Technical Diving

Technical (tec) diving means going beyond recreational scuba diving limits. But tec divers will tell you it’s really about the challenge and adventure of exploring places that no one else has ever seen. Tec diving is not for everyone, but it does attract experienced divers who want to go beyond their recreational limits and are willing to accept the added risks, training, investment and commitment if demands. If this is you, then PADI TecRec courses are your ticket to extreme adventure.

What is Technical Diving?

Technical scuba diving involves going beyond recreational scuba diving limits and includes one or more of the following:

In technical diving the surface is often inaccessible in an emergency, so tec divers use extensive procedures, equipment and training to manage the added risks and potential hazards.

Course Requirements

All classes are taught using standard technical backmount or sidemount kit configurations. Tec Basics, Discover Tec and Tec 40 courses include all required gases and technical equipment. Please consult with your technical diving instructor to obtain a list of required items for each course. Some items can be rented for the duration of the course.

All courses include the required educational material, planning slates, confined water training and local open water dives. Students are responsible for the decompression gas fills required for the course in which they are enrolled.

Course Offerings

Discover Tec — $35

Course Prerequisites

  • PADI Open Water Diver*
  • 18 years old
  • 10 logged dives

*Or qualifying certification from another training agency

Course Description

Discover Tec is a short, confined water experience that allows you to give technical diving a try. You get to wear all the extra tec diving gear and take it for a test dive. The Discover Tec fee will be credited towards the Tec Basic Distinctive Specialty or Tec 40 course if enrolled within 30 days of the Discover Tec experience.

Tec Basics Distinctive Specialty — $250

Course Prerequisites

  • PADI Advanced Open Water Diver*
  • 15 years old

*Or qualifying certification from another training agency

Course Description

Tec Basics introduces recreational divers to tec diving without them initially having to make the larger commitment (in terms of equipment, time and cost) necessary for the core PADI Tec courses. PADI Tec basics dive scope is within recreational limits and is open to PADI Open Water divers age 15 years and older.

Tec 40 — $700

Course Prerequisites

  • PADI Advanced Open Water Diver*
  • PADI Enriched Air Diver*
  • PADI Deep Diver
  • 18 years old
  • 30 logged dives, 10 of which are on EANx and deeper than 60 feet

*Or qualifying certification from another training agency

Course Description

The PADI Tec 40 course is where you transition from recreational scuba diving to technical diving. It’s a great place to start because it’s the first subdivision of the full PADI Tec Deep Diver course and bridges the gap between no stop diving and full technical deep decompression diving. You gain experience and begin building the knowledge and skills you need to continue your tec diver training. You will qualify to make limited decompression dives to 130 feet.

Tec 45 — $600

Course Prerequisites

  • PADI Tec 40 Diver*
  • PADI Rescue Diver*
  • Current EFR*
  • 18 years old
  • 50 logged dives, 12 of which are on EANx and deeper than 60 feet and 6 deeper than 100 feet

*Or qualifying certification from another training agency

Course Description

The PADI Tec 45 course is the second part of the full PADI Tec Deep Diver program. You’ll extend your depth limit to 145 feet and learn to plan and execute repetitive decompression dives using a single stage/decompression cylinder. You’ll also make accelerated decompression dives using EANx or pure oxygen.

Tec 50 — $600

Course Prerequisites

  • PADI Tec 45 Diver*
  • PADI Rescue Diver*
  • Current EFR*
  • 18 years old
  • 100 logged dives, 20 of which are on EANx and deeper than 60 feet and 15 deeper than 100 feet

*Or qualifying certification from another training agency

Course Description

The third part of the full PADI Tec Deep Diver Program is Tec 50. As a Tec 50 diver, you show that you have developed competency as a tec diver and have the skills to dive to a maximum of 165 feet. You know how to make extended, accelerated decompression stops using up to two gases. It’s not easy to reach this level and earning your Tec 50 certification opens the door to deeper diving expeditions.

Tec Gas Blender — $250

Course Prerequisites

  • PADI Enriched Air Diver*
  • 18 years old

*Or qualifying certification from another training agency

Course Description

The PADI Enriched Air Diver course is the most popular diver specialty course, and the number of technical divers is on the rise, which means a lot of scuba divers want enriched air and gas blends. The Tec Gas Blender course teaches you to blend enriched air nitrox using one or more blending methods.

Tec Sidemount — $600

Course Prerequisites

  • PADI Advanced Open Water Diver*
  • 18 years old
  • 30 or more logged dives

*Or qualifying certification from another training agency

Course Description

Sidemount is an increasingly popular way to configure multiple cylinders for technical diving. You can enter the world of tec diving with the Tec Sidemount Diver course and apply what you learn to other TecRec courses. You may integrate this course with the Tec 40, Tec 45 or Tec 50 courses.

Gas Quality

Peachtree Dive, LLC is a Certified Pure Air Station, and our air is tested quarterly. Custom Nitrox gas blends are available to include 50% and 100% O2 deco gases. Any blend exceeding 40% O2 requires the cylinder and valve to be O2 cleaned.