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courses and pricing

Technical Diving

What is technical diving? Technical diving can be defined as diving in overhead environment. This overhead environment can be real, for example diving in an underwater cave or inside of a wreck, or virtual, caused by decompression obligation due to the depth or duration of the dive. In both cases diver does not have direct access to the surface should a problem arise. Specialized equipment and training are absolutely necessary for anyone engaging in this type of diving.

If you are interested in penetrating wrecks, exploring underwater caves, getting away from a usual crowd of open water divers by going deeper and seeing what most people are missing out on, limited by their NDL computers or dive tables, if you need that extra time beyond no-deco limits to catch your prize lobster AND willing to put time and determination into additional training - Technical Diving may be for you.

Technical diving is usually mission-oriented diving - wreck or cave exploration, scientific study, search and recovery. It differs from regular open water diving by how much thought is put into planning a dive and how the dive is executed. Equipment used by technical divers is designed with the one goal in mind - to allow the diver complete his or her task with as much safety as possible. Redundancy, streamlining, robustness are defining characteristics of technical diving gear. It may not have all bells and whistles of recreational dive gear or features that seem appealing while looking at it at the dive store but it will not have it's numerous failure points either. Technical diving equipment was developed by divers working on overcoming limitations of available recreational diving equipment and not by sales people trying to add another esoteric feature to an existing product to make it more enticing to buy.

Until very recently, if you wanted to get quality instruction in technical diving, you would have to travel out of state. Now, with Underwater Dynamics, you have a first rate technical diving training facility right here in Orem, Utah. We carry products from all main technical diving equipment manufacturers as well as wide selection of various accessories to customize your gear for your particular application.

If you have any questions about technical diving, come see us and talk to our experienced instructors.

Courses

Introduction to Technical Diving

Intro To Tech

The TDI Intro to Tech course introduces students to the world of technical diving. The objective of this course is to familiarize students with technical gear configurations, to enhance open water diving skills (such as buoyancy, trim and situational awareness).

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.

Topics covered:

  • Advanced Buoyancy Control, Propulsion Techniques and Trim
  • Physics and Physiology of Diving
  • Gear Configuration and Selection
  • Gas Management
  • Dive Planning and Dive Procedures

$250, prerequisites: AOW, 25 logged dives, minimum age 15 w/ parental consent

Course structure and duration: 6 hours of classroom and briefings, 3 dives

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Nitrox

TDI Nitrox course is an entry level course for divers wishing to utilize enriched air Nitrox as a breathing gas. The objective of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards, and proper procedures for using Nitrox mixes from 22% to 40% percent oxygen content.

Topics covered:

  • History of Nitrox
  • Physics and Physiology of Diving
  • Equipment considerations and Techniques
  • Dive Tables and Dive Computers
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of EAN
  • Procedures

$150, prerequisites: OW or current enrolment in OW, minimum age 15 w/ parental consent.

Course structure and duration: 3 hours of classroom, 2 dives; note: this course does not require equipment listed in Technical Diving Equipment Checklist below

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Advanced Nitrox

Advanced Nitrox

The TDI Advanced Nitrox course qualifies divers to use enriched air nitrox from EAN21 through EAN100 (oxygen) to a depth of 130 feet during dives that do not require staged decompression. This course may be combined with the TDI Decompression Procedures course. It can be considered the foundation of your technical diving career. Advanced Nitrox is also a great course for those wanting to extend their bottom times in shallower depths such as scientific diver, and a must for SCR and CCR divers.

