Big Blue Tech completed a TDI Intro to Tech course today for Andy Cavell and Mark Slinn who began the first level in water skill development for their technical diver internship.

The TDI Intro to Tech course is the perfect course for divers who have heard about technical diving and want to find out more about this exciting branch of advanced recreational diving. This course walks students through the special techniques, planning procedures and skills that set technical diving apart from traditional sport diving. It will show them how to improve their dive planning methods, in-water skills and streamline their existing gear configuration, in a non-threatening and fun learning environment. The specific skills this course will highlight are: Advanced Buoyancy Control, Gas Management, Situational Awareness, Trim, Gear Configuration and Selection and Many More!

TDI’s Intro to Tech course is a useful stand-alone course for the diver who wants to become a more skilled, more proficient diver regardless of if he intends to move on to technical diving. The course may also be used as an introduction to the TDI Advanced Nitrox course and the TDI Decompression Procedures course. And finally, it is also a good refresher for certified technical divers who may want to refresh their skills or have them re-evaluated by a TDI technical instructor.

Although the students did not need this course to start their official technical diving series it was offered to them to have 4 additional training dives to enhance their overall skills and start with a solid foundation of buoyancy and trim before moving deeper through different challenges in the future.

The course was also completed with the assistance of Ash Dunn who is working towards his technical divemaster certification which requires assisting a variety of technical diving courses.

The students progress on to the TDI Advanced Nitros and TDI Decompression procedures this week along with TDI Gas Blender and TDI Advanced Gas Blender with the use of helium for trimix.

On Friday December 11th Big Blue hosted a “Divemaster Challenge” celebrated the graduation of our most recent interns by creating a mock “pop idol” style event with games and events.

The graduates included Big Blue Tech’s Ash Dun who received his PADI Divemaster certification along with Yan and Karen who received her SSI DiveCon certification.

The theme behind the event was based on “pop idol” where the graduates have to compete for best dancer and singer while the judges decide what their prize or punishment should be.

Now that ash has officialy graduated (he received his actual divemaster rating over a month before) he can go on to better a brighter things.

These divemaster challenges replace the more common practice of “snorkel challenge” and are common around dive centers worldwide for various certification levels. Big Blue host divemaster challenges monthly.

Today Mark Slinn (intern) and Andy Cavell (intern) completed their TDI O2 Service Technician Course. This would be the most recent service and technician related course after completing their TDI Visual Inspections course last week.

The o2 Service Technician builds on servicing regulators and cylinders but to a “oxygen clean” level. The students began by stripping and cleaning an Scubapro Mk2 1st stage and R295 Second stage and cleaning it removing any source of hydrocarbons. After a full clean and inspection the regulators we re assembled and tested. After full assembly the regulators were marked and recorded to be used in future training when breathing oxygen underwater. You can read more about this unique course here.

As the internship progresses the interns will be required to attain the SDI Divemaster certification and later the TDI Technical Divemaster certification. Since they are already PADI Divemasters all they had to do was cross over their skills and fill the gaps in the training.

One of these gaps is the most unpleasant swim tests and “surface recovery” or “ditch and don” exercise. The swim test are similar to other organizations with slight differences and the ditch and don exercise is rarely in a divemaster program in any official capacity (although many introduce it). At lunch we hit the water to cover these skills and stamina tests. The ditch and don is described as sinking your scuba gear, freediving down to it and assembling it underwater in about 3m. There are more steps to it but that’s the general description.

All of them did really well except Mark. Mark is a former soldier from the Parachute Regiment and is considered rather tough, however a cold got in his way and he couldn’t get down. He spent the remainder of the day blowing his nose and generally moaning on the surface with the instructor. He’ll get another chance in a few days.

In the afternoon the students cleaned their lean decompression mix cylinder while Ash cleaned twin set in preparation for our epic diving adventure in January. Once the practical work was finished the students sat a written exam and put all the tools away to prepare for the TDI Compressor Operator Course (distinctive) tomorrow.

Today Big Blue Tech says goodbye to Andy “Candy” Holdaway who is heading back to the United Kingdom after completing his technical diving internship.

Andy is good friends with James Thornton-Allan (Director of Technical Diving) from their time together in the Royal Marine Commandos and started his internship on July 16th commemorating his 3rd trip to Koh Tao over the past few years.

Andy’s presence was felt immediately as a friendly and outgoing person and quickly was accepted both professionally and socially.

Andy’s initial goal was to complete his PADI Divemaster course but quickly found himself in love with deep as he cruised through his technical training. His training was completed when he was awarded the TDI Technical Divemaster certification.

Andy plans to return in December to tackle his technical diving instructor course and start working for Big Blue Tech. Although we’ll miss Andy, we’re sure he’ll soon find himself looking for the first flight back once he get’s to sunny old england in november.

Below is a collection of pictures from andy’s time here.