Tech Courses
International Diving Centre embraces the "Hogarthian" equipment configuration philosophy that came out of the Florida based Woodville Karst Plain Project (WKPP) and Bill Hogarth Main. The principle behind this gear configuration is simplicity and minimalism. Technical diving is an extremely equipment intensive activity in which overcomplicating a gear configuration can lead to serious injury and even death. The "Hogarthian" configuration is based on the concept that all divers within a team should be configured the same way so that team members can more effectively assist each other in the event of a problem. This philosophy emphasizes that only equipment that is essential to a dive should be taken on that particular dive. This equipment configuration is now being used with minor variations by the major technical training agencies, including GUE, ANDI, TDI and NAUI. All of the significant technical diving manufacturers Halcyon, Apeks, Atomic, Dive Rite and OMS have also embraced this approach to equipment.
At International Diving Centre we remain open-minded. While attending any technical training programs at IDC, you will be counseled through several options for assembling your own technical rig. Experienced Instructors and Instructor-trainers will assist in the configuration process free of charge. At IDC, we take time to ensure that your system is optimized for your own personal use and comfort while engaging in this extreme realm of diving.
Overview
International Diving Centre has been synonymous with technical diving for over 10 years and we are committed to maintaining our status as Canada's premier technical diving resource centre.
With this in mind, we have focused on Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) courses in an effort to offer the most comprehensive technical diver education programmes available. The structure of these programmes provides a challenging curriculum and in water development. At IDC, we believe that the creation of technical diving courses by this agency, that encompass the fundamentals of proper diving procedures through to trimix and cave diving, are the most progressive and thorough courses available. With the technical diving philosophies of this agencie from the Woodville Karst Project (WKPP), their courses train divers to dive in the most demanding environments found anywhere in the world and to do so safely.
Nitrox
Take your Diving Education to the next level.
Gas Blender
The DSAT Gas Blender course will train you to become a competent and qualified gas blender, allowing you to provide gas mixes to appropriately certified consumers. You will learn the physical properties of oxygen, its associated hazards, handling requirements and what cleaning equipment is necessary.
In addition, you will learn the five methods of obtaining the desired enriched air nitrox mix and the various methods used to obtain proper helium mixes.
GUE Fundamentals
The GUE Fundamentals course is designed to cultivate the essential techniques required by all sound diving practice, irrespective of level or environment. Functioning as a prerequisite for all other GUE classes, save its recreational diver course (forthcoming), GUE Fundamentals performs a three-fold function within the GUE curriculum: 1) it provides the recreational diver, in whom there is no desire for further diver training, with a context in which to advance his/her basic diving skills, thereby developing more comfort, confidence, and competence in the water; and 2) it provides the diver with aspirations of more advanced diver training with the tools that will contribute to a greater likelihood of success; and 3) it provides non-GUE trained divers with a gateway into GUE training.
GUE Recreational TriOx
The Recreational TriOx course is a no decompression class structured to prepare divers for deeper recreational diving using proper equipment, diving techniques, and breathing mixtures. In this class, students will be introduced to the theory and practice of decompression and schooled in correct ascent procedures. Recreational TriOx training focuses on expanding the fundamental skills learned in the GUE Fundamentals course (or elsewhere) and is designed to cultivate, integrate, and expand the essential skills required for safe deeper diving. This will include problem identification and resolution, and building the capacity for progressively more challenging diving. In this class, students will be trained in: a) the use of single or double back gas tanks/cylinders and in the potential failure problems associated with them; b) the use of Nitrox and TriOx for extended bottom times; and c) the use of Helium to minimize narcosis, CO2, gas density, and post-dive "nitrogen stress."
GUE Technical Diver Level 1
The Technical Diver Level 1 (Tech 1) course is structured to prepare divers for the rigors of technical diving and to familiarize them with the use of different breathing and decompression mixtures. Tech 1 training focuses on expanding the fundamental skills learned in the GUE Fundamentals course (or elsewhere), and is designed to cultivate, integrate, and expand the essential skills required for safe technical diving. This will include problem identification and resolution, and building the capacity for progressively more challenging diving. In this class students will be trained in: a) the use of double tanks/cylinders and in the potential failure problems associated with them; b) the use of Nitrox for accelerated and general decompression strategies; c) the use of Helium to minimize narcosis and d) the applications of single decompression stage diving with respect to decompression procedures. The class will focus on enriched air and TriOx (Helium enriched gas), as flexible and beneficial breathing gases for dives in the 40 foot/12 meter to 150 foot/45 meter depth range and provides an excellent foundation on which divers can build their technical diving experience and prepare for GUE's Technical Diver 2 course (Tech 2).
GUE Technical Diver Level 2
The GUE Technical Diver 2 (Tech 2) course is the second in a series of three courses designed to develop technical diving excellence, building upon previously learned skills with a focus on extending essential technical diving skills. Tech 2 training focuses on building diving proficiency at increasing depth to 240 feet/70 meters using Helium diving gases with Oxygen enriched decompression gases. These skills include: the use of multiple stages, the use of Trimix, the use of greater percentages of Helium, gas management, Oxygen management, decompression, accelerated, omitted and general decompression strategies, dive planning, and technical equipment configurations. Course participants will gain experience working with a variety of different gas mixtures for use as bottom mix and multiple decompression gases. This course culminates in a true understanding of "best gas" selection in the 100 foot/30 meter to 250 foot/75 meter range.
