Standars

Instructor Guide Section Two: Tec Diver Course Standards

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Two: Tec Diver Course Standards This section covers general course standards that apply to the entire Tec Diver course. In this section, you’ll find instructor and assistant requirements, prerequisites for the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses, equipment requirements, instructor and student material requirements, paperwork and administration standards, insurance requirements, certification procedures, course sequence requirements and standards that apply to all training dives. You’ll also find definitions of mastery as they apply to the Tec Diver course. Standards that are specific to the conduct of the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses appear in the sections for those subcourses. Course standards that you must follow ap-pear in boldface to clearly separate them from supporting material and suggestions.

Legal and Regulatory Considerations DSAT TecRec programs provide courses and materials addressing the global needs of PADI Members in more than 175 countries and territories. Be aware that in some regions, regulations and laws may impose restrictions, requirements and prohibitions regarding diving, diving as an employee, diving for any form of compensation, or all of these. This particularly includes tec diving and any other form of diving that involves depths deeper than 40 metres/130 feet, planned decompression stops and/or using breathing mixes other than air. It is your responsibility to be aware of and follow any local regulations that apply to recreational and technical diving, and to teaching recreational and technical diving. Be aware that regulations may exist on a federal, state/provincial, or city level.

Instructor Requirements To conduct all subcourses in the DSAT Tec Diver course, you must be a teaching status PADI Instructor who is certified as a DSAT Tec Deep Instructor. To conduct the Tec 40 course only, you must be a renewed, teaching status PADI Instructor who is certi-fied as a DSAT Tec Instructor.You may qualify by completing a DSAT Tec Instructor or DSAT Tec Deep Instructor Training course conducted by a PADI Course Director who is a DSAT Tec Deep Instruc-tor Trainer, or by applying directly to your PADI Office.

Requirements to Qualify as a Tec Deep Instructor through a DSAT Tec Deep Instructor Training CourseTo enroll in a DSAT Tec Deep Instructor training course, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a renewed PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (or a PADI Instructor with a higher rating).2. Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, or have successfully completed a PADI Enriched Air Instructor training course.

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Section Two: Tec Diver Course Standards Instructor Guide

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3. Be a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor, or have successfully completed a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor training course.4. Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, where at least 20 dives were made with enriched air nitrox, 25 dives were deeper than 18 metres/60 feet and at least 15 dives were deeper than 30 metres/ 100 feet.

Upon successfully completing the DSAT Tec Deep Instructor training course, before sending your application to PADI, you must meet the fol-lowing criteria:

1. Be a renewed PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer or PADI Instructor with a higher rating.2. Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor.3. Be a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor.4. Be certified as a DSAT Tec 50 diver, or have a qualifying certification from another training organization. For the purposes of this level, a qualifying cer-tification is certification for technical deep diving using air, enriched air and pure oxygen for decompression dives to at least 50 metres/ 165 feet. The PADI Course Director conducting the Tec Deep Instructor training course may include the Tec 50 diver level training and certification in the program, issuing the certification when you successfully complete the DSAT Tec Deep Instructor training course.5. Have assisted with at least one DSAT Tec 50 course or one Tec 45 course. If you have a qualifying instructor certification from another training orga-nization, having taught or assisted with one course that qualifies as DSAT Tec 45 and/or Tec 50 courses may meet this requirement, as stipulated on the Tec Deep Instructor Application. Completing the DSAT Tec Deep Instructor training course credits as having assisted a Tec 50 diver course. Other types of technical training (instructor level or assisting) may meet these requirements. See the Tec Deep Instructor Application, or contact an Educational Consultant at your PADI Office for more information.6. Have a minimum of 270 dives logged, with at least 25 stage decompression dives that had a maximum depth deeper than 40 metres/130 feet.7. Have certified a total of ten or more PADI Deep Divers and/or PADI En-riched Air Divers. Any combination that totals ten is acceptable.8. Have successfully completed the Tec Deep Instructor Standards Exam and Tec Deep Instructor Theory and Practical Application Exam.9. Meet the peer review waterskill requirements listed on the DSAT Tec Deep Instructor Application through the attesting signature of a DSAT Tec Deep Instructor, or a PADI Instructor with a qualifying rating from another train-ing organization.10. Minimum age 18 years.

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Your application may need to include documentation/proof of meeting these requirements by including photocopies of certifications, qualifications, etc. Log entry copies or print outs must specify dates, depths, locations, times and gases used. Verification and signatures provided by witnesses (divers and instructors of courses assisted) must provide the same information. See the DSAT Tec Deep Instructor Application in the Appendix for details on documentation requirements.

