The Right Time for Tech Diving

Essentially, only you will know when the time is right to start tech diving training. Training agency prerequisites are a guideline, but each diver develops at their own pace. 

Prerequisites for entry level training, such as the TDI Intro to Tech, are relatively low with only 25 dives required. For some divers, that may be enough; others may still be working on perfecting foundational skills. Those skills are possibly a better indicator. 

For example, if you are still struggling with neutral buoyancy and stability in the water, double tanks / twinsets are unlikely to improve things. The right time for tech diving would be once those skills are dialled in. Alternatively, taking an Intro to Tech or another foundational course to polish buoyancy and stability is a good option. 

It’s not necessary to be a dive professional to start tech diving. In fact, if you don’t want to assist on or teach courses, becoming a dive professional has limited benefits. If it is about developing your knowledge and skills, technical diving certainly provides ample room for that. 

Coming back to choosing that perfect time: this is not a ‘once and for all’ decision. Just like any other diving training, technical diving courses are done in steps. This allows technical divers to consolidate what they have learned before moving further.