PADI TEC 40 Course Use decompression software and dive computers to plan and
make decompression dives with no more than 10 minutes of total decompression and
not deeper than 40 metres/130 feet. Use a single cylinder of decompression gas with up to 50
percent oxygen (EANx50) to add conservatism to the required
decompression. Since it's part of the course, your PADI Tec
40 course training credits toward the PADI Tec
45 and Tec
50 courses. Student divers must meet the following training prerequisites before starting
the PADI Tec 40 course: Certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or provide a qualifying
certification from another training organization. For this course, a qualifying
certification is proof of training beyond entry level with experience in deep
diving and underwater navigation. Certified as a PADI Enriched Air Diver or qualifying certification from
another training organization. For this course, a qualifying certification is
proof of training in enriched air nitrox diving with training that includes gas
analysis cylinder labeling, oxygen toxicity, oxygen exposure, determining
maximum depth limits, and planning enriched air dives with different enriched
air blends (not just EANx32 and EANx36). Certified as a PADI Deep Diver or show proof of at least 10 dives to 30
metres/100 feet. Minimum age: 18 years. Have a minimum of 30 logged dives, of which at least 10 dives were made with
enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 metres/60 feet. Course Tuition $600 plus materials, gas fills, and dive charter or park entry fees.
Tec 40 Equipment Requirements
If you're interested in technical diving, but haven't yet met
the prerequisites for the PADI Tec
50 Diver course or PADI Tec
45 course, you can consider enrolling in the PADI Tec
40 course. It is the first subdivision of the full PADI Tec Deep Diver
course and consists of the first four dives. Because you can do one of these
dives in confined water (such as a swimming pool), many divers start the Tec
40 courses in the winter months, ready to continue in open water when spring
arrives.
You'll learn to
The Scuba Gear You'll
Use
You use recreational scuba equipment, with some minor additions
to enhance your ability to deal with tec diving conditions.
The Learning Materials You'll Need
You'll use the Tec Deep Diver Crew-Pak, which introduces you
to tec diving lingo, emergency procedures, decompression and stage cylinder handling, and gas planning.
The pak includes a manual, dive planning checklist and dive
planning slate. The optional Equipment Set-up and Key Skills video on
DVD is a great tool to help you practice at home in between your tec diving
adventures. You'll continue to use the Tec Deep Diver Crew-Pak through Tec
50.
Prerequisites
Any one of the following appropriately labeled and marked options:
A single cylinder with a dual valve (e.g., H valve or Y valve)
A single cylinder with single outlet valve and a pony bottle. Pony bottle
should have same gas as main cylinder, or be breathable at the deepest planned
dive depth. The minimum size cylinder is one with a free gas capacity of 850
litres/30 cubic feet.
Back mounted doubles with dual isolator manifold
Two side mounted cylinders (sidemount configuration)
Two complete regulators, one with a two meter/seven foot hose for air
sharing and one with SPG. Where two, unmanifolded cylinders are used (sidemount
or pony bottle), each regulator must have an SPG, carried and/or marked in such
a way as to avoid confusion between them.
Stage/deco cylinder with attachment hardware and a single second stage
regulator and SPG.
BCD with D-rings or other attachment points for a stage/deco cylinder.
Two dive computers, or one computer with a backup timer and depth gauge with
dive tables.
Exposure suit appropriate for environment and dive duration. If student will
use dry suits, they should be trained/experienced in their use in recreational
diving prior to using them for Tec training or diving.
Weight system. Students should weight for the contingency of decompressing
with near-empty cylinders.
Jon line (as needed for environment)
Inflatable signal tube, whistle and/or other visual and audible surface
signaling devices. Note that a sausage type DSMB may double for the inflatable
signal tube.
Reel and lift bag or DSMB. A suitable DSMB has sufficient buoyancy to help
steady a diver during a drifting decompression, and is unlikely to spill when
deployed from the underwater.
