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> TECH, properly spelled "Tek," is a marketing concept invented by Michael > Menduno (publisher of Aquacorps). Before he popularized this term for various > advanced techniques used by leading divers in the cave and wreck community, > "technical diving" was just diving. Now it is a sexy lifestyle where, with > the appropriate certification, you too can get it "hard, deep, and not often > enough." Actually, I think the term "Technical Diving" was first popularly applied in the late 1980's, before the "sexy" aspect was a big deal. Bill Hamilton wrote an article in one of the early AquaCorps (back when the magazine only provided information and did not include any hype) titled something like "Call it 'Technical Diving'". The point was to clearly distinguish it from the sphere of diving popularly referred to as "Recreational" diving. A lot of time has been wasted at meetings (and other forums of discussion) arguing about what really boils down to semantics. Like all aspects of life, different sorts of diving practices cannot easily be compartmentalized, but rather there is a fluid continum (or landscape) of different degrees (shades of gray). For purposes of conveniece, we like to draw arbitrary lines at certain places so we can have an assortment of bite-sized chunks to refer to...this makes for more efficient communication. The problem, of course, is that the lines between the bite-sized chunks are never actually lines -- they are smudgy areas. In the diving arena, the distinctions are analagous to the whole "art-pornography" distinction. Most people would say "I can't define technical diving, but I know it when I see it." That's what I say, anyway. This problem of smudgyness between catagories has led to a lot of talk to more clearly define the distictions, or at least standardize the distinctions, between the different "types" of diving. Unfortunately, people get all hung-up over the actual words used (the semantics): All diving of any sort is to some degree "technical", and the vast majority of people who dive deeper than 130fsw, in overhead environments, with multiple breathing mixtures, etc, are ultimately doing it for "recreational" purposes. Therefore, most of the diving we're talking about is both "recreational" AND "technical". I think it's a good idea to apply different terms to the realm of diving well-established by the likes of PADI, NAUI, YMCA, etc etc, and the realm of diving that goes beyond this which is more-or-less established by the likes of IANTD, ANDI, TDI, etc. Personally, I don't care what the words used are. Words used for labeling purposes frequently have a more specific meaning than the literal translation of those words (in the English languages, anyway). What's important is that we all have roughly the same idea of what others are talking about (excluding the smudgy boundaries) so we can all have more effective communication). Perhaps "Extended Range Diving" is a better term, but it doesn't seem to have as wide-spread usage as "Technical Diving". I say, let's not get hung-up on the smudgy boundaries, and let's not get hung-up on the semantics, and lets keep exchanging ideas on how to increase the pobability of stayiong alive and healthy in all of our diving endeavors. O.K...that last bit was kinda soap-boxy, and I realize this message turned out a lot longer than I initially intended it to be...for these, I apologize. Aloha, Rich ******************************************************************* Richard Pyle deepreef@bi*.bi*.ha*.or* "WHATEVER happens to you when you willingly go underwater is COMPLETELY and ENTIRELY your own responsibility! If you cannot accept this responsibility, stay out of the water!" *******************************************************************
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