Requirements to Qualify as a Tec Deep Instructor by Applying Directly to Your PADI OfficeTo apply directly to your PADI Office for certification as a DSAT Tec Deep Instructor, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a renewed PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer or PADI Instructor with a higher rating.2. Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor.3. Be a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor.4. Be certified as a DSAT Tec 50 diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization. For the purposes of this level, a qualifying certification is certification for technical deep diving using air, enriched air and pure oxygen for decompression dives to at least 50 metres/ 165 feet.5. Have assisted with at least two DSAT Tec 50 courses or one Tec 45 course and one Tec 50 course. If you have a qualifying instructor certification from another training organization as an instructor, having taught or assisted with two courses that qualify as meeting the requirements of the DSAT Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses may meet this requirement, as stipulated on the Tec Deep Instructor Application. Other types of technical training (instructor level or assisting) may meet these requirements. See the Tec Deep Instructor Application, or contact an Educational Consultant at your PADI Office for more information.6. Have a minimum of 270 dives logged, with at least 25 stage decompres-sion dives that had a maximum depth deeper than 40 metres/130 feet.7. Have certified a total of ten or more PADI Deep Divers and/or PADI En-riched Air Divers. Any combination that totals ten is acceptable.8. Have successfully completed the Tec Deep Instructor Standards Exam and Tec Deep Instructor Theory and Practical Application Exam within 12 months of the application date.9. Meet the peer review waterskill requirements listed on the DSAT Tec Deep Instructor Application through the attesting signature of a DSAT Tec Deep Instructor or a PADI Instructor with an equivalent rating.10. Minimum age 18 years.

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Your application may need to include documentation/proof of meeting these requirements by including photocopies of certifications, qualifications, etc. Log entry copies or print outs must specify dates, depths, locations, times and gases used. Verification and signatures provided by witnesses (divers and instruc-tors of courses assisted) must provide the same information. See the DSAT Tec Deep Instructor Application in the Appendix for details on documentation requirements.

Requirements to Qualify as a Tec Instructor through a DSAT Tec Instructor Training CourseTo enroll in a DSAT Tec Instructor training course, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a renewed PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (or a PADI Instructor with a higher rating).2. Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver or have a qualifying certification from anoth-er training organization. For this program, a qualifying certification is proof of certification in enriched air nitrox diving with training that includes gas analysis, cylinder labeling, oxygen toxicity, oxygen exposure, maximum depth limits and planning enriched air dives with different enriched air blends (not just EANx32 and EANx36).3. Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor, or have successfully completed a PADI Enriched Air Instructor training course.4. Be a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor, or have successfully completed a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor training course.5. Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, where at least 20 dives were made with enriched air nitrox, 25 dives were deeper than 18 metres/60 feet and at least 15 dives were deeper than 30 metres/ 100 feet.

Upon successfully completing the DSAT Tec Instructor training course, before sending your application to PADI, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a renewed PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer or PADI Instructor with a higher rating.2. Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor.3. Be a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor.4. Be certified as a DSAT Tec 45 Diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization. For the purposes of this level, a qualifying certi-fication is one that qualifies you to make decompression dives to 45 metres/145 feet using air, EANx and oxygen using double cylinder, open circuit scuba equipment. The PADI Course Director conducting the Tec Instructor train-ing course may include the Tec 45 diver level training and certification in the program, issuing the certification when you successfully complete the DSAT Tec Instructor training course.

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5. Have a minimum of 20 stage decompression dives.6. Have successfully completed the Tec Instructor Exam.Your application may need to include documentation/proof of meeting these requirements by including photocopies of certifications, qualifica-tions, etc. Log entry copies or print outs must specify dates, depths, loca-tions, times and gases used. Verification and signatures provided by wit-nesses (divers and instructors of courses assisted) must provide the same information. See the DSAT Tec Instructor Application in the Appendix for details on documentation requirements.

Requirements to Qualify as a Tec Instructor by Applying Directly to Your PADI OfficeTo apply directly to your PADI Office for certification as a DSAT Tec Instructor, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a renewed PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer or PADI Instructor with a higher rating.2. Be a PADI Enriched Air Instructor.3. Be a PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor.4. Be certified as a DSAT Tec 45 diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization. For the purposes of this level, a quali-fying certification is one that qualifies you to make decompression dives to 45 metres/145 feet using air, EANx and oxygen using double cylinder, open circuit scuba equipment.5. Have a certification from another training organization that qualifies as a Tec Instructor or higher. For the purposes of this certification, a qualify-ing certification is qualification to teach open circuit decompression diving using air and enriched air to a depth of 40 metres/130 feet.6. Have a minimum of 20 stage decompression dives in doubles.7. Have successfully completed the Tec Instructor Exam.8. Have taught or assisted with two courses that qualify as meeting the requirements of the DSAT Tec 40 courses, or have assisted with one DSAT Tec 40 course.Your application may need to include documentation/proof of meeting these requirements by including photocopies of certifications, qualifica-tions, etc. Log entry copies or print outs must specify dates, depths, loca-tions, times and gases used. Verification and signatures provided by wit-nesses (divers and instructors of courses assisted) must provide the same information.

See the DSAT Tec Instructor Application in the Appendix for details on documentation requirements.

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Certified Assistant Requirements To qualify as a certified assistant with respect to supervisory ratios in the DSAT Tec Diver course, an individual must:

1. Be a renewed PADI Divemaster or higher level PADI Member.2. Be a PADI Enriched Air Diver.3. Be a DSAT Tec 40 diver or higher level DSAT TecRec diver.4. Have made at least 10 decompression dives to 40 metres/130 feet or deeper not including training dives made for certification in the Tec Diver course.5. A certified assistant is qualified to assist and count toward super-visory ratios during open water training dives within the assistant’s diver level certification limits.

