Team Blue Immersion TecRec 40-45-50 Overview Technical Instructor Course
Contents DSAT Tec 40, 45 & 50 DSAT Tec 40, 45 & 50 Standards... 1 Discover Tec Prerequisites... 1 Tec 40 Prerequisites... 1 Tec 45 Prerequisites... 1 Tec 50 Prerequisites... 1 Paperwork and Administration... 2 Confined, Limited and Open Water classifications... 3 Tec 40, 45, 50 and Trimix 65 qualifications... 4 Tec 40 Key Standards... 6 Tec 40 Program Sequence... 7 Tec 40 Practical Application 1-4... 8 DSAT Tec 40 Training Dive One... 10 DSAT Tec 40 Training Dive Two... 11 DSAT Tec 40 Training Dive Three... 12 DSAT Tec 40 Training Dive Four... 13 DSAT Tec 45 Training Dive One... 14 DSAT Tec 45 Training Dive Two... 15 DSAT Tec 45 Training Dive Three... 16 DSAT Tec 45 Training Dive Four... 17 DSAT Tec 50 Training Dive One... 18 DSAT Tec 50 Training Dive Two... 19 DSAT Tec 50 Training Dive three... 20 DSAT Tec 50 Training Dive Four... 21 2
DSAT Tec 40, 45 & 50 Standards Discover Tec Prerequisites Certified as a PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent. Minimum age: 18 years old. A minimum of 10 logged dives. For Discover Tec to credit toward the Tec 40 course, the participant must meet the prerequisites for the Tec 40 course. Tec 40 Prerequisites Student divers must meet the following prerequisites before starting the Tec 40 course: Certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent. Certified as a PADI Enriched Air Diver or equivalent. Certified as a PADI Deep Diver or show proof of at least 10 dives to 30 meters. Minimum age: 18 years. Have a minimum of 30 logged dives, of which at least 10 dives were made with enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 meters. Tec 45 Prerequisites Student divers must meet the following prerequisites before starting the Tec 45 course: Certified as a Tec 40 diver or equivalent. Certified as a PADI Rescue Diver or equivalent, CPR and First Aid training within the previous two years. Minimum age: 18 years. Have a minimum of 50 logged dives, of which at least 12 dives were made with enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 meters, and at least 6 (with or without EANx) dives were deeper than 30 meters. Tec 50 Prerequisites Student divers must meet the following prerequisites before starting the Tec 50 course: Certified as a Tec 45 diver or equivalent. Certified as a PADI Rescue Diver or equivalent, CPR and First Aid training within the previous two years. Minimum age: 18 years. Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, of which at least 20 dives were made with enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 meters, and at least 15 (with or without EANx) dives were deeper than 30 meters. 1
Paperwork and Administration Student divers in the DSAT Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses must complete the following paperwork before beginning any inwater training. The paperwork must be completed even if it was completed at the previous level, except as noted: Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk for Technical Diving. Note that Discover Tec participants continuing their training would not have signed this release, and therefore need to read and sign this release. Medical Statement. The student must have a physician s approval and signature on the Medical Statement. If the student received a physician s approval and signature on a Medical Statement for another course within the last year and has had no medical condition change, and if you have that Medical Statement on file, then the student diver does not need to see a physician again. Exception for Tec 40, first dive only: Students may participate in the Tec 40 Training Dive One if they answer no to all the medical history questions on a completed Medical Statement. Tec Diver Statement of Understanding and Learning Agreement Participants enrolling in the Discover Tec program must complete: The PADI Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk. Medical Statement. Divers may participate in Discover Tec if they answer no to all the medical history questions on a completed Medical Statement. Insurance Requirements When teaching the DSAT Tec Diver course, you must have professional liability insurance that does not exclude diving deeper than 40 meters, making planned decompression dives, or using enriched air, oxygen and helium mixes. If not required, it is always recommended. It is recommended that you require student divers enrolled in any of the DSAT TecRec courses to carry diver medical insurance such as the DAN Diving Accident Insurance program that provides coverage for medical care following a dive accident, including recompression and transportation, without exclusions for coverage due to depth or gases used. 2
