On Thursday, Kenn, Steve, I took a mid week day for a
UTD Stage Mini.
For technical diving, the use of deco bottle or stage bottle is a necessary skill. The UTD Stage Mini allows one to learn how to use a deco bottle in a workshop format. The day consists of lecture, equipment review, [...]
Pictures from the UTD Essentials scuba diving class in Monterey, CA this past weekend.
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Brian of Frog Kick Diving in the Pacific Northwest has a good article on how to mark a stage and deco bottle. In addition to the how, he also explains the whys, which is equally important for the thinking diver.
For all countries, O2 bottles are to marked with “OXYGEN,” in English. This is [...]
Andrew recently put together a video blog on how to rig a stage or deco bottle. This is useful viewing for anyone getting ready for technical diving and setting up their own stage or deco bottles.
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Here is a another very good reference for making [...]
The Hogarthian/DIR/UTD equipment philosophy has the SPG attached to the left hip D-ring. This promotes streamlined gear configuration and doesn’t clutter up the chest (workspace area).
For new divers, this set-up requires work since the clipping and unclipping of the SPG has yet to become automatic. Instead of practicing, some divers choose to solve [...]
KMD posted a very nice short video on how to dump gas while riding a scooter.
In his words:
Some items to notice.
* By thumbing the light the diver keeps it pointed forward into the view of her buddies and frees up a hand to manipulate dump valves
* The [...]
While Internet forums are filled with discussions on DIR/UTD equipment configuration, I typically ignore most of the banter. Often times, these threads end up as nit picks on fine details, but miss the overall goal and value of DIR. However, the best discussions are typically improvements or recommendations that enhance the way we [...]
As the foundation of technical training, GUE’s Fundamentals of Diving or UTD’s Essentials of Technical Diving (formerly Intro-To-Tech) are an important stepping stone for many divers. The skills and techniques taught and tested are quite different than what most divers experience in their recreational dives.
Another class worth noting is the UTD Essentials course. [...]