For example, a PADI Divemaster who is certified as a Tec 50 diver may assist with any dive in the Tec Diver course. A PADI Divemaster who is certified as a Tec 40 diver may only assist with dives through the Tec 40 level. Note: Certified assistants of any level (renewed PADI Divemasters or higher) who are also PADI Enriched Air Divers may not be counted toward supervisory ratios in all confined/limited open water dives. Certified assistants of any level who are also PADI Enriched Air Divers may provide logistical support during open water dives while remaining within recreational limits (no stop, 40 me-tres/130 feet or less), but may not be counted in supervi-sory ratios.To qualify as a certified assistant for Discover Tec, an individual must be a renewed PADI Divemaster or higher level PADI Member and a PADI Enriched Air Diver.

Course Prerequisites Prerequisites for the DSAT Discover Tec, Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 pro-grams establish the minimums for entering each. It is your responsibility to en-sure that the student meets the prerequisites, through remediation if neces-sary, before starting the particular program. As appropriate, it’s recommended that you preassess potential students’ skill and knowledge in a confined water session and/or interviews. You can combine remediation with preassessment, refreshing student capabilities to mastery prior to beginning any of the courses.

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Discover Tec Prerequisites1. Certified as a PADI Open Water Diver or a qualifying certification from another training organization. For this program, a qualifying certification is proof of certification to dive independently, without direct supervision in the water.2. Minimum age: 18 years old.3. A minimum of 10 logged dives.4. For Discover Tec to credit toward the Tec 40 course, the participant must meet the prerequisites for the Tec 40 course.

Tec 40 PrerequisitesStudent divers must meet the following prerequisites before starting the Tec 40 course:

1. Certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or provide a qualifying certification from another training organization. For this course, a qualifying certification is proof of training beyond entry level with experience in deep diving and underwater navigation.2. Certified as a PADI Enriched Air Diver or qualifying certification from an-other training organization. For this course, a qualifying certification is proof of training in enriched air nitrox diving with training that includes gas analy-sis, cylinder labeling, oxygen toxicity, oxygen exposure, determining maxi-mum depth limits, and planning enriched air dives with different enriched air blends (not just EANx32 and EANx36).3. Certified as a PADI Deep Diver or show proof of at least 10 dives to 30 me-tres/100 feet. 4. Minimum age: 18 years.5. Have a minimum of 30 logged dives, of which at least 10 dives were made with enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 metres/60 feet.

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Tec 45 PrerequisitesStudent divers must meet the following prerequisites before starting the Tec 45 course:

1. Certified as a Tec 40 diver or provide a qualifying certification from another training organization. For the purposes of this level, a qualify-ing technical certification is one that qualifies the student to make limited decompression dives to 40 metres/130 feet using air and EANx using open circuit scuba equipment.2. Certified as a PADI Rescue Diver or provide a qualifying certification from another training organization. For this course, a qualifying certifica-tion is proof of training in diver rescue. Students who meet this prereq-uisite through a qualifying certification must provide proof of training in CPR and First Aid within the previous two years.3. Minimum age: 18 years.4. Have a minimum of 50 logged dives, of which at least 12 dives were made with enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 metres/60 feet, and at least 6 (with or without EANx) dives were deeper than 30 metres/100 feet.

Tec 50 PrerequisitesStudent divers must meet the following prerequi-sites before starting the Tec 50 course:

1. Certified as a Tec 45 diver or provide a qualifying certification from another training organization. For the purposes of this level, a qualifying technical certification is one that qualifies the student to make decompression dives to 45 metres/145 feet using air, EANx and oxygen using open circuit, double cylin-der scuba equipment.2. Certified as a PADI Rescue Diver or pro-vide a qualifying certification from another training organization. For this course, a qualifying certification is proof of training in diver rescue. Students who meet this prereq-uisite through a qualifying certification must provide proof of training in CPR and First Aid within the previous two years.3. Minimum age: 18 years.4. Have a minimum of 100 logged dives, of which at least 20 dives were made with enriched air nitrox deeper than 18 metres/60 feet, and at least 15 (with or without EANx) dives were deeper than 30 metres/100 feet.

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Equipment Requirements During the DSAT Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses, student divers and instructional staff (excluding staff functioning solely as support divers for the decompression/simulated decompression phase of the dive) must be fully equipped in technical diving gear, meeting the philosophies and intent described in the course presentation outlines and the DSAT Tec Deep Diver Manual. See the Tec 45 section of this guide for more detail. All subcourses within the Tec Diver course are based on open circuit scuba. Staff as well as students must be equipped in accordance with these standards.

