Written by PADI Regional Manager and TecRec Instructor Trainer, Chris Hailey.
Are you a scuba diver looking for a new challenge? Or maybe you’re wanting to explore underwater places deeper than 30 meters or that nobody has ever seen before? Then the PADI Tec 40 course might just be for you. Not only is this course a great place to start your technical diving journey, but you will also have the chance to build on and advance your recreational skills.
Who Should Take the PADI Tec 40 Course?
You may have looked at or heard about technical diving and thought, is this for me? As a Tec Deep Instructor Trainer, I would conduct a casual interview over a coffee with anyone who expressed interest in technical diving. It is important to discuss the aspects of the course and the general attitude required to take this kind of challenge on. It takes discipline and commitment to really get stuck into technical diving, as well as an adventurous mind set. Most of all I like divers having a good reason to get started, not just “I want to go deep”. I prefer hearing that someone has a goal that they’re wanting to achieve using the technical diving system.
To start your technical journey with the Tec 40 course, you must first be a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Diver with at least 10 dives logged using enriched air deeper than 18 meters/60 feet, Deep Diver with at least 10 dives logged at 30 meters/100 feet and you must be at least 18 years of age with a minimum of 30 logged dives. Completing the Tec 40 course will allow you to extend your deep bottom time while exploring wrecks or deep reefs, for longer. The Tec 40 course is also the stepping stone to PADI Tec 45 and PADI Tec 50 courses which extend your depth, capabilities, skills and bottom time even further.
What is the Tec 40 Course?
The PADI Tec 40 course is your first step into technical diving. It is a basic level of decompression diving that will allow you to dive with redundancy of gases, higher mixes of Enriched Air of up to 50%, decompression on EANX 50% for conservatism and up to 10 minutes of decompression. With the Tec 40 certification under your belt, you will certified to make limited decompression dives to 40 meters/130 feet.
Where Should I Take My Diving to the Next Level?
This is one of the coolest things about technical diving – it can be completed almost everywhere! PADI has over 366 TecRec Centres in over 64 different countries, worldwide. This diversity allows you the freedom to pick from the top diving destinations with the most skilled technical instructors, worldwide. Whether you want to dive in search of 40 meter wrecks in Malta or if you want to cruise with hammerhead sharks 40 meters down in Borneo, you will be able to find a PADI TecRec Centre to achieve your goal.
When Should I Become a Tec 40 Diver?
The simple answer – when you’re ready. This could be when you’re an Advanced Open Water Diver with 40 logged dives or when you’re a Master Scuba Instructor with over 500 logged dives. Despite if you have been diving for 6 months or 10 years, it’s all down to the individual’s skill level and attitude. A quick discussion with a PADI Tec Instructor will help you answer this question. Our main aim is to keep everyone safe, so we don’t let anyone expose themselves to this level of diving before they’re ready. But when you’re ready, you will know and so will your instructor!
Why Should I Take the Tec 40 Course?
For so many reasons! You will enhance your skills learnt from your experience as a recreational diver, you will learn gas planning, buoyancy control, you will become a problem solving master, and much more. With guidance from your PADI Tec Instructor and the use of the technical syllabus, you will learn a range of extra skills that will take your diving skills from being advanced to expert.
Are you interested in having more time to explore places that others have never seen before? Or maybe you just want to advance your diving skills? Learn more about the PADI Tec 40 course and contact your local PADI Tec Rec Centre today.
