With the launch of PADI Rebreather and Advanced Rebreather Courses PADI now have core courses to cover the vast majority of rebreathers.

In addition to this PADI have launched the mSCR distinctive. Like other manufacturers distinctive specialties, these courses are applied for by manufacturers.

The mSCR distinctive specialty is built on the integrated Rebreather and Advanced Rebreather Diver courses with the same required materials, diver and instructor pre-requisites and basic training PLUS some additions; Practical Applications and Training Dive Performance Requirements have some adaptations to accommodate the different requirements of the mSCR and there is an additional “distinctive” knowledge development module addressing the differences between eCCR/eSCR and the mSCR being taught.

This route is not for rebreathers that do not meet Type R but for those that cannot meet Type R,  due to significant design differences. It is also not an easy route, with manufacturers working closely with PADI’s Technical Diving Division, Rebreather Advisory Team to address the different training requirements for a unit that cannot meet Type R requirements. The manufacturer still has to make sure the rebreathers meet tough standards and have third party testing.

KISS Rebreathers are the first manufacturer to take up this challenge and suitably qualified and experienced PADI Instructors can now become KISS GEM mSCR Distinctive Specialty Instructors. 

For more information on the KISS GEM mSCR Distinctive Specialty please contact rebreather@padi.com

The last few years a revolution in diving has taken place, all over our blue planet. Divers’ desires to go deeper and stay longer have never been stronger. The wonders that awaits the one who dares to descend beyond the limits of recreational divers are amazing. PADI TecRec courses have never been more popular. Indonesia is a country of water, deep water. The technical diving opportunities in Indonesia are being explored by technical divers from all over the world. If you have not tried yet, NOW is your chance:

Ben Reymenants, renowned cave diver/explorer and record-holder for deep diving on Rebreathers and owner of Blue Label Diving, will be hosting a PADI TEC XPLOR event 22-24 June at Atlantis Dive Center, Sanur, Bali. Come and try twin-sets, side-mounts and Poseidon Rebreathers, all for FREE!

Contact info@bluelabeldiving.com for more information

Don’t forget to attend the event on Facebook and don’t forget to invite your friends:

https://www.facebook.com/events/550211865029689

Usual Country of residence: SPAIN

What is your background and current involvement in diving?

I come from an engineering background but I have always been involved in water sports and whilst living in Barbados I became hooked on diving and went on to qualify as an instructor. I have been a full time diving instructor since that time and I am currently living in Spain, running courses and organising expeditions to various locations such as Poland and Croatia amongst other things.

How did you get into tec diving?

Through an instructor friend of mine who was into cave and trimix diving. He was a great influence on me encouraging me to take time and gain experience before moving on to the next level. Sadly he is no longer alive but I will always remember the advice he gave me.

Do have any specialised areas of interest?

In particular I love deep wrecks and cave diving using rebreathers.  I also really enjoy teaching and helping new TEC divers reach their goals.

What do think the greatest challenges are in this kind of diving?

Patience and dedication. It is tempting to join other more experienced divers on more demanding dives, but you need to take it slowly, there is no need to rush. You also need the dedication to practice as a team in shallower waters until everything is right, it may seem boring at the time but it might save your life one day.

What are the most important attributes of a tec diver for the type of diving you do?

They must be a team player with a high level of skill, dedication and experience. Someone you can really trust. They must also have the desire to help others using their own experience.

What are the most likely mistakes a tec diver can make in your kind of diving?

Some divers want to run before they can walk. At this level it is essential to gain experience slowly and learn from other more experienced TEC divers before trying to achieve the next level.  Also failing to rehearse big dives.

How do you prepare for a demanding technical dive?

Everyone, including the support team, has to be both mentally and physically fit, there is no room for error. I spend a lot of time with the team going over plans and procedures and making sure everyone is in the right frame of mind. Equipment must also be maintained to a high standard.

What were your best or worst tec diving experiences?

My best experience has to have been the project 9000 dives in excess of 150 metres, carried out in Dahab and Spain. The whole experience with the teams including planning, practising and preparing for the dives was fantastic.

What influences your selection of dive gear?

I have to test the equipment personally in a safe environment before progressing to more challenging dives. It is part of my life support and it has to be designed for the job, hard wearing and reliable.