Required for All CoursesThe following equipment must be available for practical use by all students and instructional staff in the Tec Diver course, though one per individual is not required:

• Personal computer with decompression software. Not required for Discover Tec. Portable to dive site recommended; smartphone/PDA applications acceptable if they calculate gas requirements as well as decompression. Ability to print tables for lamina-tion and submersion recommended.• Oxygen analyzer• Ascent/descent line(s) from boat/float as necessary• First aid kit• Emergency oxygen

It’s recommended that you bring spare clips, pull ties, cylinder wrap bands, appropriate tools and other rigging accessories for assisting students with equipment configuration, especially before the first dive in each course.

Sidemount option The Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses may be conducted in open water sidemount configura-tion if you have been certified as a sidemount instructor.

Tec 40 Equipment RequirementsThe following lists the equipment that is required for the Tec 40 course.

• Any one of the following appropriately labeled and marked options:• A single cylinder with a dual outlet valve (eg H valve or Y valve).• A single cylinder with single outlet valve and a pony bottle. Pony bottle should have same gas as main cylinder, or be breathable at the deepest planned dive depth. The minimum size cylinder is one with a free gas capacity of 850 litres/30 cubic feet.• Back mounted doubles with dual isolator manifold• Two side mounted cylinders (sidemount configuration)

•Two complete regulators, one with a two metre/seven foot hose for air sharing and one with SPG. Where two, unmanifolded cylinders are used (sidemount or pony bottle), each regulator must have an SPG, carried and/or marked in such a way as to avoid confusion between them.

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• Stage/deco cylinder with attachment hardware and a single second stage regulator and SPG. Note: It is recommended that each diver have and use individual stage/deco cylinders. However, it is acceptable for students to practice required skills with a shared cylinder.• BCD with D-rings or other attachment points for a stage/deco cylinder. (See note below.)• Two dive computers, or one computer with a backup timer and depth gauge with dive tables.• Exposure suit appropriate for environment and dive duration (if stu-dents will use dry suits, they should be trained/experienced in their use in recreational diving prior to using them for tec training or diving).• Argon dry suit inflation system (as needed for environment)• Weight system (If required. Note: Students and staff should weight for the contingency of decompressing with near-empty cylinders.)• Jon line (as needed for environment)• Inflatable signal tube, whistle and/or other visual and audible surface signaling devices. Note that a sausage type DSMB may double for the inflatable signal tube.• Reel and lift bag (bright yellow preferred) or DSMB. A suitable DSMB has sufficient buoyancy to help steady a diver during a drifting decom-pression, and is unlikely to spill when deployed from the underwater.• Knife/cutting device and back up• Slate• Back up mask (optional)• Compass• Lights (optional – as required for dive environment)• Backup buoyancy control – the student must have a reliable means for controlling buoyancy and maintaining decompression stops in midwater with a failed primary BCD. This is usually accomplished with a backup BCD (double wings) or, when using light weight cylinders, the use of a dry suit is permitted.

Note that in cases where the student is carrying a relatively small quantity of overall weight (e.g., a single cylinder only) one source of buoyancy control may be acceptable at the instructor’s discretion, provided that there is a reliable al-ternative method for maintaining decompression stops, such as ascending along a mooring line or decompressing on the bottom if topography allows.

Note: A lift bag/DSMB is not considered a reliable method of backup buoyancy control.

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Allowed equipmentThe following equipment may be used by Tec 40 students, but is not required.

• Tec harness fitted for a single cylinder.• Snorkel (may be worn or carried in a pocket).• Students in the Tec 40 course may use the backmount or sidemount equipment specified for the Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses, and it is recommended that they do so if they are clearly interested in continuing on to Tec 45 and beyond.

Tec 45 and Tec 50 Equipment Requirements The following lists the equipment that is required (as noted) for the Tec 45 and Tec 50 course. Students in the Tec 40 course may use this equipment, but are only required to use the equipment specific to the Tec 40 course listed above.

• Double cylinders of at least 12 l/70 cf each, with isolator manifold. • The isolator manifold is not required for divers using sidemount configuration.• Divers known to have a very low gas consumption rate may, at the instructor’s discretion, use lower capacity cylinders than specified here, provided the diver will have ample gas to assist a team mate in a gas sharing emergency.• Primary and secondary regulators for back mounted double manifolds, one with two metre/seven foot hose for air sharing and one with SPG. Note: In side-mount configuration, one regulator must have the two metre/seven foot hose, and both regulators must have an SPG.• Stage/decompression cylinder(s) (1 for Tec 45, 2 for Tec 50) with regulator and SPG, with proper labels/markings.• Tec diving BCD(s) and harness (backmount or sidemount)• Two multigas enriched air capable dive computers, or one multigas enriched air computer and a back up single gas computer with dive tables, or one single gas enriched air computer and a backup timer and depth gauge with dive tables.• Exposure suit appropriate for environment and dive duration (if students will use dry suits, they should be trained/experienced in their use in recreational div-ing prior to using them for tec training or diving).• Argon dry suit inflation system (as needed for environment)• Weight system (if needed). Note: Students and staff should weight for the contingency of decompressing with near-empty primary cylinders and empty or absent stage/deco cylinders.• Jon line (as needed for environment)• Inflatable signal tube, whistle and/or other visual and audible surface signal-ing devices. Note that a sausage type DSMB may double for the inflatable signal tube.• Reel and lift bag (bright yellow preferred) or DSMB. A suitable DSMB has sufficient buoyancy to help steady a diver during a drifting decompression, and is unlikely to spill when deployed from the underwater.• Knife/cutting device and back up• Slate

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• Back up mask (optional)• Compass• Lights (optional – as required for dive environment)• Backup buoyancy control – the student must have a reliable means for controlling buoyancy and maintaining decompression stops in midwater with a failed primary BCD. This is usually accomplished with a backup BCD (double wings) or, when using light weight cylinders, the use of a dry suit is permitted.