Confined, Limited and Open Water classifications Definition of Confined Water For the purposes of this program, confined water is defined as either a swimming pool or an open water site that offers swimming-pool-like conditions with respect to calmness and depth, with a minimum depth of 2.5 meters. Definition of Limited Open Water Because DSAT Tec Diver students have 30 or more dives, you may conduct the initial dives of the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses in limited open water. For the purposes of this program, limited open water is defined as an open water site, fresh or salt, no deeper than 10 meters. There should be no appreciable current and visibility sufficient to not negatively affect student comfort or skill development. Conditions should be sufficiently calm and temperature sufficiently warm that they are not significant factors. It is recommended that there is immediate access to water shallow enough in which to stand. Definition of Open Water For the purposes of the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses, open water is defined as a body of water considerably larger than a swimming pool with the adequate depth and conditions for meeting the performance requirements of each training dive. These may include, but are not limited to, the ocean, lakes, springs and quarries. Student divers should be confident they can handle the demands imposed by the environment while applying and mastering the required procedures and motor skills. 3
Tec 40, 45, 50 and Trimix 65 qualifications Tec 40 The Tec 40 course introduces divers to limited decompression diving within accepted recreational depth limits. A Tec 40 diver is qualified to: Use decompression software and dive computers to plan and make decompression dives with not more than 10 minutes of total decompression and not deeper than 40 meters. Use a single cylinder of decompression gas with up to 50 percent oxygen (EANx50) to add conservatism to the required decompression. The Tec 40 course consists of knowledge development, three practical application sessions, one confined or limited open water dive, two open water no stop dives (simulated decompression) and one open water decompression dive. Tec 45 The Tec 45 course provides a transitional qualification while continuing to develop as a technical diver. A Tec 45 diver is qualified to: Make single and repetitive dives to a maximum depth of 45 meters. Use a single decompression gas of EANx, or oxygen, to accelerate or add conservatism to the decompression. In addition to the Tec 40 course requirements, the Tec 45 course consists of knowledge development, three practical application sessions, one confined or limited open water dive, two open water no stop dives (simulated decompression) and one open water decompression dive. Tec 50 The Tec 50 course is the complete, entry-level skill set for extensive open circuit deep decompression tec diving (formerly Tec Deep Diver). The diver is qualified to make technical decompression dives within the limits of training and equipment. A Tec 50 is qualified to: Use air, EANx and oxygen for multiple stop decompression dives as deep as 50 meters using standard open circuit, multiple cylinder (backmount and/or sidemount) tec diving equipment. Use two decompression gases (EANx and/or oxygen) to accelerate or add conservatism to the decompression. In addition to the Tec 45 course requirements, the Tec 50 course consists of knowledge development, two practical application sessions, two open water no stop dives (simulated decompression) and two open water decompression dives. 4
