Technical Diving Equipment

Its been remarked that in diving the snorkelers are the gazelles, the recreational divers are the horses and the tech divers are the elephants! While this is not totally accurate it gives an idea for the comparison. Equipment for technical diving tends to be complex in arrangement, heavy and requires total confidence and skill from the user to work effectively. A backup for almost every item is taken. In the event of an piece of gear failing the dive can be aborted without fuss and safely, as opposed to a hasty emergency procedure which often governs recreational diving.

Much more scope for adjustment and customisation is the trend yet there is a standardisation to the rig (as tech gear is often referred to) so a tech diver from another land speaking a foreign language should in theory instantly know where what is in the event of he/she needing something from a team member whilst on the dive.

Technical Diving Regulator/DV

The operation and look of regulators/DVs prefered by tech divers is similar to the recreational diver counter-part but with some marked preferences.

Due to the deep depths involved and the colder water Tech divers prefer to dive with balanced diaphram type-environmentally sealed regulators. These are usually more expensive than conventional piston operated regulators but they are much less likely to free-flow. Having a balanced reg. allows the diver to breathe more easily at depth with the ambient pressure kept fully balanced throughout. A good example of one is pictured above and it features a side-stream exhaust, vital for keeping those pesky bubbles away! The 1st Stages should be DIN-type. These allow more pressure (300+ bar) and are much more secure than yoke type. The fine thread is a little tricky for some though! Especially on a cold rocky boat!

Dive Cylinder - Twin-Set

There will be a twin-set of cylinders or doubles (normally 12 litre capacity or higher) for the extra gas requirements which are rigged up to 'Wing' BCD with a heavy duty harness. A thick wetsuit (5mm semi-dry or higher) or Drysuit is the norm. due to the deeper depths and/or the extended duration underwater. No snorkal is carried; mainly due to the increased drag and interferance. Extra cylinders side mounted are often carried for extended range and deco requirements. The cylinders should without exception have DIN valves fitted especially the Stage/Deco cylinders! Yoke valves and fittings commonly seen in Asia Pacific and the Americas are no good for Tech Diving; the method of fitting to a cylinder is a liability in a Tech Diving environment. I personally know of a well-known tech diver who almost became unstuck because of this!

To complicate matters further cylinders can come in capacities ranging from 1.5 litres up to a mighty 18 litres! Typically in rec. diving 12 litre cylinders are the norm with the smaller cylinders used as a bail-out and the larger ones for deep/technical diving. As well as sizes cylinders come in two size catagories: Short or 'Stumpy' (pictured) or Long. Smaller people (5"7 and below) often prefer the shorter varient and vice versa.

The cylinder itself is filled (via a compressor) with compressed air to between 200 and 300 bar. With such a great pressure only cylinders made for diving should be used. It is also necessary to have a visual inspection each year and a hydrostatic test every five (Regulations are subject to change).

With good care and maintanence a cylinder should last for a life time.

To see more visit : Diving Lore Tech Diving Equipment