Note: A lift bag/DSMB is not considered a reliable method of backup buoyancy control.

Discover Tec Equipment Requirements Discover Tec is an experience specifically intended to allow participants to enjoy wearing and trying out open circuit technical scuba equipment. The standard technical rig is required because the equipment is the primary point of the experience.

• Double cylinders with isolator manifold.• Primary and secondary regulators with two metre/seven foot hose for air sharing and one with SPG. Appropriate labeling/marking required. Note: In sidemount configuration, one regulator must have the two metre/seven foot hose, and both regulators must have an SPG.• Tec diving BCD(s) and harness (backmount)• Dive computer and/or depth gauge and timing device with tables (optional if conducted in confined water; required if conducted in limited open wa-ter).• Exposure suit appropriate for environment and dive duration (if students will use dry suits, they should be trained/experienced in their use in recre-ational diving prior to using them for tec training or diving).• Weight system (if needed).• Inflatable signal tube, whistle and/or other visual and audible surface sig-naling devices. (Optional for confined water; required if conducted in lim-ited open water). Note that many DSMBs double as inflatable signal tubes.• Reel and lift bag (bright yellow preferred) or DSMB. Optional – recom-mended as an exercise/experience.• Knife/cutting device and back up. Optional in confined water; at least one cutting device required in limited open water.• Slate• Back up mask (optional)• Compass• Lights (optional – as required for dive environment)

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Materials Requirements The following lists the materials required by the instructor, and students, respective-ly, for the Tec Diver courses. See the individual subcourse instructor guides for detailed presentations and assignments using these materials.

Instructor Materials When conducting the DSAT Tec Diver course, you may find the following materi-als useful or necessary in remediating or developing student capabilities and the ability to meet course performance requirements. Some of these materials are required by stan-dards, as identified in boldface here and in throughout this guide.

• DSAT Tec Deep Diver Manual• DSAT Tec Diver Instructor Guide• DSAT Tec Diver Lesson Guides• PADI Enriched Air Diver Manual• PADI Enriched Air Diving video• PADI Enriched Air Diver Specialty Course Instructor Outline• DSAT Equivalent Air Depth Table and Oxygen Exposure Table(metric or imperial)• Enriched Air RDPs for EANx32 and 36 (metric or imperial)• PADI Deep Diver Specialty Course Instructor Outline• PADI Deep Diver Manual• PADI Deep Diving video• Enriched air cylinder decal• Contents stickers• Enriched air fill log sheets• Personal computer, smart phone or PDA with decompression software• PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving (book or CD-ROM)• Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk for Technical Diving• DSAT Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 Exams and answer sheets• Enriched Air Diver Exam and answer sheets• Medical Statement• Tec Diver Statement of Understanding and Learning Agreement• TecRec Dive Planning Slate• TecRec Dive Planning Checklist slates• TecRec Deep Stop Calculation Table• TecRec Emergency Procedures Slates• TecRec Equipment Setup and Key Skills video

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Student Materials Because technical diving requires a large knowledge development load, for independent study and for reference and review of the tables used for dive plan-ning after certification, student divers in the DSAT Tec Diver courses are required to have personal copies of the DSAT Tec Deep Diver Manual, even if the manual is not available in a language a student diver understands. In that case, you provide all course information through class sessions, predive briefings, etc. However, stu-dents will still need the manual for access to the tables, formulas and other support information. The following materials may also be useful for study, remediation or gaining additional information by students during the course:

• PADI Enriched Air Diver Manual• PADI Enriched Air Diving video• DSAT Equivalent Air Depth Table and Oxygen Exposure Table(metric or imperial)• Enriched Air RDPs for EANx32 and 36 (metric or imperial)• PADI Deep Diver Manual• PADI Deep Diving video• Enriched air cylinder decal• Contents stickers• Computer, smart phone or PDA with decompression software• PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving (book or CD-ROM)• TecRec Dive Planning Slate• TecRec Dive Planning Checklist slates• TecRec Deep Stop Calculation Table• TecRec Emergency Procedures Slates• TecRec Equipment Setup and Key Skills video

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Paperwork and Administration Student divers in the DSAT Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses must complete the fol-lowing paperwork before beginning any inwater training. The paperwork must be com-pleted even if it was completed at the previous level, except as noted:

• Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk for Technical Diving. Note that Discover Tec participants continuing their training would not have signed this release, and therefore need to read and sign this one release.• Tec Diver Statement of Understanding and Learning Agreement• Medical Statement. The student must have a physician’s approval and signa-ture on the Medical Statement. If the student received a physician’s approval and signature on a Medical Statement for another course within the last year and has had no medical condition change, and if you have that Medical State-ment on file, then the student diver does not need to see a physician again. • Exception for Tec 40, first dive only: Students may participate in the Tec 40 Training Dive One if they answer “no” to all the medical history questions on a completed Medical Statement. This applies only to the first dive in the Tec 40 course. In some areas, local law requires all prospective scuba participants to obtain a physician’s approval before any inwater scuba activities.

