Technical Diving | Panama City Diving
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Technical Diving

Be a Tec Diver

Greg Murphy – Technical Diving Instructor

Technical Diving at Panama City Diving is taught by Greg Murphy.  Greg has been actively involved in cave and technical diving since 2000.  His passion for diving has given him a wide variety of experience throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Great Lakes, and the Florida Springs.

Thanks to “Murphy’s Law” Greg has learned to deal with any situation that might arise while diving ;o)  When he is not diving Greg works as a contractor researching diving related topics (including decompression modeling for which he has a PhD) for the Unites States Navy.

Below you will find descriptions and equipment required for the most popular technical diving classes that we offer.  Whether your interests lie with wrecks, caves, reefs, or hunting technical dive training will take your skills to the next level.  If you have any questions the best way to get them answered is to contact us!

TDI Introduction to Technical Diving

Who this course is for:

  • Certified open water scuba diver who wants to expand diver knowledge
  • Certified open water scuba diver who is considering technical training
  • Certified technical diver who is seeking a refresher course

Course prerequisites:

  • Minimum age 18, 15 with parental consent
  • Minimum certification: SDI Open Water Scuba Diver or equivalent
  • Proof of 25 logged open water dives

What you can expect to learn:

  • In-depth dive planning, advanced buoyancy control, gas management, situational awareness, proper trim, gear configuration and selection

What’s in it for you:

  • Exposure to in-depth dive planning, introduction to more advanced technical diving and equipment
  • Opportunity to become a more proficient diver and expand on diver skills and knowledge

Required Equipment:

  • Mask and fins
  • Backup mask recommended
  • Exposure protection
  • Dual primary cylinders (sidemount or backmount) or a large single cylinder with H-Valve
  • Two first and second stage regulators
  • One SPG for backmount/H-Valve or two SPGs for sidemount
  • 7′ long hose
  • BCD inflator hose and/or dry suit inflator hose
  • Buoyancy Compensating Device (BCD)
  • Depth and timing device
  • Cutting device
  • Primary reel with a minimum of 130’ of line
  • Lift bag/surface marker buoy (minimum of 25lbs lift)

TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures

These are the first two classes of technical diving and represent the first step on the road to becoming an elite diver. 

Best taken together, these classes will train you to safely use gas mixtures with up to 100% oxygen and execute staged decompression diving.  This will extend your depth range down to 150’ or allow you to make repetitive dives with NO reduction in bottom time. 

The class is typically spread over 4 days, two of which will be conducted off of our dive boats.  The other two days will consist of classroom instruction and shallow water practice with the new skills and mastery of trim and buoyancy that will be needed to pass these two classes.Each class has its own training schedule to be established by Greg. The online reservation system has one day per month…… just pick one and work the details out with Greg. 

Required Equipment:

  • Mask and fins
  • Backup mask recommended
  • Exposure protection
  • Dual primary cylinders (sidemount or backmount) or a large single cylinder with H-Valve
  • Two first and second stage regulators
  • One SPG for backmount/H-Valve or two SPGs for sidemount
  • 7′ long hose
  • BCD inflator hose and/or dry suit inflator hose
  • Buoyancy Compensating Device (BCD)
  • 2 Depth and timing devices
  • Cutting device
  • Primary reel with a minimum of 200’ of line
  • Lift bag/surface marker buoy (minimum of 25lbs lift)
  • 1 Decompression cylinder (40 cuft recommended).
  • 1 Oxygen clean decompression regulator. (1st and 2nd stage with SPG).
  • Water proof notebook or wrist slates.
  • Oxygen analyzer recommended, but not required.

TDI Timix Diver

The TDI Trimix course provides the training required to competently and safely utilize breathing gases containing helium for dives that require staged decompression, utilizing nitrox and / or oxygen mixtures during decompression to a maximum depth 200’.

The objective of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards and proper procedures of utilizing custom oxygen / helium / nitrogen mixtures as breathing gases.

Required Equipment:

  • Mask and fins
  • Backup mask recommended
  • Exposure protection
  • Dual primary cylinders (sidemount or backmount) or a large single cylinder with H-Valve
  • Two first and second stage regulators
  • One SPG for backmount/H-Valve or two SPGs for sidemount
  • 7′ long hose
  • BCD inflator hose and/or dry suit inflator hose
  • Buoyancy Compensating Device (BCD)
  • 2 Depth and timing devices
  • Cutting device
  • Primary reel with a minimum of 130 ft of line
  • Lift bag/surface marker buoy (minimum of 25lbs lift)
  • 1 Decompression cylinder (40 cuft recommended).
  • 1 Oxygen clean decompression regulator. (1st and 2nd stage with SPG).
  • Water proof notebook or wrist slates.
  • Oxygen analyzer recommended, but not required.

PADI Sidemount Diver

The PADI sidemount specialty provides training in the use of the sidemount gear configuration.  This gear configuration provides many benefits including redundant gas supply, ease of gear transport topside, reduced lower back strain, increased gas supply (longer dives), an alternative method of streamlining, and the ability to monitor all of your gear while diving because it is in front of you.  This gear configuration can be used both for recreational and technical diving.