Step Up or Step Across – from Rec to Tech
Step up or Step Across? The leap from recreational to technical diving Most dive agencies lay out a ladder type pathway for dive development, showing each course as a step up, building on the last. Then you reach the top of the ladder, Master Scuba this...
Cylinder Markings – A suggestion for Standardisation
As a tech and cave instructor as well as someone who often guides tech and cave dives I have seen a massive variety in the way people mark stage and deco cylinders. By and large the community has come to a consensus on the markings for the side of the cylinder...
Learning Skills from some instructors might be a waste of time
Skills are the foundation of safe and enjoyable diving and the building blocks of all diving certifications. The comment here is not that learning skills is a waste of time, but, learn them from the wrong instructor, and you will have to re-do them completely for them...
To BOV(er) or not to BOV(er)
BOV or no BOV This is usually a polarised argument. People are either all for or all against. So, let us examine the arguments from both sides. I’m going to put in some assumptions though. To me they are not assumptions, mainly because I have tested these in...
Twinset Valve Drill
Twinset Valve Drill The valve drill should be and in fact is easier to carry out in flat trim, with your head up and not moving! Before jumping in make sure you haven’t got folds of drysuit or undersuit restricting movement, this should be obvious when doing a...
Insurance
Now with Covid 19 cover Insurance is a massive issue for us all as divers and something we need for peace of mind for ourselves and is usually required by dive centres or local country legislation. We have through TDI recently moved to DiveAssure, an excellent...
Choosing a Sidemount CCR
I got asked recently about choosing a Sidemount CCR. Of course, this is a subject that will lead to war on social media, but I thought I would put my reasons into the mix. Manual v E-CCR Many cave and very experienced (old?) CCR divers favour a...
START MODS STOP
START MODS/NOTOXIC STOP Ref: https://www.tdisdi.com/tdi-diver-news/three-safety-protocols-for-technical-diving/ START This acronym helps divers remember to do a pre-dive safety check with their buddies. This encompasses everything a...
Surviving Lockdown
Huge thanks to x-ray magazine for publishing this article wot I wrote! 🙂 #tdidivecentre #andifacility #Apekstechnicalcentre #caveinstructor #jjccrfactoryservicecentre #JJCCR #ANDI #nolimitsexploration #cavediving #Apeks #divesoft #sidemountccr #southwestech...
Covid19 Dive Centre Guidelines
Covid19 is a concern for all as we return to diving and there are many 'opinions' on best practice. We will be following the DAN and UK/Ireland Diving safety group guidelines as per the attached pdf for your protection and ours. Please do email with any questions....