Participants enrolling in the Discover Tec program must complete:• The PADI Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk• Medical Statement. Divers may participate in Discover Tec if they answer “no” to all the medical history questions on a completed Medical Statement. If participant answers “yes” to a medical history question, the Medical State-ment requires a physician’s approval and signature. If the participant has received a physician’s approval and signature on a Medical Statement for an-other program within the last year and has had no medical condition change, and if you have the prior Medical Statement on file, then the participant does not need to see a physician again.

Insurance Requirements When teaching the DSAT Tec Diver course, you must have professional liability insurance that does not exclude diving deeper than 40 metres/130 feet, making planned decompression dives, or using enriched air, oxygen and (if applicable to your activities) helium mixes including trimix, except where excluded by your PADI Office. If not re-quired, it is always recommended. Some insurance policies may require an addendum or other special provision to provide this. Check with your PADI Office if you’re unsure about your professional liability insurance requirements or whether your policy provides the appropriate coverage.It is recommended that you require student divers enrolled in any of the DSAT TecRec courses to carry diver medical insurance such as the DAN Diving Accident Insurance pro-gram that provides coverage for medical care following a dive accident, including recom-pression and transportation, without exclusions for coverage due to depth or gases used.

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Certification Procedures When the student diver successfully completes all requirements for each course (Tec 40, Tec 45, Tec 50), the instructor who conducts the final open water dive and evaluates final student performance issues the respective certification by submitting a completed PIC envelope (or by using PIC online) to the appropriate PADI Office. Although the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses are subcomponents of the overall Tec Diver course, each results in a certification with new limits and capabilities involv-ing decompression diving and/or depth. Therefore, you must submit a completed PIC for each course.

Course Sequence Requirements The DSAT Tec Diver course structure applies educational and cognitive psychology principles about how people mentally acquire, store, organize and later retrieve and use what they learn.The structure avoids dumping everything about a single topic on students in one session with the expectation that they’ll learn all of it at once. Such an approach neglects devel-oping the mental frameworks that we use to effectively store and retrieve information. In addition, this approach does not permit topics and motor skills to integrate efficiently, making it harder for students to recognize and understand interrelationships. This inter-feres with developing seamless motor skills and procedures that draw upon interrelated information. Instead, the DSAT Tec Diver course structure follows an instructional sequence that introduces multiple topics simultaneously. The course covers each topic in steps, inte-grating knowledge with other topics, with recall, application and reinforcement in the corresponding training dive or dives. Topics build from one subcourse to the next, and/or within a single level, depending upon topic complexity and scope. This creates a learning pyramid similar to that applied in PADI programs. The knowledge development sections of the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses rely on manual supported content (found in the Tec Deep Diver Manual) and other delivery content (content delivered with handouts and/or presentations). You may also add class presentations as required to review material and meet student needs and expectations. For all the subcourses in the DSAT Tec Diver course, the general sequence is:

1. Student diver studies the reading assignment from different sections of the DSAT Tec Deep Diver Manual and handouts, and answers the assigned exercise questions.2. Student completes Knowledge Review for the section. (Find the Knowl-edge Reviews and the answer keys for each course in the Appendix of this guide. You may copy the Knowledge Reviews for student use).3. Instructor reviews Knowledge Review for completeness and correctness.4. Instructor remediates weak areas, reviews and reinforces key points and has student apply material during Practical Applications (briefings and/or class sessions).

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5. Student recalls and applies material during subsequent training dives, meeting performance requirements specific to the material and previously learned principles.6. After completing steps for all Knowledge Development sections of each subcourse, the diver completes comprehensive examinations for each sub-course.7. Student diver reviews any questions missed with instructor. Because the instructional design depends upon building knowledge and skills in sequence, the student diver must complete Knowledge Development sec-tions in order, and meet all performance requirements for each, prior to the corresponding Practical Applications and Training Dive as sequenced in the outline for each subcourse. Similarly, the student must complete all Practical Applications in order, and meet all the performance requirements for each, prior to the corresponding Training Dive(s). An exception is that Knowledge Development One and Practical Application One may follow Tec 40 Training Dive One to keep with the Dive Today concept.

Within each subcourse, students may continue on to the next Knowledge Develop-ment section and the corresponding Practical Application before completing the dives that correspond with the previous Knowledge Development section. It’s recommended that you have students review material covered previously if there’s much interval be-tween completing a Knowledge Development section and Practical Application and the corresponding training dive(s). The student diver must complete all Training Dives in order, and meet all perfor-mance requirements for each Training Dive prior to progressing to the next Training Dive. This follows the need to acquire skills that form the basis for subsequent skills. See the Sections for the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses for their respective Course Outlines with required sequencing of Knowledge Development sections, Practical Ap-plications and Training Dives.