What kind of person do you want diving in the same team as you?

They should be a team player and a person who can be trusted. Someone who is reliable and adaptable, not someone who solely wants to be the bottom diver on a deep wreck or push diver in a cave. They need to be willing to help out at all stages and play their part as a support diver if need be.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of getting into tec diving?

Take it slow. Firstly find an instructor who is actively involved in the sort of diving you wish to pursue. By ‘being active’ I mean not just teaching but taking part in expeditions etc. Then get involved with an active team. Start by being part of the support team and gradually become more involved over a period of time.

Portsea, VIC

After months of anticipation and excitement, it has finally arrived on Australian shores.

The Hollis Explorer Sports Rebreather had a chance to be put through its paces in Sydney, Australia as four prominent Sydney dive store owners had the opportunity to complete their PADI Rebreather Diver and PADI Advanced Rebreather Diver Courses with PADI Rebreather Instructor Trainer, Rubens Monaco on this new and exciting rebreather.

Hollis Explorer Rebreather: L to R: Peter Cross, Richard Nicholls, Rubens Monaco, Nic Rewitt and Peter Letts proudly display the new Hollis Explorer Sports Rebreather units.

As most of the guys on this course had already dived other types of rebreathers, it was interesting to see their attitude to this unit. As it is a sports rebreather aimed at the recreational market, it might have been easily dismissed as a simple unit without too many features. However, as the guys discovered quickly, this little unit might look easy to use and is, but the features inside makes it one of the most technologically advanced rebreathers on the market!

The course itself, which took 4 days to complete, was run in Manly from 20^th – 24^th May. This gave us the opportunity to dive the units at Shelley Beach. It was plain to see from the very first dive some of the advantages of diving the unit in an area full of marine life. The comments from the students clearly indicated a more natural behaviour between diver and marine animals and the ability to get closer was awesome.

All geared up Hollis Expl Rebreather: L to R: Nic Rewitt, Peter Letts, Richards Nicholls and Peter Cross.

Of course the guys also had the opportunity to complete a few boat dives and get a bit more depth on the units. Again they were impressed with the Explorers’ ability to extend the time of the dive and enhance the experience with the marine environment.

Congratulations to Peter Letts – Abyss Scuba Diving, Peter Cross – Sydney Dive Academy,  Nic Rewitt – Newcastle Dive Centre  and Richard Nicholls – Dive Centre Manly, on completing their PADI Rebreather and Advanced Rebreather Diver Courses on the Hollis Explorer.

Also a special thanks to Richard Nicholls and partner Janet for hosting Rubens and the courses at their impressive facility in Manly.

PADI TV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nNaBr1D_xM&feature=youtu.be

PADI Blog:

http://www.padi.com/blog/2013/03/04/padi-recreational-sidemount/

http://www.padi.com/blog/2013/03/24/padi-tec40-course/

http://www.padi.com/blog/2013/03/27/diving-rebreathers/

http://www.padi.com/blog/2013/03/22/i-dont-want-to-be-a-tec-diver-so-what-can-tec-diving-do-for-me/

TecRec Blog:

http://tecrec.padi.com/2011/11/16/how-to-become-a-padi-rebreather-instructor/

http://tecrec.padi.com/2011/11/16/how-to-become-a-padi-rebreather-instructor-trainer/

http://tecrec.padi.com/2012/04/04/how-to-become-a-tecrec-tec-ccr-instructor-2/

http://tecrec.padi.com/2012/04/05/how-to-become-a-padi-tec-40-ccr-instructor-trainer/

Of course, this being the TecRec Blog, the links above are for tec, rebreather and sidemount courses, but we also have lots of videos and articles on core PADI courses too, so don’t forget to check out the Open Water Diver, Adventures in Diving, Rescue and Go Pro resources too.

*What does PADI copyright allow me to do with these clips and articles? You can share them via the You Tube/Blog links or link to PADI sites from your own posts, blogs or newsletters, but you can’t use them on your own website or post them on social media pages as your own.  PADI Professionals can access PADI media and details of how they can be used at www.padi.com/mypadi

Tec Deep IT

Tec Trimix IT

Tec Gas Blender IT

Tec Sidemount IT

Usual Country of residence:

Japan, but spend most of time in Cebu, Philippines.