Knife/cutting device and back up
Slate
Back up mask (optional)
Compass
Lights
Backup buoyancy control. The student must have a reliable means for
controlling buoyancy and maintaining decompression stops in midwater with a
failed primary BCD. This is usually accomplished with a backup BCD (double
wings) or, when using light weight cylinders, the use of a dry suit is
permitted.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Equipment provided by Instructor
Computer with decompression software
Oxygen analyzer
Emergency Oxygen & first aid kit
Contents labels
Required Paperwork
Liability
Release and Assumption of Risk for Technical Diving
Technical
Diver Statement of Understanding and Learning Agreement
PADI
Medical Statement (must be completed by your physician before start of class)
Tec 40 Knowledge Development Session 1
Study
Assignment Session 1
Tec 40 Handout
1
Tec 40 Handout
2
Tec 40 Handout
3
Tec 40 Knowledge Development Session 2
Study
Assignment Session 2
Tec 40 Handout
4
Tec 40 Handout
5
Tec 40 Knowledge Development Session 3
Study
Assignment Session 3
Tec 40 Handout
6
Tec 40 Handout
7
Practical Application
Tec
40 Practical Application 1
Tec
40 Practical Application 2
Tec
40 Practical Application 3
Training Dives
Tec 40 Training
Dive 1
Key Standards
Environment: Confined water or limited open water with ready access to
water shallow enough in which to stand (Local Pool)
Minimum Depth: 2.5 metres/8
feet
Maximum Depth: 10 metres/30 feet
Decompression: No stop
only
Gases: Air, EANx up to EANx50
Ratios: 6:1, 8:1 with one
or more certified assistants
Skills
To successfully complete this training dive, students must be able to:
Assemble and inspect the basic technical diving rig.
Demonstrate the proper weight required for the dive.
Demonstrate neutral buoyancy while wearing the basic technical dive rig by
hovering for 1 minute without sculling or kicking.
Within 30 seconds, independently close the cylinder valve to a regulator
that is experiencing a simulated free flow.
Assist a team mate by closing the correct valve to a regulator that is
experiencing a simulated free flow.
Within 30 seconds, independently close the isolator valve in response to a
simulated manifold leak.
Respond to a simulated out of gas emergency by signaling a team mate.,
switching to the team mate’s long hose second stage, then swimming 30 metres/100
feet using the long hose regulator and maintaining contact with the team mate.
Respond to a team mate’s simulated out of gas emergency by, on signal,
proving the team mate with the long hose second stage, switching to the short
hose secondary, then swimming 30 metres/100 feet as the team mate uses the long
hose regulator, maintaining contact.
Working in a team, perform a bubble check, descent check and S-drill.
Independently don, remove and re-don a stage/deco cylinder on the bottom.
Perform gas switches to a stage/deco cylinder correctly following the NO TOX
procedure.
Shut down both manifold valves and the isolator valve, and switch second
stages to maintain a breathing supply, beginning with any valve chosen by the
instructor, within 60 seconds (or within 40 seconds if there is no isolator
valve).
Deploy a lift bag or DSMB from the bottom in water too deep in which to
stand.
Swim at a steady pace at a constant depth for sufficient time to determine
the SAC rate.
Using only neutral buoyancy, maintain a simulated decompression stop for
eight minutes.
Remove and replace stage/deco cylinder at the surface in water too deep in
which to stand
Tec 40 Training
Dive 2
Key Standards
Environment: Open water (Dive Boat or Spring)
Minimum Depth: 10 metres/30
feet
Maximum Depth: 18 metres/60 feet
Decompression: No stop
only
Gases: Air, EANx up to EANx50
Ratios: 6:1, 8:1 with one
or more certified assistants
Skills
To successfully complete this training dive, students must be able to:
Working in a team, plan the dive following the A Good Diver’s Main Objective
Is To Live procedure, and perform predive checks following the Being Wary
Reduces All Failures procedure.
Independently don and remove a single deco cylinder at the surface.
Descend along a line to the bottom, maintaining control of depth and descent
speed by adjusting buoyancy.
Working as a team, perform appropriate bubble checks and descent checks.
While continuously swimming, independently stage a deco cylinder, swim at
least 10 metres/30 feet from it, return to it, and don it.
Swim at least two minutes and a distance of 18 metres/60 feet sharing gas
with the long hose as both the donor and the receiver.
Perform the gas shutdown drill within 60 seconds (40 seconds if not wearing
isolator doubles).
Perform a working rate SAC swim by swimming for approximately five minutes
at a level depth, recording the appropriate information for later calculation.
