Sport Tech Diver

Description

Sport Tech Diver

The objective of the Sport Tech Diver course is to acquaint experienced sport divers with the skills used to plan and execute dives in 60 to 130 feet of sea water using techniques associated with technical diving. This is an excellent introductory course for those curious about technical diving, but not quite ready to take the leap.

Cost of course includes: class time with instructor(s); four open water dives; registration and certification card upon successful completion. Air fills, including Nitrox, and equipment rentals, are not organically included.

Who this course is for:

• The certified diver looking to learn techniques used during diving with an additional air source, and to learn more about the benefits of doing so in the underwater world

Course prerequisites:

• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, Rescue Diver, and Nitrox Diver (or equivalents)
• Minimum age 18
• Minimum 60 logged dives

What you can expect to learn from the Sport Tech Diver course:

• Equipment Requirements
  • Dry Suit versus Wet Suit
  • Cylinder Options
  • BCD Styles Appropriate to the Diving
  • Regulator Systems at Depth
  • Independent Air Systems
  • Weight Systems
• Equipment Configurations
  • Adding and Mounting Independent Air Sources
  • Regulator Configurations
    • Hose Length and Routing
    • Alternate Air Source or Redundant Air Source
  • Lift Bags/DSMB and Reels
• Buoyancy Skills
  • Adjusting Trim Through Weight and Equipment Placement
  • Problem Solving While Maintaining Buoyancy
• Finning Techniques
  • Types of Fins
  • Fin Kicking
  • Maneuverability versus Speed
• Dive Computers
  • Square Profile versus Multi Level Profile
  • Dive Table versus Dive Computers
  • Advantages and Limitations of a Dive Computer
  • Understanding your Dive Computer
• Dive Planning
  • Surface Air Consumption Rate
  • Weather and Water
• Limited Visibility Diving
  • Trusting Your Compass
  • Natural Navigation
  • Limited Visibility and the Buddy System
  • The PDC as an Ascent Guide
• Thermal Considerations
  • Base Layers
  • Diving with Argon
• Value of a Buddy
  • Know Who You’re Diving With

 

---

---

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Plan Dives
  • Demonstrate the ability to plan a dive to a depth between 60-130 feet
  • Limits based on personal and buddy gas consumption
  • All dives are to be planned and conducted as “no-decompression” dives
• Properly execute the planned dives within all predetermined limits
• SCUBA Skills
  • Conduct proper pre-dive weight check
  • Perform a controlled free descent to a predetermined depth not to exceed previous diving experience
  • Demonstrate ability to hover just above the floor without touching the bottom
  • Demonstrate the ability to adjust equipment, hovering just off the bottom, without touching
  • Demonstrate low hover maneuvering with fins only while avoiding silting the area
  • Execute a controlled ascent from a depth no shallower than 30 feet to a depth of approximately 15-20 feet and maintain a safety stop with the use of lift bag or DSMB and reel
  • Emergency procedures
    • Switch to back up air source, maintaining buoyancy and using proper communication skills
    • Deploy emergency air source to a dive buddy and swim 60 feet horizontally before making an ascent
    • Demonstrate good buddy awareness and communication
• Limited visibility diving
  • Demonstrate the ability to navigate to a preplanned exit point using a compass (analogue or digital)
  • Use dive computer only to monitor ascent rate
• All dives must include a safety stop
• Exit safely with additional gear as part of a buddy group
• Log dives

What’s in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in diving activities without direct supervision of the SDI Instructor so long as the following limits are adhered to:

• The diving activities approximate those of training
• The areas of activities approximate those of training
• Environmental conditions approximate those of training

SDI Sport Tech Diver minimum requirements:

• Complete all open water requirements efficiently
• Demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution

The suggested number of training hours is 20.