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Dive Today Considerations Following the Dive Today concept, you may have student divers who meet all course prerequisites, and who have completed all paperwork/administrative requirements, begin with Training Dive One in the Tec 40 course only prior to Knowledge Development One and Practical Application One. Training Dive One consists of dive equipment rigging, ori-entation, underwater acclimation and basic decompression diving skills using technical dive equipment. Keeping in mind that students will neither have completed the reading assignments from the DSAT Tec Deep Diver Manual nor have heard any class presentations in advance, begin with a predive briefing and follow this sequence:

1. Show students rigs assembled as they will be using in the course based upon your discussions with them and your determination of their needs and interests. These may be the students’ own equipment with modifications required to meet minimum equipment standards, such as a full technical rig (doubles), side-mount rig, etc. Describe each component and its purpose.2. Have someone don the unit and show students/participants how to wear the equipment, adjust it and route the long hose second stage.3. Show students how to assemble the equipment, and then have them assemble it themselves with your guidance.4. Help students/participants don and adjust the equipment for a proper fit.5. Conduct Training Dive One as described in Tec 40 section of this instructor guide. Be sure to thoroughly explain the purpose as well as the procedures and conduct for each skill, followed by your demonstration and then their practice.6. Complete the all the Knowledge Development assignments (readings, presen-tations), and Practical Applications One and Two prior to Training Dive Two.

Definitions of Confined water, Limited open water and open waterSee the individual subcourse sections for the specifics for each training dive in the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses, including:

• environment• depth ranges• supervision (ratios)• equipment configurations• gas mix options• skill performance requirements

The initial training dives in the Tec 40 and Tec 45 courses are conducted in confined water or limited open water. These dives focus on developing initial motor and procedural skills under circumstances in which student divers do not have to contend with the variables of environmental influences. The philosophy is to permit students to direct their attention primarily to their equipment and the skills that pertain directly to using it prior to moving to the open water environment. The environment should not be a major consideration during this learning stage.

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Definition of Confined water For the purposes of this program, confined water is defined as either a swimming pool or an open water site that offers swimming-pool-like conditions with respect to calmness and depth, with a minimum depth of 2.5 metres/8 feet.

Definition of Limited open water Because DSAT Tec Diver students have 30 or more dives, you may conduct the initial dives of the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses in limited open water. For the purposes of this program, limited open water is defined as an open water site, fresh or salt, no deeper than 10 metres/33 feet. A platform or other bottom that is 10 metres/33 feet or shallower in otherwise deeper water meets this requirement if it provides ample space to meet the performance requirements and for control. There should be no appre-ciable current, and visibility sufficient to not negatively affect student comfort or skill development. Conditions should be sufficiently calm and temperature sufficiently warm that they are not significant factors. It is recommended that there is immediate access to water shallow enough in which to stand. In opting to use limited open water, keep in mind that the goal in the associated dives is to permit student divers to concentrate on their equipment and its use. It’s recommended that you choose a site over insensitive bottom, because divers unac-customed to technical equipment often contact the bottom as they learn to adjust their buoyancy control techniques. Also, bottom contact during the initial mastery of some skills is also normal and in some cases desirable to reduce the task load at the beginning stages even when the student will ultimately master doing the skill neutrally buoyant. If there’s any question about student diver familiarity with the environment, it’s a good idea to orient them to the site with a recreational dive prior to actual training dives; you can combine this orientation with basic skills assessment, if necessary.

Definition of open water For the purposes of the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 courses, open water is defined as a body of water considerably larger than a swimming pool with the adequate depth and conditions for meeting the performance requirements of each training dive. These may include, but are not limited to, the ocean, lakes, springs and quarries. Student divers should be confident they can handle the demands imposed by the environment while applying and mastering the required procedures and motor skills.

Assessing open water Dive Readiness In preparation for the dive and before beginning open water dive skills, assess the diver’s skills and comfort level in water and generally assess dive knowledge. If the diver appears to lack of dive readiness appropriate for the training level, remediate before training progresses.Recent dive experience with the diver is acceptable as a screen if you are confident in the diver’s current knowledge level, inwater skills and comfort.

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Cave Environment Training option You may conduct the DSAT Tec Diver course in cave diving environments if the following conditions are also met.

Instructor Requirements1. The instructor must be certified as a DSAT Tec Deep Instructor.2. The instructor must have a qualifying full cave instructor certifi-cation from a qualifying cave diver training organization. (See your PADI Office for more information about qualifying certifications and organizations.)3. The instructor must have made at least 20 decompression dives in cave environments.

Certified Assistant Requirements1. The individual must meet the certified assistant requirements.2. The individual must have a qualifying full cave diver certification from a qualifying cave diver training organization. (See your PADI Of-fice for more information about qualifying certifications and organiza-tions.)