Topics covered:

  • Physics and Physiology of Diving
  • Equipment considerations and Techniques
  • Dive Planning, Gas Formulas, Dive Tables and Dive Computers
  • Gas Blending
  • Nitrox and Decompression
  • Dive Procedures

$500, prerequisites: Nitrox, 25 logged dives, minimum age 15 w/ parental consent (18 if combined with Decompression Procedures)

Course structure and duration: 6 hours of classroom and briefings, 4 hours of confined water training, 4 dives; if combined with TDI Decompression Procedures total number of dives required for both courses is 6

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Decompression Procedures

Advanced Nitrox

The TDI Decompression Procedures course examines the theory, methods and procedures of planned staged decompression diving. This course may be combined with the TDI Advanced Nitrox Course. The objective of this course is to train divers how to plan and conduct a standard staged decompression dive not exceeding a maximum depth of 150 feet. Students are permitted to utilize EANx or oxygen for decompression, provided the gas mix is within their current certification level.

Topics covered:

  • Physics and Physiology of Diving
  • Decompression Options
  • Equipment considerations and Techniques
  • Dive Planning, Dive Tables and Dive Computers
  • Gas Blending
  • Nitrox and Decompression
  • Dive Procedures and Decompression Methods

$500, prerequisites: AOW, 25 logged dives, minimum age 18

Course structure and duration: minimum 6 hours of classroom/briefings, 4 hours of confined water training, 4 dives; if combined with TDI Advanced Nitrox only a total of 6 dives is required

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Trimix

One of the major limiting factors of going deeper is narcosis. The TDI Trimix Diver course shows how to minimize the effects of narcosis by adding helium to offset the nitrogen in your breathing gas. While taking the Trimix Diver course your TDI Instructor will teach you how to plan and execute dives utilizing as little as 18% oxygen and diving to maximum depth of 200 feet with a blend of helium appropriate for the planned depth.

Topics covered:

  • Physics and Physiology of Diving
  • Decompression Options
  • Equipment considerations and Techniques
  • Dive Planning, Teams, Support
  • Dive Procedures

$1000, prerequisites: Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures, 100 logged dives, minimum age 18

Course structure and duration: minimum 8 hours of classroom/briefings, 4 dives

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Advanced Trimix

Advanced Trimix

The TDI Advanced Trimix Diver course is the top level of training for open circuit divers wishing to dive to depths as deep as 330 feet utilizing hypoxic levels of oxygen (below 17 percent). This course is perhaps one of the most informative and challenging and upon completion you are among some of the most elite divers.

Topics covered:

  • Physics and Physiology of Diving
  • Decompression Options
  • Equipment considerations and Techniques
  • Dive Planning, Teams, Support
  • Dive Procedures and Decompression Methods

$1500, prerequisites: Trimix, 100 dives minimum (with 25 deeper than 100 feet), minimum age 18

Course structure and duration: 8 hours of classroom and briefings, 4 dives, 2 of those must be deeper than 230 feet

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Course prices listed above don't include training materials, equipment, rentals, gas fills, site access/boat fees or travel costs. Private courses are taught at double the regular course fee.

You are welcome to print and review the Technical Diving Equipment Checklist.

Rebreathers

Rebreather training is unit specific. We offer courses for a variety of Semi-closed and Closed Circuit Rebreathers in-house as well as through our network of affiliated instructors. Training is available for OMG Azimuth, Draeger Dolphin & Ray, ISC Megalodon, DiveRite O2ptima, Inspiration/Evolution, KISS, Sentinel and Ouroboros. Pricing depends on a number of criteria, please contact us to discuss your options or schedule your class.

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Announcement

We stock technical diving gear

  • Cylinders - Faber, Worthington, Luxfer
  • Valves and Manifolds - Thermo, Dive Rite
  • Cylinder bands - Highland
  • Backplates - Golem, Highland, OMS
  • Wings - Golem, Dive Rite, OMS, Zeagle
  • Regulators - Poseidon, Mares, Zeagle, Dive Rite, Salvo
  • Miflex and custom length LP & HP hoses
  • Brass & Glass and Pony bottle gauges from Highland
  • Finger spools, cave reels, various pockets for harnesses, wrist slates, SMBs and lift bags
  • Shock cord in various sizes, cave line, d-rings, belt slides, bolt snaps, quick links, etc.