Tec Trimix 65 The Tec Trimix 65 course is an intermediate level trimix course that is an option for Tec Trimix Instructors. Tec Trimix 65 extends Tec 50 and bridges to the full Tec Trimix Diver certification. The Tec Trimix 65 diver is qualified to make technical decompression dives within the limits of training and equipment. A Tec Trimix 65 diver is qualified to Use air, EANx, oxygen and trimix with 18% or more oxygen for multiple stop decompression dives as deep as 65 meters using standard open circuit, multiple cylinder (backmount and/or sidemount) tec diving equipment. Use two decompression gases (EANx and/or oxygen) to accelerate or add conservatism to the decompression. In addition to the Tec 50 course requirements, the Tec Trimix 65 course consists of additional knowledge development, practical application and open water no stop dives (simulated trimix decompression). The final open water decompression trimix dive may be combined with the final dive of the Tec 50 course. 5
Tec 40 Key Standards Participant prerequisites: Certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or a qualifying certification from another training organization, PADI Enriched Air Diver or a qualifying certification from another training organization, PADI Deep Diver or proof of 10 dives to 30 meters, 18 years old, 30 logged dives (10 with EANx, 7 deeper than 30 meters). Instructor qualification: Teaching status, insured (where required) Tec Instructor Assistant qualification: Renewed PADI Divemaster or higher certified as a Tec 40 or higher level TecRec diver. Training Dive One Environment: Confined water or limited open water with ready access to water shallow enough in which to stand Depths: Minimum: 2.5 meters Maximum 10 meters Decompression: No stop only Gases: Air, EANx up to EANx50 Ratios: 6:1, 8:1 with one or more certified assistants Training Dive Two Environment: Open water Depths: Minimum: 10 meters Maximum: 18 meters Decompression: No stop only Gases: Air or EANx up to EANx50. Ratios: 6:1, 8:1 with one or more certified assistants Training Dive Three Environment: Open Water Depths: Minimum: 15 meters Maximum: 27 meters Decompression: No stop only Gases: Air, EANx up to EANx50 Ratios: 4:1, 6:1 with one or more certified assistants Training Dive Four Environment: Open Water Depths: Minimum: 26 meters Maximum: 40 meters Decompression: Up to 10 minutes total decompression time based on breathing bottom gas throughout the dive (no accelerated decompression) Gases: Air, EANx up to EANx50 Ratios: 3:1, 4:1 with one or more certified assistants 6
Tec 40 Program Sequence The Tec 40 course consists of three knowledge development sections, three practical applications sessions and four training dives. You will find these in the Knowledge Development, Practical Application and Training Dive subsections, each with content/presentation outlines and related standards. The fully integrated instructional sequence for the Tec 40 course is: Tec 40 Knowledge Development One Tec 40 Practical Application One Tec 40 Training Dive One Tec 40 Knowledge Development Two Tec 40 Practical Application Two Tec 40 Training Dive Two Tec 40 Knowledge Development Three Tec 40 Practical Application Three Tec 40 Exam Tec 40 Training Dive Three Tec 40 Training Dive Four Any knowledge development sections, practical applications or training dives that precede a training dive in the integrated sequence must be successfully completed before that training dive. For example, the following sequences would be acceptable: Tec 40 Knowledge Development One Tec 40 Knowledge Development Two Tec 40 Practical Application One Tec 40 Practical Application Two Tec 40 Training Dive One Tec 40 Training Dive Two Tec 40 Knowledge Development Three Tec 40 Practical Application Three Tec 40 Exam Tec 40 Training Dive Three Tec 40 Training Dive Four Tec 40 Knowledge Development One Tec 40 Knowledge Development Two Tec 40 Knowledge Development Three Tec 40 Practical Application One Tec 40 Training Dive One Tec 40 Practical Application Two Tec 40 Training Dive Two Tec 40 Exam Tec 40 Practical Application Three Tec 40 Training Dive Three Tec 40 Training Dive Four 7
