INTRO
If you couldn’t guess by the name, Divetech has always been involved in technical diving since it was founded in the 1990’s. Divetech was historically known for tech diving and training in the Caribbean…until covid hit and Grand Cayman - and the world - shut down. It took a few years to recover and get back on track, but the good news is we are so excited to finally offer tech diving and training again!
At the start of this year, our amazing owner Jo approached Sami and I with the opportunity of a lifetime: she was going to send us to Utila in Honduras to complete our tech and tech instructor training! We absolutely jumped at the opportunity, and to say we were ecstatic is an understatement.
WHAT IS TECH DIVING?
Quick side note for those of you new to tech: the biggest difference between technical and recreational diving is that for technical diving, divers intentionally plan and execute dives past their no-stop limits, thus requiring decompression stops on the ascent. This could be during long penetrations of wrecks or caves, or most commonly, diving at deeper depths. Technical diving requires a lot of redundancy, meaning different tank and gear configurations compared to recreational diving, as well as a lot of new skills.
The courses we were taking certifies us to dive and teach the following using backmount doubles:
PADI TEC
PADI offers eLearning for the three technical diving courses we were signed up for and we got started on it right away. This was my very first experience with eLearning as a student and I was surprisingly impressed with the eLearning for the courses - the information was clearly given and I liked being able to learn at my own pace. It wasn’t perfect, there are still some minor grammatical errors and “trick” questions, but overall the experience was smooth and I felt prepared to start getting hands-on with the gear.
HELLO UTILA
After too much time spent staring at computer screens and taking quizzes and exams, Sami and I were on our way to Honduras via a direct flight from Grand Cayman to the bustling city of La Ceiba. (Pro tip: Cayman Airways offers complimentary rum punches as part of the drink service!)
The ferry to Utila was bouncy but fun. We sat outside to enjoy the fresh air, not realizing we were also in the splash zone. Luckily we’ve got our sea legs, but sick bags were provided for the less sea-worthy passengers.
We docked at Utila right as the sun was setting - our first of many stunning sunsets. The dock was small but bustling, with lots of tuk-tuks and staff merrily waiting to welcome guests. We grabbed our bags and walked down the main street to our cute little AirBnB. Utila immediately reminded me of small islands like Koh Tao and Koh Lipe in Thailand - small streets full of dive shops, food stalls, souvenir shops, markets and open-air eateries, with the constant buzz of motorbikes and tuk-tuks zooming past.
Our AirBnB was super cute and cozy, located right on the water. Utila is a small place and we were mindful of the rules: conserve water and electricity, no toilet paper in the toilets, and definitely do not drink the tap water!
ISLAND LIFE
We were on Utila for just under two weeks, and most of the time was spent in a whirlwind of training and studying. We didn’t have too much time to check out other parts of the island - there were talks of small beaches and day trips to neighboring islands and caves to explore - but it was a lot of fun visiting the cute cafes, eateries, and waterfront views on the main stretch.
Some of our favorite places were: Josie’s, Trudy’s at Underwater Vision, The Pelican, Utila Brewing Co, The Local & the Gringa, and of course The Pink Flamingo!
TEC TEC TEC
We completed all our tech training with PADI Course Director Nick Derutter at the Bay Islands College of Diving (BICOD). Nick was professional, communicative, and clearly passionate about diving. Check out his DiveSaga page!
From the moment we arrived and met Nick on the first day, we got to work right away. The next two weeks were an absolute blur of classroom sessions, equipment preparation, confined water sessions, and training sessions from the boat. The courses pushed us to our limits, but the rewarding feeling as we successfully completed each course.
We left Utila exhilarated but exhausted, proud of our accomplishments but fully aware the real work was only just beginning…
NEXT STEPS
Back in Cayman, it was time to put our new knowledge and skills to the test. Our first task was taking stock of the gear, pulling the tanks and equipment out of storage, and servicing everything.
Once the equipment was sorted, Sami and I took on the task of figuring out how to apply our training for Cayman waters. Unlike Utila, we will be conducting most of our courses from shore and it was quite a journey figuring out plans and logistics. For those of you familiar with our shore diving locations at Cobalt Coast and Lighthouse Point, you know there is a wee bit of a swim needed to get to depth at the main wall. It’s not as simple as jumping off a boat, but there is plenty to see and look at during those long deco stops over the hard pan! I even found a super cute sea spider crawling around in the shallows on a recent tech dive.
We also met with former long-time Divetech staff member and tech instructor Drew, who was a huge help as we asked question after question about his experience teaching tech diving here. Thanks again Drew!
SO NOW WHAT?
We are officially open for tech diving! Whether you are looking for courses, or already certified and looking for guided dives, we are so excited to share the depths of our spectacular main wall with you. In addition to Tec 40, 45 & 50 we can also teach Tec refreshers and beginner (non-deco) courses. We can even take you out on a Discover Tec dive - a half day session designed to fit you in doubles on a shallow mini wall dive to try out the gear!
Contact us today to start your tech journey with us!