Who technical diving is for
Technical diving courses are for experienced divers who want to go deeper and stay longer than recreational limits allow. You learn to plan decompression dives, manage your gas and use several cylinders and gas mixes. These courses require diving experience and logged dives, and the minimum age is usually 18.
What these courses have in common
We teach technical diving under two programmes: PADI TecRec and TDI. Each course combines theory, practical sessions and training dives in open water, usually four. The focus is on a technical equipment configuration, precise buoyancy and horizontal trim, gas planning and emergencies: gas loss, regulator failure and gas sharing in the team. Every course ends with an international PADI or TDI certificate.
How to choose
Try technical diving
TDI Intro to Tech is an introductory course without decompression, with dives no deeper than 23 m. It suits you if you want to try technical equipment and find out whether technical diving is for you. An open water certificate and 25 logged dives are enough.
PADI TecRec: Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50
Tec 40 is the first PADI TecRec course: decompression dives to 40 m with no more than 10 minutes of decompression. Tec 45 takes you to 45 m with no limit on decompression time, and Tec 50 to 50 m with two decompression gases. Together they make up the Tec Deep programme, and Tec 40 training counts towards the next courses.
TDI: Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Procedures, Extended Range
TDI Advanced Nitrox teaches you to use mixes from 21 to 100 % oxygen on dives to 40 m without staged decompression. Decompression Procedures covers staged decompression dives to 45 m. Extended Range is for experienced technical divers: deep decompression dives on air to 55 m.
If you are not sure which programme to choose, write to us: we will advise you based on your experience and goals.
How to prepare
Besides Advanced Open Water Diver, Tec 40 requires nitrox and Deep Diver certificates (10 dives to 30 m can replace Deep Diver), and Tec 45 and Tec 50 also require Rescue Diver. You will find these among the specialty and basic courses. The twinset and sidemount courses help you get used to two cylinders.
What comes next
After Tec 50 you can plan and make technical decompression dives to 50 m on your own, and the TDI Extended Range certificate allows decompression dives on air to 55 m. Deeper diving uses trimix, which needs separate training. If you want to dive quietly and without bubbles, see the rebreather (CCR) courses: their technical level, Tec 40 CCR, covers decompression dives to 40 m on the AP Diving Vision rebreather.
Frequently asked questions
How much experience do I need?
It depends on the course. For TDI Intro to Tech an open water certificate and 25 logged dives are enough. Tec 40 requires Advanced Open Water Diver, nitrox (Enriched Air) and Deep Diver certificates (or 10 dives to 30 m) and at least 30 logged dives. The exact requirements are on each course page.
What is the difference between PADI TecRec and TDI?
Both teach decompression diving with several gas mixes. The PADI TecRec path is Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50, to 50 m. The TDI path is Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Procedures and Extended Range, on air to 55 m.
Where does the training take place?
Theory in Vilnius; we agree the open water dive sites before the course.