“IF ONLY YOU KNEW THE
POWER OF THE DARK SIDE…”
trips and adventures
@SOUTH WEST TECHNICAL DIVING
We love to go and do our own diving. If you are looking to build experience or just need a team-mate get in touch. We’d love to have you along. Unless you retain us to teach or guide there are no charges for joining a trip
Welcome to The Dark Side!
I think we are all starting to dry out with the Covid 19 restrictions….
What have we been up to?
Latest news from us and the Padawans, Sith and Jedi
All the pictures in this newsletter are from our featured training and trip venue, Gozo Technical diving. Once we get the OK we will be setting up a training and guided dive trip.
Well, before the lockdown we had a great time at the Irish Dive show talking everything from our Divesoft showcase, the Liberty Sidemount CCR and more. The Seacraft Scooters got a lot of attention, yes I know they are a lot of money, but truly not expensive for the performance as a couple of you agreed and your new DPV’s are now here.
With the lockdown we have set up quite a few of you on e-learning and some home study. Easy to do if you are bored.
We are also keen to do more, so a few video conference sessions on dive planning, gas planning and calculations, preparing for cave and trimix etc can all be done, as well as the specific lectures for some of the courses. Get in touch.
Finally I have personally had the Covid19 virus for the last five weeks so still in ‘rehab’ mode. Diving will need to be built back up for all of us, me included! Check out my interview with Aron Arngrimson here.
Product News
The 4 x 4 of Rebreathers, The JJ-CCR.
www.jj-ccr.com. I have now been diving this rebreather for 8 years from the analogue unit to the latest divecan. It has done some amazing dives and never missed a beat. A couple of years ago I did the JJ-CCR Service Technician course over in Denmark and South West Technical Diving became an official JJ-CCR service centre. When you start getting this level of understanding on the JJ, beyond that I had even as a full trimix instructor, you realise the superb thought process and engineering that has gone into this CCR. If you are thinking CCR you should be thinking JJ-CCR and make sure you are trained, at any level, by a factory authorised instructor. Check the JJ-CCR page to be certain.
Featured Training and Trips Venue
I spent a lot of my tech and instructor development here and not only is it an outstanding facility, but Tom is an outstanding mentor and friend. Love taking people back here. Matt. Some words from Tom
GOZO TECHNICAL DIVING, is a 5 Star TDI/SDI and PADI TECREC leading-edge Instructor Training Center with 20 years experience in the Technical Diving Scene. It was founded by Tom Steiner who is a Technical Instructor Trainer and Evaluator working as a professional in the field since 32 years.
Gozo Technical Diving is located on the island of Gozo in Malta and we offer the full range of TDI and PADI courses at diver and Instructor level, guided technical dives as well as technical services, technical equipment, technical dive shop, gases, support, accompanied exploration dives, safety divers for deep dives, for freediving competitions, search and recovery and specific technical diving advice.
Our state of the art filling station and the blender will prepare all gases you need for your dives. If you are on your own, in a small group, unguided divers or even with your own Instructor from abroad, we welcome you here at GOZO TECHNICAL DIVING. Everyone is here at home in a relaxed and professional atmosphere.
Gozo offers 92 dive sites, most are done from the shore but there is a nice selection of dives also in the north of the island that can be done by rib departing directly from the scenic place called “Inland Sea”. For all levels from beginner up to Technical diver, you will find everything from drop off, wrecks, caverns and caves.
We also organise all your needs from the airport to the Island with direct transfers, accommodation in Hotels or Farmhouses as well as pickup or car rental service.
We will take care from A-Z so you can relax your mind when you arrive at the airport and you can count that its a job that is done!
We hope to see you among us.
Stay Safe
Tom Steiner
Director of diving
Training and Diving Tips
A quick tip on teamwork. There is a lot of development time that I put into teamwork with students. Initially it has to be on self awareness, situational awareness and then you can contribute more effectively to the team. One of the easiest things to do though is give your teammates reassurance you are there. This is why we carry lights, even in open water as well as cave. Every few minutes, ensure your light beam crosses and holds that of your teammate. Without turning or having to look around, they know you are there. Oh, and get used to carrying the light in the left hand, more next newsletter on why.
Course News
Well, we can’t get wet, but we can do reading, lectures, e-learning, the exams, the kit configuration and more. Get in touch.
Psych Skills for Diving - Article of the Month
The Role of Ego in technical (and recreational) diving
I read a blog recently that suggested our egos could be responsible for many of the casualties that technical diving regrettably suffers. Sadly my comments on this blog never made it past the moderator. As a scientist and psychologist I am somewhat protective of terminology used to describe human thought, emotion and behaviour, and the author of this blog fell into a common trap in how they described ego.
Read on https://www.facebook.com/PSTforDIVING/posts/776561689098510
Upcoming Trips and Courses
Here is what is booked for 2020 so far
21 Feb, Go Diving Trade Day in Coventry
7-8 March, Irish Dive Show in Limerick
22-25 March, Divesoft Factory Training & Visit, Prague
18-19 April 2020, Tech Vision 2020 Scubadive West – Try tech, CCR and DPV
1-8 May, JJ-CCR Mod 1 and MOD2 Crossover – Gozo Technical Diving, Gozo
9-13 May, Sidemount Essentials – Gozo
13-18 May, In Gozo, What do you want to do?
20-31 May Athens and Rhodes exploration and wreck ID project (hypoxic CCR)
21-26 June: 10 awesome Wrecks in 5 Days
7-14 July: Discover Portugal’s Caves, Lisbon based
7-21 September: Cave Training in France, OC and CCR – 2 places available
We're proud to
collaborate with
tdi, andi & padi
set up a
coffee and
A chat
with a jedi
set up
an online chat
with a sith
