When most of us think about technical diving, the visions that spring to mind are deep dives, perhaps an overhead environment, always gear intensive, and with complex gas switches as part of a slow journey from depth back to the surface; but the mindset, the philosophy supporting all that paraphernalia, is 100 percent about risk management and following a proper set plan with skilful precision.
However remote and distanced all that may seem from a recreational open water dive, there’s common ground and everyday open water divers, even rank beginners, will benefit from adopting some of the techniques and core habits that technical divers use to stay safe and happy.
1. Rigorous Gas Management (The Rule of Thirds)
Rather than relying on simple pressure gauge checks, and a vague promise to surface with 50 bar or 500 psi remaining in our cylinder, technical divers operate on very tight gas planning rules. The most common and most popular is the Rule of Thirds: ppp
- One-third the starting pressure for the first half of the dive… the journey out.
- One-third for the second half… the journey back.
- One-third reserved entirely as a cushion for an out-of-gas partner or a little sightseeing when back to or within “arm’s length” of the exit.
2. Using Written Checklists
As recreational divers we are usually taught to use mental acronyms as part of our pre-dive checks. There’s nothing particularly wrong with doing this, but when we are expected to perform it seconds before jumping into the water, under stress, a little distracted, and perhaps pressured to ‘get on with it,’ they are fallible. Stuff gets overlooked.
Technical divers make a habit of using a physical pre-dive checklist. This is a great add-on pre-dive rule for open water divers. Even a very simple one showing five or six critical steps help to ensure nothing’s skipped.
3. The RAID Way… Buoyancy and Trim
Every diver will benefit from perfecting horizontal trim and pinpoint buoyancy control. That’s why RAID has every diver focus on these basic skills. The simple reason is that no diver should be kicking up silt or stomping on coral or even ‘just sand.’… because there is often something making its home right there… underfoot: or under fin!
Also, a streamlined, horizontal posture in the water dramatically reduces air consumption and increases diver comfort because it makes swimming much, much easier.
4. Greyscale Thinking and Contingency Planning
Recreational diving is typically approached with linear, best-case-scenario planning. Technical diving is rooted in greyscale thinking—anticipating what could go wrong and pre-planning distinct contingencies.
Greyscale thinking — also called grey thinking — is the ability to move beyond binary, all‑or‑nothing perspectives. It recognizes that most issues, decisions, and situations are multifaceted, with “right” and “wrong” certainly existing on a continuum rather than as fixed opposites with nothing between good and evil, safe and dodgy. Thinking this way helps us to react properly… mindfully… to things going pear-shaped on a dive.
So, have a plan if your mask floods, if your buddy disappears in low visibility, or your computer fails because you haven’t changed the battery in months. Greyscale thinking builds mental resilience. It shifts your diving philosophy from reactive panic management to calm, practiced problem-solving.
5. Be Self-Reliant
At its core, technical diving is built on two fundamentals: you are your primary source of something to breathe… never run out of gas… and if a piece of kit is vital to getting back to the surface safely, carry a spare. That includes a spare mask, a spare cutting devise, a spare light, even redundant gas. And most importantly, practice dealing with simulated gear failures in the water, often not just when training.
Making a few changes to the way we plan and execute dives. Stealing from technical divers and what they do, will help make us safer, more confident, and more self-reliant underwater at any level.