Why I Took Time off Technical Diving

I have told the story many times, to many people. So I thought I should post it here for everyone. It was early spring of 2006. After I spent the winter searching for a trimix instructor, I made my selection and signed up for the class. I took the class in May 2006. The class went very well and I felt like I learned a lot. My performance during the class was mediocre to say the best. But I was still able to walk away with my trimix button. But something was nagging at me. I knew I shouldn’t have been certified to dive to 200 feet on helium. Something just didn’t feel right. So after some soul searching, I decided to take that year off from doing ANY technical diving. Instead, I focused on IMPROVING my fundamental diving skills. The dives I did that year were no deeper than 85 feet (the hole at the quarry). I focused on improving my situational awareness, trim, propulsion, and buoyancy control (especially while task loaded).

Many people talk to me about my layoff from tech diving. They ask about what I did to improve my diving skills, etc. But they fail to ask the question that should be the most obvious. Why were you trimix certified when you weren’t comfortable with fundamental diving skills? This was the question that nagged at me the most that year. As I pondered this, I realized that the training I got failed to make sure that I was comfortable with the skills and that level of diving. Certainly, I was competent with the information presented during the course. But what I lacked from the class, was the comfort and confidence that NEEDS to be a result of every major diving course (i.e. OW, Instructor, Tech). I knew I wasn’t comfortable or confident in the skills I learned during the class. That is why I took the following year off from tech diving. This did open my eyes to how I wanted to train my students (I was a recreational instructor at the time). The method of instruction that I was trained to give students was far, far, far short from what SHOULD be taught. My feelings from my trimix course further drove that point home for me.

There are classes that are rather straight forward and do not require much higher performance. Dry suit, navigation, photography, and videography for example are classes where students can be shown the skills to be successful. They can then go off and practice the skills without worrying about hurting themselves or dive buddies. However, classes like the Open Water course, ANY instructor level course, or ANY technical diving course requires a much, much higher performance from the students. Students should walk away from these types of classes with the confidence and comfort that they can perform dives to the maximum of their training without having to go off and practice first.

In the end, I was NOT able to say, in all honesty, “I am prepared for any issue because I am properly trained, practiced, and in the right mindset and I know I’m not getting into a situation beyond my capabilities.” I knew I didn’t have the proper training, or do any real practice, or have the correct mindset to do perform dives in the 200 foot range safely. My level of safety that is. My ego took a hit, but it was worth it. I put aside my manly ways, and did many dives in the 20-40 foot range to improve my fundamental diving abilities. This, I feel, is a sign of a good diver who is always learning.

Now the question you should be asking me is “What did you learn?”

Safe Diving,
Duane
Precision Diving