technical diving news and events in thailand
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Valentines Tech Expedition: Intro To Technical Diving
Feb 2nd
Valentines Tech Expedition: Intro To Technical Diving
Experienced dives graduate from the TDI Intro to Tech course in Thailand
Koh Tao, Thailand – Big Blue Tech celebrates the graduation of Yvonne Fries, Helen Artal, Thomas Hallstrom and Duncan Tyler from a TDI Intro to Tech course conducted by TDI Instructor James Thornton-Allan and assisted by Andrew Cavell and Ash Dunn over various dive sites on Koh Tao Island in Thailand.
The TDI Intro to Tech course is designed to introduce the foundation control skills of buoyancy and trim which will be built on during the rest of their training on the way up to TDI Extended Range which is the fourth level in the technical diver curriculum. The skills train a dive to maintain perfect control in a set of technical diving gear while keeping a constant horizontal body position in the water without the use of hands. The skills learned include unique skills like fining backwards and neutral buoyancy skills like no mask swim, regulator exchange, air sharing, long hose use etc.
While this course is not a prerequisite to become a technical diver we feel the skills learned are essential. One of the early goals in our training is to avoid contact with anything other then the equipment you carry once you enter the water. In Koh Tao there are a lot of buoy lines or permanent lines which may be tempting to hold on to during simulated stops but prevents the diver from focusing on controlling themselves in the water. In instances where the down line may not be available it’s essential a future technical diver be intimate with their diving equipment and how to use that equipment effectively.
The students were also exposed to air consumption calculations, basic dive planning without the use of a computer that tracks no decompression limits which is based on the philosophy of “Plan the dive, Dive the plan” which has fallen by the side recently with the advent of gas switching computers. Although the students will be provided with a gas switching computer later on it’s this course which teaches them how to rely and trust a dive plan which might be their back-up decompression information in the future.
In the end the students conducted 4 dives and received their certification after a final exam. The divers will progress on to their Advanced Nitrox course tomorrow. More information regarding the intro to tech course can be found here: TDI Intro to Tech Diver Course
Advanced Nitrox Course with Sharks and Whales in Thailand
Dec 17th
This morning Big Blue Tech, a technical scuba diving school, started a TDI Advanced Nitrox course on Koh Tao, Thailand. This course runs over 2 days and exposes divers to the use of nitrox to 40m and up to pure oxygen. Today the course was attended by Andy Cavell and Mark Slinn along with Ash Dunn and Emily Billingham.
The TDI Advanced Nitrox Course qualifies divers to use enriched air nitrox from EAN 21 through EAN 100 to a depth of 40 metres/130 feet during dives hat do not require staged decompression. Often taught in conjunction with the TDI Decompression Procedures course, this can be considered the foundation of your technical diving career. Advanced Nitrox is also a great course for those wanting to extend their bottom times in shallower depths such as scientific diver, and a must for SCR or CCR divers. The course cover topics like, Equipment requirement, Dive planning, Oxygen tracking, Blending methods.
You will use the TDI Advanced Nitrox Diving manual for your course, which explains in an easy to understand practical manner the complex information that Advanced Nitrox divers need to know.
The course began this morning with a dive to Chumphon Pinnacle, one of Koh Tao’s deep and best dive sites. Since the divers had experience in technical diving gear we were able to begin the dives deeper than normally. Emily had joined us to test out new equipment before joining the January expedition.
The divers had various skills to perform but we distracted by the appearence of over 20 sharks and a minke whale. Only the technical divers saw the minke whale underwater but everyone saw it on the surface as the whale cressed to show all everyone he was there.
After the two dives Andy said ” That was cracking like ” , “I’m well chuffed me”; for those that don’t speak northern english he said “What a wonderful dive i just had, i am very happy with the experience”.
The divers had drifted a considerable distance on their lift bags which attracted the large mamall who swap within touching disance of the divers. On the second dive of the morning the divers were again distracted by the swarms of bull sharks who were feeding on the abundant schools of fish. These sharks have never been interested in dives (knock on wood) and just circle around keeping a safe distance from the divers whom teh sharks are afraid of.
The divers performed really well despite all the action, unfortunately not all the same experiences can be shared by all. This week alone we have seen solo diving with shale sharks, simulated decompression with a whale and gas switching with sharks.
The course still requires an additional 2 dives which will be completed the following day.
Just a reminder, we accept new courses starting in February but spaces are filling quickly leading up till May.
Tags: air nitrox, appearence, best dive, bottom times, ccr, decompression, dive sites, dives, diving gear, koh tao thailand, minke whale, oxygen, scuba diving school, tdi