Posts tagged decompression diving

All I want for Christmas is TECH

Dec 28th

Posted by admin in Tech

All i want for Christmas is TECH

December 29th, 2009

Big Blue Tech – Technical Diving Thailand – Celebrates the graduation of Ash Dunn, Mark Slinn and Adny Cavell from their TDI Decompression Procedures Course conducted over the past few days off the coast of Thailand on and island called Koh Tao

The TDI Decompression Procedures course is best described by the TDI/SDI website as:

The TDI Decompression Procedures course prepares you for planned staged decompression diving. With a maximum operating depth of 45m/150 feet, this course is your first step beyond the normal sport diving limits.

This course began before the christmas break with some new skills to help train the students to a level appropriate for entering the next step. The students will start their next course, TDI Extended Range, on our Similans Islands Liveaboard in the new year.

The highlight of the course was the abundant marine life on every dive. With large 2 meter Bull and Gray Reef Sharks around us during all our dives the excitement of diving was forced back into every sense we had. The sharks at Chumphon Pinnacle Dive Site seem to disapear during some months and then come back in large numbers without warning. Sharks can be seen hunting and stalking prey but always keeping a safe distance from divers. This safety is kept in part from the prevention of shark feeding so no shark has associated food with a diver.

All of the students excelled at their skills and conduct in the water and received their certification after completing a written examination.

Below are some pictures from this event. The next open space for this course is in March 2010

Tags: abundant marine life, cavell, decompression diving, excitement, graduation, gray reef sharks, koh tao, large numbers, open space, pinnacle, sdi, shark feeding, slinn, sport diving, technical diving thailand

abundant marine life, cavell, decompression diving, excitement, graduation, gray reef sharks, koh tao, large numbers, open space, pinnacle, sdi, shark feeding, slinn, sport diving, technical diving thailand

Technical decompression diving in Thailand

Dec 26th

Posted by admin in Tech

No comments

Technical decompression diving in Thailand

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Big Blue Tech completed a TDI Advanced Nitrox Course yesterday with the combined afternoon of skills which embodied both TDI Decompression Procedures and TDI Advanced Nitrox.

With the flexible curriculum offered by TDI it was possible for the training team to introduce interesting and valid skills which are appropriate for the diving ahead.

The students on the course were Mark Slinn, Andy Cavell and Ash Dunn who are all working towards a future as a technical diving instructor.

One of the signature skill introduced involves using a 3m marked line on the sea bed and having the divers wearing full technical diving gear start at the 1m mark and start fining, during fining the diver must remove one decompression cylinder without loosing control, upon reaching the end of the line the diver stops and begins backwards kicking, collecting his decompression cylinder while kicking backwards and returning to the start where the diver turns 180 degrees and moves away. The goal is to not use your hands and focus on perfect trim and balance while performing these skills.

Backwards finning can be quite difficult initially, to help this process we provide Jet Fins to our students as part of the equipment they will be using during the course to enhance the ease of learning. Here is a video to help illustrate the skill:

Additional to these skills was task loading with 8 cylinders removing and replacing each one while maintaining buoyancy. The training team felt the students really excelled and didn’t see them disturb the bottom, without being told to, during both 50 minute dives.

This would be the last dive until the after christmas as the students progress on to their Gas Blender and BSAC Instructor course.