SSI (Scuba Schools International) TXR (Technical Extended Range) course delivered in Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand

Big Blue Tech celebrates the graduation Rikki Clarke, and one of our very own Recreational Instructors Dan Bolton, from their SSI TXR Advanced Nitrox and Technical Foundations courses conducted by Helen Artal and Yvonne Fries.

The combined courses were conducted over 5 days, and are the perfect introduction to Technical Diving. On land the students learned about advanced dive planning, gas requirements and oxygen management, as well as taking a deeper look into the physics, physiology, equipment, and decompression theory that are involved in Technical Extended Range Diving.

In the water the boys were taken back to basics in the confined session to get to grips with their new equipment, and learn the various skills required for the course. They then completed 6 open water training dives to depths between 30 and 42 meters using both air and nitrox, and executed dive plans including up to 15 minutes stage decompression.

The combined Advanced Nitrox and Technical Foundations course is ideal for divers looking to increase their knowledge and safety in the water, while extending both your depth and no-deco limits, in addition to giving you an introduction to Decompression diving.

Big Blue Tech release updated curriculum and course offerings

Koh Tao, Thailand

Today Big Blue Tech have published our new course offerings for the spring season leading into the next year. Big Blue Tech have removed PADI TecRec programs in favor for TDI, BSAC and SSI which have been moving progressively forward in the technical diving market.

Big Blue Tech have released SSI TXR Diver and Instructor level programs along with TDI Instructor programs. This addition comes thanks to our instructor trainer Ben Reymenants who joined Big Blue Tech in March.

You can find the links below to the new program offerings. for more information please feel free to contact us.

TDI
SDI Solo Diver
TDI Full Face Mask Diver
TDI Nitrox Diver
TDI Intro to Tech
TDI Advanced Nitrox
TDI Decompression Procedures
TDI Extended Range
TDI Trimix Diver
TDI Advanced Trimix
TDI Gas Blender
TDI Advanced Gas Blender
TDI O2 Service Technician
TDI Technical Divemaster
TDI Compressor Operator
TDI Tech Diver Package
TDI Tech Instructor Courses

Overhead
TDI Cavern Diver
TDI Intro to Cave
TDI Cave Diver
TDI Advanced Wreck

REBREATHER
TDI Semi Closed Rebreather
TDI Air-Dil Closed Circuit Rebreather
TDI Mixed Gas Closed Curcuit Rebreather
TDI Advanced Closed Circuit Rebreather

BSAC
BSAC Advanced Nitrox Diver
BSAC Tech Advanced Nitrox Diver
BSAC Extended Range Diver
BSAC Compressor Operator
BSAC Gas Blender
BSAC Dive Leader
BSAC Instructor Crossover
BSAC Instructor Course

SSI TXR
SSI TXR Advanced Nitrox
SSI TXR Technical Foundations
SSI TXR Decompression Procedures
SSI TXR Trimix
SSI Instructor Crossover
SSI Instructor Course
SSI TXR Tech Instructor Courses

Scuba Schools International (SSI) technical program TechXR celebrates the graduation of technical diving instructors and divers in Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand

Big Blue Tech celebrates the successful graduation of our own staff Yvonne Fries and Helen Artal from their SSI (Scuba Schools International) TechXR (Technical Extended Range) Instructor course. Yvonne was awarded the Advanced Nitrox and Technical Foundations Instructor level and Helen was awarded the same as Yvonne but continued on to Decompression Procedures.

Big Blue Tech has been hosting this event for over a week that saw Ben Reymenants, SSI TXR Instructor Trainer, issue 4 instructor level certifications and 2 diver level certifications. The course visited the best sites we have to offer including a full day trip to sail rock, multiple trips to Chumphon Pinnacle and a full day trip to our “Big Blue Wreck” which is a sunken ferry found earlier this month.

SSI TXR programs take strength from their materials which are very attractive and comprehensive. The student study pack includes an interactive CD which allows the student to manipulate technical diving equipment with the click of the mouse and seeing how the air flows in a manifold twin set system. In addition to the multimedia the materials are new and current allowing the best the industry has to offer with respect to valid teaching methods and theories.

Moe details about the courses we’ll be offering will be released on April 1st on our website.

Scuba Schools International (SSI) Technical Extended Range (TXR) prgrams come to Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand -

Big Blue Tech will be hosting a SSI TechXR instructor and diver course starting on Monday the 15th of March until the 23rd of March.

This event will be conducted by SSI TechXR Instructor Trainer Ben Reymenants who is best known for his work for the chamber works in Thailand, developing technical diving in Maldives and holding world records for different diving activities from depth to environments including caves.

During this event Ben will be training Helen Artal (Big Blue Tech) Yvonne Fries (Big Blue Tech)  and Mikko Paasi (Koh Tao Divers) to become SSI TechXR Instructors. The instructor training portion is combined with the SSI TechXR diver level course for 2 students from various backgrounds.

SSI’s TechXR is a well founded Technical Diving program and it was created to take the recreational diver to an extreme level for their diving adventures.  Whether you are looking for the excitement of deep reef diving or the thrill of exploring wrecks located well past 40m (130 feet), SSI TechXR is a way to learn the training and experience necessary for you to complete every new adventure with confidence and skill.

Whatever your current diving ability, extended range diving will challenge you with environments, depths, bottom times, procedures, and equipment not commonly encountered by recreational divers. You will be experiencing advanced levels that require extensive knowledge, enhanced diving skills, and considerable experience.

SSI has developed these specific learning tools: a manual, interactive CD-ROM, Technical DiveLog and Technical Dive Slates. In addition, you rinstructor may also require you to have a personal copy of an advanced dive planning software program.  The courses available for you to take are: Advanced Nitrox, Technical Foundations, Decompression Procedures, Normoxic Trimix, and Advanced Decompression Procedures. You can take each of these courses individually or all at once.

You will develop confidence and comfort with these new skills through repetition and supervised experiences. Training will be designed to match your goals and objectives. SSI′s signature training method′s the “SSI Diver Diamond “and “Comfort Through Repetition” have been applied to keep the programs consistent and provide the same high quality education as other SSI products.

Big Blue Tech will be publishing updates and news as the course progess and plans to release SSI TechXR Programs to the general public at the end of the month.