By Frank J. Zarik

Taking an open water student and molding him into a good diver is probably one of the most rewarding aspects of being a diving professional. When that diver looks into the depths and asks, "What's down there?" often the answer is "Nothing." Which usually means, "Don't even think about it."

Keeping that good diver interested in diving is usually a challenge. So, where does he go when the thrill wanes? Technical diving.

Technical diving typically involves deeper and/or longer exposures than recreational standards allow. This type of diving is often conducted in the overhead environment of a decompression ceiling, cave or wreck where the diver cannot freely ascend to the surface. This is where technical instructors enter the picture.

If you are already a recreational instructor, becoming a technical instructor starts by getting in touch with a technical instruc tor trainer (IT). An IT will be able to tell you if you meet the prerequisites for the courses that interest you.

TDI training programs at the user and instructor level include Nitrox, Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Procedures, Entry Level Trimix, Advanced Trimix, Advanced Wreck, Cavern, Intro to Cave, Full Cave, Extended Range and Gas Blender/Service Tech courses.

Technical instructor courses require physical agility, presence of mind and knowledge of technical diving equipment. Com pleting the course at the user level, gaining experience and assisting at the desired level of instructorship are required for graduation.

Becoming a technical diver or instructor is not easy, but the rewards are phenomenal. When a diver completes TDI's Ex tended Range course (max. depth 200 feet) and asks, "What's down there?" The answer is "A whole new world."

For more information contact Technical Diving International (Canada), 141-5 Hotchkiss St., Gravenhurst, ON P1P 1H6. (705) 687-9226 e-mail: morrison@tdicanada.com website: www.tdicanada.com or see TDI's ad in this issue for an affiliated dive shop near you.

North Island College, based in Campbell River, British Columbia offers two courses specifically geared to diving com mercially. The first course is the Occupational Scuba Diving Course which prepares and qualifies divers to work in an occupation where diving is involved, such as in aquaculture, engineering inspection or search and recovery. This course trains divers to work safely and efficiently using scuba equipment and provides the skills necessary to dive safely in open water conditions on the Pacific coast. The scope of the working conditions includes diving on various bottom conditions, tidal currents, limited visibility, night diving, nets and net pens to a depth of 40 metres. This is the basic level recognized by the Workers Compensation Board (WCB).

The second course is the Surface Supplied Air/Sea Harvesting Course. This course fulfills the need of those students who wish to upgrade to the use of surface supplied air at depths to 30 metres. Diving operations that may use surface supply systems include sea harvest diving, aquaculture, engineering inspections, scientific investigations, photographic productions, marine vessel maintenance and light commercial work. The sea harvest diving portion of this course was designed in partner ship with the sea harvest diving industry and is specifically for divers wishing to enter the industry as qualified entry level divers. Students will learn skills such as navigation, boat maintenance, boat handling, anchoring, product handling, product identification and communications. North Island College has recently added three new courses to its programOxygen Terapy for Divers, Dive Accident Management for Tenders and Occupational Nitrox Diver. For more information on prerequisites for these programs contact North Island College, 2780 Vigar Rd, Campbell River, BC V9W 6A3. Ph (250) 830-0865 Fx (250) 830-0816