Tec 40 Practical Application 1-4 Tec 40 students do not use the Knowledge Reviews in the Tec Deep Diver Manual. Instead, copy the blank Tec 40 Knowledge Reviews in the Appendix for their use. You will also find the answer keys there. Tec 40 students complete the exam after successfully completing Knowledge Development Three. To be successful, the student diver must score 80% or higher and review each question missed with the instructor until mastery on all questions is achieved. Students who score less than 80% must repeat the exam (version B) after ample time to remediate. Administration Course costs Equipment and material requirements Confirm course prerequisites: Students sign the Tec Diver Statement of Understanding and Learning Agreement Have student divers read, complete and sign the Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk for Technical Diving (or the technical diving release specified by your PADI Office for your local area). The release must be signed before any inwater training. Have student divers read, complete and sign the PADI Medical Statement. Prior to Training Dive Two, the student must have a physician s approval and signature on the Medical Statement. If the student received a physician s approval and signature on a Medical Statement for another course within the last year and has had no medical condition change, and if you have that Medical Statement on file, then the student does not need to see a physician again. If students answer no to all the medical history questions on the Medical Statement, they may participate in Tec 40 Training Dive One. Note that this applies only to Tec 40 Training Dive One. In some areas, local law requires all scuba participants to obtain a physician s approval before any diving. Diver insurance It s recommended that you require students in the DSAT Tec 40 course to have dive accident insurance such as offered by the Divers Alert Network, if available in your area. 8
Tec 40 Practical Application On the surface, the practical applications develop skills with procedures related to gear rigging, using decompression software and dive planning. However, the practical applications also develop the team thinking and spirit appropriate for technical diving. Tec 40 Practical Application One Conduct 1. Divide the class into teams of two to four individuals. 2. Review proper rigging with a set up kit or kits, including deco cylinder with markings, mask, fins, gauges, exposure suit, etc. The kit or kits should be in the configuration(s) that students will be using (Tec 40, Tec 45, etc.) 3. Tell the class that, working as teams, they re to set up their equipment in an appropriate configuration modeled on your example and what they ve prepared. 4. Be available to answer questions and assist with configuration challenges. 5. When complete, students present their kits as teams for you to assess. Note any discrepancies and have the team correct them and then present their rigs again as a team. Tec 40 Practical Application Two Conduct 1. Divide the class into teams of two to four individuals. 2. Demonstrate one or more types of desk top decompression software, showing students how to launch the program, enter settings and plan a Tec 40 level dive similar to what they will be making 3. Assign each team a Tec 40 level dive to plan using desk top decompression software and accounting for all steps of the a Good Diver s Main Objective Is To Live dive planning steps based on information you provide. 4. As part of the planning process, think backwards through the dive from the furthest point imagining realistic problems that could come between the team and surfacing safely, and formulating realistic solutions for each, and making them part of the dive plan. Have students provide you with a list of problems and solutions. Tec 40 Practical Application Three Conduct 1. Divide the class into teams. 2. Assign each team two Tec 40-level dives to plan using desk top decompression software and accounting for all steps of the A Good Diver s Main Objective Is To Live dive planning steps based on information you provide, (Dives Two and Three). 3. As part of the planning process, have students think backwards through the dives from the furthest point imagining realistic problems that could come between the team and surfacing safely, and formulating realistic solutions for each, and making them part of the dive plan. 9
DSAT Tec 40 Training Dive One Dive skills: 1. Neutral buoyancy hovering for 1 minute. 2. Regulator free flow valve shutdown. 3. Regulator free flow team mate assist. 4. Manifold leak isolator shutdown independently. 5. Manifold leak team mate assists. 6. Out of gas use long hose as receiver, swim horizontally 30m. 7. Out of gas use long hose as donor, swim horizontally 30m. 8. Don, remove and redon stage/deco cylinder on bottom. 9. Gas switch NO TOX. 10. Gas shutdown drill. 11. Deploy lift bag. 12. SAC swim at constant depth. 13. Ascent. 14. Simulated decompression stop. 15. Student divers remove, replace and then re-remove stage/deco cylinders at the surface. Confined water or limited open water. Maximum depth, 10 meters. No decompression dive. Ratios 6 students to 1 instructor, with 2 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 8. 10