Demonstrate time/depth and gas supply awareness by writing the depth and
time at each 35 bar/500 psi of back gas consumed.
Demonstrate turn pressure and time limit awareness by signaling the
instructor upon reaching the turn pressure or time limit the team had planned
were this really a decompression dive.
As a team, deploy a lift bag/DSMB from the bottom.
As a team, simulate a partially failed lift bag/DSMB by deploying a second
lift bag/DSMB up the line of the first lift bag.
Use primarily proper buoyancy control to ascend along a line at a controlled
rate not to exceed 10 metres/30 feet per minute, or slower if specified by a
dive computer, to stop at a simulated decompression stop at 5 metres/15 feet,
without ascending past it.
Record the appropriate information for later calculation of a deco rate SAC
by simulating a 10 minute required decompression stop at 5 metres/15 feet.
While neutrally buoyant at a simulated deco9mpression stop, with a team
mate, NO TOX gas switch to decompression cylinder while maintaining depth within
1 metre/3 feet of the stop depth.
Throughout the dive, respond appropriately to simulated emergencies prompted
by the instructor.
Post dive, use desktop decompression software to determine the oxygen
exposure (OTUs and CNS “clock”) of the dive as it was actually made.
Tec 40 Training
Dive 3
Key Standards
Environment: Open water (Dive Boat or Spring)
Minimum Depth: 15 metres/50
feet
Maximum Depth: 27 metres/90 feet
Decompression: No stop
only
Gases: Air, EANx up to EANx50
Ratios: 4:1, 6:1 with one
or more certified assistants
Skills
To successfully complete this training dive, students must be able to:
Working in a team, plan the dive following the A Good Diver’s Main Objective
Is To Live procedure, and perform predive checks following the Being Wary
Reduces All Failures procedure.
Complete a simulated decompression dive based within Tec 40 limits
(40metres/130 feet max depth, 10 minutes max deco. EANx50 max oxygen content).
Descend along a line to the bottom, maintaining control at depth and descent
speed by adjusting buoyancy.
Working as a team, perform appropriate bubble checks and descent checks.
Perform the gas shutdown drill within 45 seconds (30 seconds if not wearing
isolator doubles).
Demonstrate turn time/depth and gas supply awareness by writing the cylinder
pressure at each 10 minutes of dive time.
Demonstrate turn pressure and time limit awareness by signaling the
instructor upon reaching the turn pressure or time limit the team had planned
were this really a decompression dive.
As a team, deploy a lift bag/DSMB from the bottom.
Ascend the lift bag/DSMB line and complete the simulated decompression,
staying together with the team, remaining neutrally buoyant and staying within
plus or minus .5 metres/1.5 feet of stop depth by controlling buoyancy.
Throughout the dive, respond appropriately to simulated emergencies prompted
by the instructor.
Tec 40 Training
Dive 4
Key Standards
Environment: Open water (USS Oriskany)
Minimum Depth: 26 metres/85
feet
Maximum Depth: 40 metres/130 feet
Decompression: Up to
10 minutes total decompression time based on breathing bottom gas throughout the
dive (no accelerated decompression)
Gases: Air, EANx up to
EANx50
Ratios: 3:1, 4:1 with one or more certified assistants
Skills
To successfully complete this training dive, students must be able to:
Working in a team, plan the dive following the A Good Diver’s Main Objective
Is To Live procedure, and perform predive checks following the Being Wary
Reduces All Failures procedure.
Complete an actual decompression dive within Tec 40 limits (40 metres/130
feet max depth, 10 minutes max deco, EANx50 max oxygen content).
Descend along a line to the bottom, maintaining control at depth and descent
speed by adjusting buoyancy.
Working as a team, perform appropriate bubble checks and descent checks.
As part of a team, demonstrate time/depth and gas supply awareness and turn
pressure and time limit awareness by turning the dive at the planned time, when
any team mate’s computer shows the planned decompression time or when any team
mate reaches turn pressure.
Ascend at a safe rate not to exceed 10 metres/30 feet per minute, or slower
if prompted by a dive computer, and complete the required decompression as a
team.
Throughout the dive, respond appropriately to actual or simulated problems
or emergencies.