What is your background and current involvement in diving?

ダイビングに関する経歴と現在のダイビングとのかかわりは?

Since I was certified as PADI OWSI at 1986, I’m surviving with scuba diving industry until now. It is including dive shop owner, GM of dive resort, equipment distributor, licensee of dive training agency, and etc.

At the end of 2010, I closed and transferred all of my own and responsible companies, then I’m consulting about technical diving for Kon Tiki Divers, Philippines, Shishihama Diving Service, Japan and PADI Japan now.

1986年にPADI OWSI認定を受けて以来、ダイビング業界で生活しています。過去の仕事には、ダイビングショップ経営、ダイブリゾートでのマネージメント、ダイビング器材の卸業、ダイビング指導団体の日本支部代表等があります。

2010年末に全ての責任あるポジションを辞してからは、テクニカル・ダイビングに関するコンサルタント業務を、セブ/コンティキダイバーズ、沼津/獅子浜ダイビングサービス、PADIジャパンで請け負っています。

How did you get into tec diving?

テクニカルダイビングを始めたきっかけは？

I joined IANTD Japan early 1997 as Vice President. It was great opportunity leaning from Dick Rutkouski, diving with Billy Dean, Tom Mount then my eyes were widely open for my diving life. Also, working with many of other people including Martin Parker, Kevin Gurr and more stimulated my brain.

Since I started CCR dives in 2000 with Inspiration unit, most of my over 100m dives, overhead environment dives had used Inspiration. However, most of my deco dives were using OC sidemount for last 6, 7 years. I love it!

1997年の始め、テクニカルダイビングの指導団体であるIANTDの日本支部が設立された際に副社長兼トレーニングマネージャーとして参加しました。それがきっかけで、フロリダ、特にマイアミからフロリダキースにおいて、テクニカル・ダイビング及びミックスガスの基本をディック・ラトコウスキー、ビリー・ディーン、トム・マウントという、当時世界で最もスキルと経験のある方々から教わることができ、ダイビングの考え方は一変しました。またマーチン・パーカー、ケビン・ガー他多くの先駆者たちからも刺激を受けました。

2000年からCCRダイビングを始め、それ以降、100m以深やケイブ等のオーバーヘッド環境等のダイビングのほとんどでCCR（インスピレーション）を使用してきました。

しかしながら、最近の6、７年の間は、ほぼ全ての減圧ダイビングをオープン・サーキットのサイドマウントで行なっています。

Do have any specialised areas of interest?

特に得意/興味のあるエリアは?

I real enjoy any kind of diving into the warm water, but I may try to search around 120 to 150m slope aria at my home ground, Kon Tiki house reef.

暖かい環境であれば全てのダイビングを楽しんでいますが、自分のホームグラウンドの１つであるセブ/コンティキダイバーズ前のハウスリーフにある120〜150m付近のスロープをサーチしてみたいと思っています。

What do think the greatest challenges are in this kind of diving?

テクニカルダイビングでやりがいに感じる事は?

Not only diving skills, but also diver must be fit physically and mentally for this kind of diving. So they can enjoy it.

この種のダイビングを行なう場合、ダイビング・スキルのみならず、メンタル面、肉体面においてもフィットしている必要があります。これらが全てが整い、その整ったレベルに応じて、この種のダイビングが「楽しめる」という点でしょうか。

What are the most important attributes of a tec diver for the type of diving you do?

あなたの得意/興味のあるエリアのダイビングでダイバーに必要な要素とは何でしょうか?

If you face any problem underwater, “Never quit!” then “Think!” until reaching to surface.

もし水中でトラブルに遭遇した際、水面に到達するまでは「絶対にあきらめない」ことと「とにかく考える（解決策を）」こと。

What are the most likely mistakes a tec diver can make in your kind of diving?

あなたの得意/興味のあるエリアのダイビングでダイバーが陥りやすい失敗/間違いとは何ですか?

Some divers makes complicated by themselves. Should remember real KISS philosophy.

いろいろな物事を自分で複雑にしている人を多く見かけます。真のKISSのセオリーを思い出すべきです。

How do you prepare for a demanding technical dive?

より多くのものを要求されるテックダイブをどのように準備していますか?