Student Requirements1. The student must meet all other prerequisites and requirements for the Tec Diver course (Tec 40, 45 or 50) being conducted.2. The student must have a qualifying full cave diver certification from a qualifying cave diver training organization. (See your PADI Office for more information about qualifying certifications and organiza-tions).3. The student must have at least 60 cave dives logged, not including any cave training dives.

Environment Requirements Cave environments used for the course must have sufficient open water for all required course skills. This includes lift bag/DSMB deployment, neutrally buoyant gas shutdowns, neutrally buoyant deco stops without bottom contact, failed pri-mary BCD scenarios, etc. This is defined as having sufficient:

• depth and breadth for conducting all deco stops required by the specific dive without contact with the bottom or walls.• space for teams to conduct drift decompression (neutrally buoyant) positioned as they would in open ocean or other large open water body.• surface area in water in which it is too deep to stand to meet the requirements for teams to float at the surface.

1. The dives must be within the depth limits stipulated for each dive. At no time shall the depth exceed 40 metres/130 feet within the overhead environment. The exception is Tec 50 Training Dive Four if the trimix option is used. In this case, the END may not exceed 40

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metres/130 feet. 2. Training dives that are conducted in confined or limited open water may not be conducted in the overhead environment. 3. Students must demonstrate mastery of all skills conducted in a manner that would be appropriate to open water tec diving. If a skill cannot be performed this way within the cave zone, it must be performed in open water.

Equipment and Gas Requirements1. Cave diving equipment configuration must be consistent with the standardized technical rig used in open water. For backmount configu-ration, the light canister may be worn on the right hip to control the long hose in place of the reel. The Tec 40 minimal rig (standard BCD with with D-rings, etc.) may not be used. Redundant buoyancy appro-priate for open water is required.2. Open water skill-related equipment (lift bag, ascent line, etc.) may be staged in the open water adjacent to the cave or just inside, etc. as appropriate. However, students must stow their open water equipment in their rigs as it would normally be worn in open water prior to be-ginning the open water skills. This is because retrieving and deploying the equipment is part of skill mastery.3. Gas selection follows the requirements for each dive.

Supervision and Ratios Ratios vary with the dive at each level. See the individual dive standards for the respective subcourses for ratio and supervision requirements. Use sound judg-ment and conduct a risk assessment before determining ratios. Unless otherwise noted, ratios listed for each dive are absolute maximums.

Risk Mitigation, Professional Judgment and Responsibility For effective training and to maximize diver safety, conduct risk assessments for your student divers by evaluating diver, environmental, equipment, physi-cal and psychological variables during PADI and DSAT courses and programs. Always err on the side of caution and conservatism when making decisions and applying judgment in PADI and DSAT programs. Train divers to minimize stress and anxiety and to avoid panic in the water. Recognize outward signs of diver anxiety and panic and stay focused so nothing distracts you from intervening with a person who is stressed and anxious. While divers in TecRec courses are generally more experienced and trained than begin-ning recreational divers, training at all levels should broadly address these con-cerns. Be vigilant and diligent in your duties as an instructor.

Definitions of Mastery

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Technical divers need a high mastery level of dive theory, procedures and technical diving skills to explore beyond recreational diving limits. The definitions of mastery for the DSAT Tec Diver course reflect this.For knowledge development, mastery is defined as scoring 80 percent or higher on all exams. The student must review any items missed until attaining complete understanding. The student must complete all Knowledge Reviews accurately (revising and correcting after remediation when necessary). The student must demonstrate accurate, adequate knowledge application in all Practical Applications and during the Training Dives. You further assess knowledge development through impromptu questions, assignments and observing divers’ behaviors and responses during training dives. Skill development mastery is defined as performing all skills (procedures and motor skills) fluidly, with little difficulty, in a manner that demonstrates minimal or no stress. You may allow for the task loading imposed in each situation when judging stress, bearing in mind that student divers need to perform all routine and emergency skills and procedures in a manner that leaves little doubt that they could reliably perform them as required when diving independently.For certification, the mastery requirements extend to all recreational diver skills and procedures that are prerequisite to this course. For example, if a student diver performs all Tec 50 course skills to the required mastery level, but cannot clear a mask to this level (even though acceptably for a novice recreational diver), you must remediate the diver in that skill before certifying the diver as a Tec 50 diver. For certification, mastery requirements extend to the attitudes students dem-onstrate. Student divers must display attitudes consistent with accepted technical diving team diving practices. With respect to the Tec Diver course, attitude may be defined as the predisposition to make a choice. This is because there is a difference between, for example, demonstrating the ability to follow a proper predive safety check and actually using that ability as a certified diver apart from training. While you can assess whether divers can do something and whether they do it during training, you cannot assess with certainty whether they will do what they’re supposed to when they’re no longer under your supervision. Ultimately, that is each diver’s responsibility. Nonetheless, you can assess the attitude divers display during training. Students who display a dismissive or otherwise negative attitude toward any of the planning, equipment, procedures or general self discipline and team diving required by technical diving do not qualify for certification and may not be certified. The Tec Diver Statement of Understanding and Learning Agree-ment states this.

Standars

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