DSAT Tec 40 Training Dive Two To successfully complete this training dive, the student must be able to: 1. Bubble check and decent check. 2. Stage and retrieve cylinder on the fly. 3. Swim two minutes sharing gas as donor and receiver. 4. Gas shutdown drill. 5. Open water SAC swim. 6. Lift bag/dsmb deployment. 7. Ascent to a simulated decompression stop. 8. 10 minutes simulated SAC decompression stop. 9. NO TOX gas switch while neutrally buoyant. 10. Simulated emergencies. Time/depth and gas supply awareness: consumed. Record the depth and time at each 35 bar Open water Minimum depth, 10 meters Maximum depth, 18 meters No decompression dive Ratios 6 students to 1 instructor, with 2 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 8 11
DSAT Tec 40 Training Dive Three To successfully complete this training dive, the student must be able to: 1. Bubble check and descent check. 2. Gas shutdown drill 45 seconds. 3. Lift bag deployment. 4. Ascent to the simulated decompression stop. 5. Simulated decompression. 6. Simulated emergencies. Time/depth and gas supply awareness: Writing the cylinder pressure at each 10 minutes. Open water Minimum depth, 15 meters Maximum depth, 27 meters No decompression dive Ratios 4 students to 1 instructor, with 2 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 6 12
DSAT Tec 40 Training Dive Four To successfully complete this training dive, the student must be able to: 1. Bubble check. 2. Ascent and decompression. 3. Simulated and actual problems and emergencies. Open water Minimum depth, 26 meters Maximum depth, 40 meters Decompression dive within tec 40 limits (EANx50) Ratios 3 students to 1 instructor, with 1 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 4 13
DSAT Tec 45 Training Dive One Dive skills: 1. Weight check. 2. Don one stage/deco cylinders at the surface. 3. Bubble check and descent check. 4. Out of gas long hose gas sharing. 5. Stage decompression cylinder. 6. Gas shutdown drill - within 60 sec. 7. Unresponsive diver tow. 8. Retrieve and don Deco cylinder. 9. Ascend to shallow depth, NO TOX switch, five minute simulated deco stop. 10. Neutral buoyancy with simulated failed primary BCD. Hover for at least one minute. 11. Regulator free flow/valve shut down. 12. SAC swim. 13. Deploy lift bag. 14. Spilled bag scenario, second lift bag. 15. Simulated four stop, neutrally buoyant decompression with NO TOX gas switch and SAC deco. 16. Gas shutdown drill. Time/depth and gas supply awareness: consumed. Writing the depth and time at each 35 bar Confined water or limited open water. Maximum depth, 10 meters. No decompression dive. Ratios 6 students to 1 instructor, with 2 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 8. 14
DSAT Tec 45 Training Dive Two Dive skills: 1. Stage decompression cylinder. 2. Gas shutdown drill. 3. No mask, long hose gas sharing. 4. Free time, surprises. 5. Retrieve and don deco cylinder. 6. Team deploys lift bag and ascends along line. 7. Simulated neutrally buoyant decompression with NO TOX gas switch. 8. Air break. 9. Neutrally buoyant gas shutdown drill. Time/depth and gas supply awareness: Writing the depth, time and SPG reading at each 12 minutes. Open water. Minimum depth, 12 meters. Maximum depth, 18 meters. No decompression dive that simulates a decompression dive. Ratios 4 students to 1 instructor, with 2 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 6. 15
DSAT Tec 45 Training Dive Three Dive skills: 1. Gas shutdown drill. 2. Accelerated SAC swim. 3. Free time surprises. 4. Team deploys lift bag and ascends along line. 5. Simulated primary BCD failure at 10 meters, maintain stop depth and switch to backup system for remainder of dive. 6. Perform a NO TOX gas switch to simulated oxygen at 6 meters. 7. Switching multigas computers. 8. Air breaks. 9. Neutrally buoyant gas shutdown drill at last stop. 10. Remove stage/deco cylinder, stay in the water and make a 5 minute surface safety stop using only their backup buoyancy systems. Time/depth and gas supply awareness: Record the depth, time and SPG reading at each 15 minutes. Predive briefing Students plan a decompression dive with Tec 45 limits using oxygen to accelerate decompression from 6 meters to the surface, with a total simulated decompression time of not less than 18 minutes. Open water. Minimum depth, 18 meters. Maximum depth, 30 meters. No decompression dive that simulates an accelerated decompression dive with at least four stops with a total simulated decompression time of not less than 18 minutes. Ratios 4 students to 1 instructor, with 2 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 6. 16
