The Path To Decompression DivingMention decompression diving to a person who just finished their basic certification class and watch the absolute horror that comes over their face.Basic diving courses are the G-rated version of scuba diving. In the world of the basic diver you should never dive solo, always stay out of overhead environments, never go deeper than 130 feet (40m), and never ever put yourself in a decompression situation. Once the diver gets a few dives under their belt, takes their advanced course and maybe a couple of specialty courses, then they’ll begin to understand that certain dives must be decompression dives. This type of diving isn’t something you can just decide to do one day. It takes special training and special knowledge to perform a decompression dive safely, but those who are committed enough to learn how it’s done, will be rewarded with sites few divers ever get to see. A classic example of what I’m talking about is the Andrea Doria. The Andrea Doria is a luxury liner that sunk in 250 feet (76m) of water. Most divers will just read stories about what it’s like to dive the Andrea Doria, but maybe about 20,000 worldwide will get the training necessary to perform a dive like this. So what kind of training does it take?Is there a single course that prepares you to execute a dive like the Andrea Doria? No. Not really. In fact, it’ll take several different training courses and a host of experiences in between to accomplish a dive like this.If you plan on being one of the 20,000 divers who dive below the 130 foot (40m) mark, start by taking a nitrox class in conjunction with either your basic or advanced course. A nitrox class will expose you to information about the effects of different partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen. That’s information you’ll need when you move on to more advanced classes. After your basic, advanced and nitrox classes you should take some time to gain experience and comfort diving around the 80 to 100 foot (24-30m) mark. Once you get comfortable diving at these depths, it’s time to move on. Additional training for Decompression DivingOnce you get past your advanced diving course, you’ll need to branch out from the usual SSI or PADI families of certification.At this point in your diving education you’ll need to look to a specialty training agency like IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers) or TDI (Technical Diving International). You’ll need a host of courses such as Advanced Nitrox Diver, Decompression Procedures Course, Extended Range Diver Course, Entry Level Trimix Diver, and Advanced Trimix Diver. Some of these classes can be taken at the same time, but most require that you log a certain number of dives at a given depth before moving on. The deeper you want to go the more courses you’ll have to take. Decompression diving has its dangers but it also has its rewards. You’ll get to see things that very few people ever get to see. If you really love scuba diving and you want to take your education to the next level, learning to do decompression diving may be the way to go. Return to Underwater Diving Equipment Home Page. |
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