Foundations

 

The key to any good technical diving program is to start with the basics. A trend in the industry is to push students into tech diving but this has disastrous results for both the student and the instructor if the student does not possess the necessary foundation on which to build technical skills. Students who wish to get involved in technical diving require a strong foundation, which is why we have structured our entry level technical course the way we have. The “Foundations” course will teach both divers who are interested in technical diving and experienced technical divers the proper skill sets to be a thinking member of their dive team. Foundations students will develop awareness while being drilled on the proper techniques starting with the most fundamental skills while progressing to more challenging skills.

 

The course begins with an extensive review of basic Nitrox principles so that everyone has the same knowledge base of all required concepts for this course and subsequent courses. Then these principles are expanded upon by introducing new concepts for higher oxygen concentration mixtures such as 50% and the use of pure oxygen. The effects of different breathing gasses in context to on-gassing/off-gassing, gas switching at depth, and modern decompression theory are also covered.

 

The majority of this course is designed to get the student diving so that they can develop the proper skills and techniques for technical diving. In diving, the primary skills are buoyancy and trim. Without these two key skills, other skills are more difficult because students are focusing on buoyancy issues and not on learning new key skills. Since divers are trained wearing a full technical rig, they need to learn how to achive perfect buoyancy/trim - the working position - in their new rig. The hallmark of any good technical diver is being able to maintain their position in the water column for an extended period of time. Another area most divers have problems with are propulsion techniques, therefore proper finning techniques to include frog kick, backwards frog kick, helicopter turns, and other kicking methods are discussed. These and many other skills are covered in the Foundations course. Contact one of our instructors to get more information or to sign up for a Foundations course today!
Course Overview
 
Minimum age: 18
 
Minimum dives: 7
 
Class size: Private and semi-private
 
Course fees include:
  • Instruction
  • Student Materials
  • Gas Fills
What you need to provide:
  • Full technical rig (rentals available)
  • Charter/Entry site fees

Course fees: $1000

 

A diver conducting a valve drill with a recreational diver in the background.