DSAT Tec 45 Training Dive Four Dive skills: 1. Gas shutdown drill. 2. Tour for surprises. 3. Ascent and decompression. 4. NO TOX gas switch. Time/depth and gas supply awareness: Record the depth, time and SPG reading at each 15 minutes. Predive briefing Students plan a decompression dive with Tec 45 limits using EANx or oxygen to make decompression more conservative. Open water. Minimum depth, 27 meters. Maximum depth, 45 meters. Decompression dive with a single gas switch to provide added conservatism. Ratios 3 students to 1 instructor, with 1 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 4. 17
DSAT Tec 50 Training Dive One Dive skills: 1. Bubble check and descent check. 2. Stage decompression cylinders. 3. Gas shutdown drill. 4. Retrieve and don Deco cylinder. 5. Stage and retrieve deco cylinders on the fly. 6. Simulated four stop decompression with NO TOX as switches and air breaks. 7. Team mate breathing wrong gas drill. 8. SAC swim at constant depth with two deco cylinders. 9. Mission execution. 10. Stage cylinders. 11. Catastrophic gas loss team exercise*. 12. Simulated five stop, neutrally buoyant decompression with NO TOX gas switch and air breaks. Time/depth and gas supply awareness: Record the depth and SPG pressure of whatever cylinders they re breathing from at each 14 minutes of dive time. Confined water or limited open water. Maximum depth, 10 meters. No decompression dive. Ratios 6 students to 1 instructor, with 2 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 8. * Exercise starts with instructor designating that a team member is out-of-gas; team mate provides long hose. Team swims 30 meters with long hose sharing back gas (simulates return to ascent area) to retrieve staged cylinders. Team sends up lift bag and second emergency signal lift bag on same line. Team ascends line; out of gas diver stays on long hose until able to make first gas switch. 18
DSAT Tec 50 Training Dive Two Dive skills: 13. Stage deco cylinders. 14. Gas shutdown drill. 15. Mission. 16. Free time surprises. 17. Retrieve and don deco cylinders. 18. Team ascends and completes simulated decompression 30 minutes minimum time. 19. Neutrally buoyant gas shutdown drill. 20. Air break. 21. Emergency signal to surface support drill. Time/depth and gas supply awareness: Record the depth, time and SPG reading at each 14 minutes throughout the dive. Predive briefing Students plan a decompression dive within Tec 50 limits using EANx or oxygen for accelerated decompression. Open water. Minimum depth, 12 meters. Maximum depth, 24 meters. A no decompression dive that simulates a decompression dive with at least 30 minutes simulated decompression time required. Ratios 4 students to 1 instructor, with 2 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 6. 19
DSAT Tec 50 Training Dive three Dive skills: 1. Mission. 2. Ascent and decompression. 3. NO TOX gas switches. Predive briefing Students plan a decompression dive within Tec 50 limits using EANx or oxygen. Open water. Minimum depth, 30 meters. Maximum depth, 50 meters. A decompression dive with two gas switches to provide added conservatism or to accelerate decompression. Ratios 3 students to 1 instructor, with 1 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 4. 20
DSAT Tec 50 Training Dive Four Dive skills: 4. Mission. 5. Ascent and decompression. 6. NO TOX gas switches. Predive briefing Students plan a decompression dive within Tec 50 limits using air/trimix, EANx and/or oxygen. Open water. Minimum depth, 40 meters. Maximum depth, 50 meters. A decompression dive with two gas switches to provide added conservatism or to accelerate decompression. Ratios 3 students to 1 instructor, with 1 more students permitted with a certified assistant to a maximum of 4. 21