Technical Diver
Technical Diver: The NAUI Technical Diver program is designed to introduce experienced advanced divers to the techniques and methods employed in diving beyond the traditional recreational diving limits. The course provides training in decompression techniques, the use of technical-enriched air nitrox and oxygen decompression gases, and the fundamentals of using oxygen-enriched helium-based mixed gas (called Helitrox). Candidates entering the program must already have mastered fundamental recreational diving skills such as exact buoyancy control, dive planning protocols, teamwork, and emergency management. Students enrolled in the NAUI Technical Diving program will have the opportunity to cultivate these skills and many new ones while using more sophisticated equipment designed for pursuing technical level diving.
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
Classroom work emphasizes decompression theory and management, diving physics and physiology, oxygen exposure management, equipment, dive planning and emergency procedures. Practical sessions include a minimum of ten (10) to twelve dives (12) using nitrox and helitrox bottom gas and EAN50 or oxygen decompression gases from 70 fsw and 20 fsw, respectively.
SCOPE OF COURSE
-> The training depths for these dives are 90 to 150 fsw. Maximum PO2 is 1.4 atm for working portions of the dives and 1.6 atm for decompression.
-> No dives may exceed an equivalent narcosis depth of 130 fsw; an END of 100 fsw or less is generally employed on the training dives.
-> The in-water instructor to student ratio will never exceed 6 to 1 for the technical EANx portions of the dives and 4 to 1 for all other dives.
SKILL REQUIREMENTS
-> For each dive students will define oxygen limits based on PO2 of 1.4 atm or less for the working portion of the dive and 1.6 atm or less for decompression stops.
-> For each dive students will analyze all gas mixtures and label each accordingly with mix and MOD.
-> For each dive students will complete a Technical Diver Plan and a Team Planner
-> Set up personal scuba systems for each dive satisfying all training, environmental, and physiological constraints.
-> Establish safety and emergency procedures, contingency strategies, abort and bailout plans.
-> Demonstrate proper buoyancy control and trim during dives and deco stops.
-> Turn around or begin the ascent at the predetermined back gas pressure or bottom time.
-> Demonstrate proper underwater communications.
-> Shut down failed regulator and isolate for catastrophic gas loss (< 15 sec).
-> Shutoff and switch over to redundant regulator.
-> Gas sharing, simulate out-of-gas scenario over a distance of 100 feet.
-> Remove/replace stage bottles in timely fashion, while maintaining buoyancy control.
-> Conduct planned gas switches.
-> Lost visibility - maintain contact with team and continuous line to the surface.
-> Equipment failure management drills.
-> Demonstrate team cooperation skills.
-> Missing diver search procedures.
-> Rescue skills.
-> Ascend with reel and lift bag and execute drift decompression.
-> Execute staged decompression stops.
-> Demonstrate mastery of emergency procedures (abort plan, omitted deco protocols, emergency first aid).
-> Demonstrate proper descent and ascent rates and depth, time, and gas management.
EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
NAUI Technical Equipment Configuration Requirements
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTERING THE COURSE
Age: Minimum is 18 years.
Certification: NAUI Master Diver, Deep Diver, EANx or equivalent level. These requirements can be modified or amended during pre-course interview and/or screening dive. A reasonable amount of the candidate's experience should include advanced recreational dives between 80 - 100 fsw.
Additional requirements include:
-> Medical clearance and physically fit
-> Nonsmoker
-> Minimum of 100 logged dives with at least 10 (beyond certification) using EANx.
Contact us to register for this course or find more Technical SCUBA Courses
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