The TDI Helitrox Diver Course examines the theory, methods, and procedures for planning staged decompression dives utilizing helium in the breathing mixture to reduce the effects of inert gas narcosis.

The TDI Helitrox Diver Course trains divers how to plan and conduct staged decompression dives to a maximum depth of 45 metres/150 feet. The most common equipment requirements, gear set-up, and decompression techniques are also presented during this course. Students are permitted to utilize enriched air nitrox and helium mixes with no greater than 35% helium content, and up to 100% oxygen for decompression diving.

This program is designed as a stand-alone course, or it may be taught in conjunction with TDI Advanced Nitrox at the discretion of the instructor.

The Training

The TDI Helitrox Course includes three parts:

• Online learning – once you have signed up for the course, we will provide you a code to sign up for the online learning in advance of your practical training to work through at home. You will then go through key areas in greater detail with your instructor and cover areas such as plus many others:

• • Dive tables vs computers 
  • Dive tables and planning
  • Equipment Considerations
  • Decompression Options
• Classroom training – After you have reviewed the key knowledge areas and ready to go you will then join your instructor for the practical element of your training and cover the following areas:
  • Conduct team orientated drills
  • Gas Matching among buddy team
  • Familiarity with hand signals, gas switching and lift bag deployment
  • Pre-dive planning procedures
• Open Water Training – After you have covered the key knowledge through the online learning, you will then join your instructor for 4 open water dives where you will cover the following plus much more:
  • Staging cylinders
  • Responding to emergency scenarios such as gas loss, omitted decompression and assisting a buddy member in distress
  • Executing complex dive plans and creating contingency dive plans through a decompression schedule
  • Conservative gas management, gas switching and gas sharing

What to expect:

Following sign up, we will be in contact to send you across your e-learning for either just the Helitrox training or this alongside Advanced Nitrox, if you have decided to complete the combined course option, to give you ample time to complete before you join us for your practical training.

The training takes place either over 2 days for the single course or 4 days for the combined course consisting of a mixture of classroom theory, dive/gas planning and of course in water training. For the single course you will complete a minimum of 4 dives, with a minimum of 6 dives required in a combined course. The days are pretty extensive, starting between 7 and 7:15am to get the dives done, with the afternoons being used for the classroom sessions.

Each of our training dives are completed on the Zenobia wreck as it provides the perfect training ground allowing a maximum depth of 42 metres with multiple platforms for training key skills and drills. In between the dives you will spend time in the classroom with your instructor going into detail on dive planning using decompression software and creating back-up decompression schedules. Due to the skill heavy nature of the course we only teach at a maximum of 2:1 ratio to allow adequate practice time for each student, increase safety and enjoyment.

No more than 2 dives will be conducted in a day as they are skill heavy and to allow your bodies a break, plenty of water and food is advised throughout the course to keep you in tip top shape and ensure you get the most out of your course.

Throughout the course we allow for ample time for equipment adjustments and to get comfortable in the equipment so we may carry out additional dives to ensure you are comfortable before you leave us.

It is important to note that making the step into technical diving is never one to be taken lightly, you are now looking into a level of diving which requires a lot more study, discipline and, most importantly, accepted risk than you will have experienced at any of your previous levels of recreational training. As a result, as much as we want you to enjoy your training we also want you to take it seriously for your own safety and those who you choose to undertake this diving with in the future. Please note passing this course is not a given and does require your full attention, if for whatever reason we are asking you to extend your training or go and build experience before continuing we are doing this purely in your interest and safety.

Pre-requisites

• Age: 18 years old and above
• SDI Advanced Adventure Diver and above, or equivalent from an alternative agency
• SDI Deep Diver or TDI intro to Tec and above, or equivalent from an alternative agency
• TDI Advanced Nitrox Diver and above, or equivalent, from an alternative agency (or completing TDI Advanced Nitrox alongside this course)
•  Minimum of 50 logged dives 
• Good physical health – You will need to fill out a self certification medical statement. If you have any medical conditions you think may prevent you from scuba diving please feel free to contact us