There is no question that technical diving opens up a whole new underwater world to divers. With so much of our planet covered in water it is no surprise earth is teeming with incredible diving only accessible to technical divers. From deep ocean walls to sunken shipwrecks to stunning caves and famous blue holes. There is no shortage of adventures one can partake in.
Well-known technical dive sites are becoming more and more established, equipment is rapidly evolving in leaps and bounds, training is becoming more accessible, and explorers are discovering an exponential amount of new locations to dive each year. Divers have never been in better position to participate in technical diving.
More and more dive centres are now catering for the technical diving market and to fuel the demand for TecRec courses the need for Instructors with TecRec qualifications is growing.
So the question is what opportunities does a PADI TecRec Instructor have?
A PADI Tec Instructor is the first level of TecRec Instructor. Qualified to teach the Tec 40 program and conduct Discover Tec experiences, a PADI Tec Instructor has the opportunity and responsibility to train divers taking their first step into technical dive training. The Tec 40 course introduces divers to limited decompression diving within accepted recreational depth limits. Some may argue that this is the most important course as fundamental skills are developed that will be relevant throughout all future training. Opportunities for Instructors at this level are plenty. Virtually anyone who has walked through the dive centres doors with a diving licence, moderate experience and a desire for adventure is a potential candidate for the diver program. New customers, club members, loyal customers, in-house divemasters and recreational diving Instructors could all find value in participating in the Tec 40 program. A PADI Tec Instructor would be a great benefit to a dive centre looking to grow in the market of entry level technical dive training.
The PADI Tec Deep Instructor is the next higher qualification on the TecRec Instructor offerings. Qualified to teach the Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 Diver programs, the PADI Tec Deep Instructor is a valuable asset to any dive centre. Equipped to be able to provide the full range of Air, O2 & EANX decompression based TecRec courses, the Tec Deep Instructor can offer courses that would appeal to a wide range of divers with varied experience.
The highest level of technical open circuit Instructor level in the TecRec range is the highly regarded Tec Trimix Instructor. Qualified Tec Trimix Instructors can offer both the subset Tec Trimix 65 Diver course, as well as the Tec Trimix Diver course. Both these courses appeal to the extreme end of the spectrum for divers – with training dives in the Tec Trimix Diver course reaching up to 90m deep, this course is for serious divers only! Although divers seeking this level of training are not as common as those enrolling in the Tec Deep range, many dive centres would be pleased to be able to offer the full range of open circuit TecRec courses including Tec Trimix Diver – making a Tec Trimix Instructor a very valuable asset to any dive operation.
With the advances in the rebreather manufacturing market moving forward rapidly, so also is the need for recreational Rebreather (Type-R) and Technical Closed Circuit Rebreather (Type-T CCR) Instructors. Many believe the future of deep technical diving belongs to CCRs and PADI TecRec offers a full range of recreational Rebreather and Technical CCR courses to support this growth in this important sector of the industry. Just like the open circuit range of TecRec Instructors, PADI Rebreather Instructors and Tec CCR instructors are in high demand and are enormous assets to any dive operator.
As the technical diving market continues to grow it goes without saying dive operators may likely favour an instructor with more qualifications. So adding some technical instructor ratings to your credentials is a great way of standing out.
For more information on how you can gain TecRec Instructor qualifications please get in touch with your Regional Training Consultant who will be happy to assist by providing a suitable pathway.
Or get in touch with us to speak with a PADI Technical Diving Consultant.
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