.

NOTE for Rebreather Course Students: Students enrolled in any CCR course must order and supply their own absorbent for their course. If you need help locating and ordering absorbent, PDC will help. If you can not obtain your own absorbent, or run out, PDC will provide absorbent, which will be charged per kilogram as an expendable item.

Both the Instructor Daily Rate per day costs and all Facilitation Costs are billed separately to allow the greatest possible flexibility in training, and to save students as much money as possible in obtaining their certifications. These will be itemized, totaled, and invoiced at the end of the course.

"Core Skills" for diving include all basic skills taught at the Open Water and Advanced Open Water levels, that ALL divers should know and have been taught at those levels, with a primary focus on the following:

Ideal breathing within mid-range tidal volume.

Maintaining neutral buoyancy within +/- 0.5m for recreational levels, and within +/- 0.1m for technical diving standards.

Maintaining proper trim within no greater an Angle of Attack (AoA) of + 30 degrees.

Flutter, modified flutter, frog, modified frog (and variations), helicopter turns (while remaining in position and in trim), back finning (while in trim).

45 seconds or less from the time first starting to reach for the SMB to the point of letting go to send to the surface, from neutral, with minimal drift and movement.

From Neutral, without touching the bottom or raising to the surface, in trim, with minimal drift.

Ability to perform skills from an in-trim, neutrally buoyant position, with minimal drift and movement, with or without mask, and ability to address problems or emergencies calmly, with deliberate movements.

Self-Rescue skills, Buddy Rescue skills, problem recognition and solving underwater.

A thorough and in-depth understanding of physics, biology, SAC, decompression theory, dive planning, gas management strategies, safety, environmental hazards, equipment (identification, uses, inspection, assembly, testing), equipment use and manipulation, etc.

"Mastery" refers to an observable and recognizable degree of  understanding and practical application within performance-based standards, often capable after an individual has achieved kinesthetic awareness (muscle memory), combined with critical capacity to apply KSA's at will given unprepared, asymmetric scenarios.