The Edge of the Blue: Announcing PADI Tec Courses at Sierra Madre Divers
You’ve been there. Hovering at 30 meters on the magnificent edge of Balicasag’s walls, you look down. The wall continues to plummet into a deep, mysterious blue. Your dive computer is counting down your precious no-decompression time, and you know that soon, you’ll have to ascend, leaving that deeper world unexplored.
A question begins to form in the mind of every passionate, experienced diver: “What lies beyond?”
For those who feel the pull of the deep, who are driven by a desire to explore further, stay longer, and understand the science of diving on a profound level, there is an answer. It’s called technical (tec) diving. And we are incredibly proud to announce that Sierra Madre Divers is now a PADI TecRec Center, officially offering the path to go beyond recreational limits.
We are now taking bookings for the core PADI TecRec courses: Tec 40, Tec 45, and Tec 50.
Beyond Recreation: What is Technical Diving?
Technical diving is, simply put, a discipline that takes experienced recreational divers beyond the standard limits. It’s about using extensive training, specialized equipment, and meticulous planning to safely explore deeper and for longer than recreational diving allows.
This isn’t about taking unnecessary risks; it’s about mitigating them with superior knowledge, skill, and discipline. Tec diving involves:
- Diving deeper than 40 meters (130 feet).
- Making mandatory, staged decompression stops on ascent.
- Using different gas blends (like higher oxygen mixes) to accelerate decompression.
- Utilizing a specialized equipment configuration, often with double tanks or a sidemount setup.
It’s a challenging and immensely rewarding path that requires a serious commitment to precision and safety.
Your Journey to the Deep: The PADI TecRec Pathway
We are thrilled to offer the full core program that will take you from a seasoned recreational diver to a qualified technical diver. This is a progressive journey, with each course building upon the last.
1. The First Step: PADI Tec 40
This is your entry into the world of tec. The Tec 40 course is where you transition from a single-tank recreational setup to the world of technical gear configurations. You will learn the fundamentals of tec diving culture, including the importance of meticulous planning, teamwork, and emergency procedures. This course qualifies you to make limited decompression dives down to 40 meters (130 feet) using a single decompression gas. It’s the perfect “test drive” for the tec world.
2. Building on the Foundation: PADI Tec 45
Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, the Tec 45 course expands your skills and capabilities. You’ll learn to plan and execute more complex, repetitive decompression dives and handle tec diving emergencies with confidence. You’ll fine-tune your buoyancy and trim in full technical gear and become more comfortable with the mindset of a tec diver. This certification allows you to dive to a maximum depth of 45 meters (145 feet) and make extended, accelerated decompression stops.
3. The Pinnacle of Core Training: PADI Tec 50
This is the culmination of your core tec training. The Tec 50 course is where you become a truly proficient technical diver. You will learn to use up to two different decompression gases to further accelerate your decompression, allowing for even more ambitious dive profiles. Mastering the complex gas-switching procedures and emergency protocols in this course will make you a competent and self-reliant diver, ready to explore deeper sites around the world. Upon completion, you will be certified to dive to a maximum of 50 meters (165 feet).
Bohol: Nature’s Perfect Technical Diving Classroom
There are few places in the world as perfectly suited for tec diver training as Bohol, and specifically, the islands of Panglao and Balicasag.
- Deep, Accessible Walls: The spectacular walls of Balicasag Island plummet vertically into the depths, providing the perfect, real-world environment to practice your deep diving skills and simulated decompression stops. You can conduct your training in a stunning, scenic environment, not just on a downline in the open blue.
- Predictable Conditions: The conditions around our islands are often predictable, allowing for safe and structured training dives.
- A World of Exploration: Once certified, you have a new set of keys to unlock deeper, less-explored parts of our local reefs and wrecks. Your new skills will allow you to see Bohol in a way very few divers ever get to.
The Sierra Madre Divers Commitment
Venturing into the world of technical diving is a serious undertaking, and the quality of your instruction is paramount. Our TecRec program is run by highly experienced PADI TecRec Instructors who have a deep passion for exploration and an unwavering commitment to safety. We keep our class sizes extremely small to ensure you get the focused, personal mentorship required to become a safe and confident technical diver.
Are You Ready to Explore the Edge of the Blue?
If you are an experienced PADI Rescue Diver with a deep sense of adventure and a desire to see what lies beyond, the world of technical diving is waiting for you. It’s a path that will challenge you, reward you, and fundamentally change the way you see the ocean.
Your journey beyond the recreational limits starts here. Contact our team at Sierra Madre Divers today to discuss your PADI TecRec training and take the first step into a deeper world.