Keep diving, keep mental and physical training.

ダイビングを続けること。メンタル面、肉体面のトレーニングを続けること。

What were your best or worst tec diving experiences?

今までで最高または最悪なテックダイブ経験は?

Best: a lot. I can not choose only one, any wrecks, deep walls, caves were great.

Worst: nothing. Because I came back alive from all of my dives. Any problems that I had before are good experiences.

最高：いっぱいありすぎて１つを選ぶことができません。多くのレック、ケイブ、ディープウォールダイビングはすばらしい経験でした。

最悪：ありません。なぜなら、全てのダイビングから生きて戻ってきているからです。過去に遭遇した全ての問題は現在/将来への良い経験になっています。

What influences your selection of dive gear?

ダイブギアを選択する上で考慮する事は?

Simplicity and tough.

シンプルであることと、丈夫であること。

What kind of person do you want diving in the same team as you?

あなたのダイブチームにはどのようなタイプのダイバーを望みますか?

Honest person.

自分に正直な方。ダメなときはダメと言えるということです。

What advice would you give to someone thinking of getting into tec diving?

テックダイビングをはじめる方にどのようなアドバイスをしますか?

Try it step by step. Then if you feel uncomfortable at any steps, you should think you are lucky person who has other opportunities to try to different challenges.

ステップ・バイ・ステップでトライしてください。そして、どこかの段階で快適ではないと感じたら、「自分はラッキーにも（テクニカル・ダイビング以外の）他のことに挑戦する機会が与えられた」と考えるべきです。

Hi, I am Rene Petterson from Nemo Classic diving in the chilly waters of Bergen Norway. I have been following the TecRec blog for the last 2 years and I have been teaching the TecRec courses up here in the north.

I see that there is very little stuff coming from our little part of the world so I thought I might try sending you guys a little story for a Tec50 dive 4 I did today with one of my students.

It’s Sunday and I’m meeting up with my Tec50 student at the store. After some coffee, gas analysis and dive planning we set of to our dive spot. I can see he is excited. It’s the first 50m dive and also the first time he is trying trimix. (PADI Tec Trimix Instructors can introduce Tec 50 Divers to Trimix on Dive Four of the Tec 50 Diver Course – PADI) We clip stages and scooters at the bottom of the dive ladder and get our gear on. After the surface checks are done, we get in and don our stages.
S-drill OK. Bubble Check OK. We start the descent and do our final descent check. We make a stop at 22m just to check that all is well and we can see the line going down to “the tower”.
We see schools of small fish and I think to myself “spring is an awesome time to be diving”. Another short stop at 36m – all is ok. We pass the tower at 43m and continue along the bottom line towards the big 5 0. Arriving at 49m I signal to stop. We can see a small catfish looking out from some boulders we snap some pictures and signal up to next level. Around the tower we got some really nice pictures and after about 16 mins my student signals that he has reached his turn pressure so we start on our way back. Mission accomplished!
The first gas switch at 21 goes as smooth as silk and I find myself really proud of the level my student has reached. We reach 6m spot on at runtime and change to our 100% Oxygen,  12 more minutes and he signals clear to surface.

It’s good to be a TecRec instructor I think to myself and reply with the up signal.

(WARNING: Here at PADI, as well as promoting safe diving, we are also advocates of preserving our hearing so would strongly recommend you don’t wear earphones during this video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOoO5iXWn58

Thanks to Philip Lehman and cameraman Pietro Donaggio who produced this on behalf of http://www.aquavistafilms.com/.

There are only six weeks to go before Tekcamp 2013. This is an amazing event where divers from all backgrounds, including many experienced PADI members, get to train with top Tec Instructors including PADI Technical Diving Division’s Director of Rebreather Technologies, Vikki Batten. Tekcamp 2012 won the Eurotek award for innovation due to the inter-agency workshop approach this event takes. Tekcamp is not about gaining certifications but about trying new equipment or dive styles, brushing up techniques and skills and the unique chance to  “speed date” a wide variety of tec instructors, not to mention socializing with them and the other tec or would be tec divers who attend. The whole week is a total immersion tec experience and one you will never forget. So if you haven’t already got your tickets visit  http://www.tekcamp.co.uk/profile-vikkibatten.html.