Is Technical Diving for Me? Your Path from AOW to Tec Diver in Malta

Written by

Jason Trott

in

Introduction – The Step Beyond 30 Metres

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably felt the limits of recreational diving:

  • You’ve hit 30–40 m and wanted more time.
  • You want to explore deeper wrecks.
  • You’re curious about twinsets, deco gases or even rebreathers.
  • You’ve realised that “more depth” isn’t about adrenaline – it’s about more possibilities.

That’s where technical diving begins.

What Is Technical Diving? (Clear, No-Nonsense Definition)

Technical diving is simply planned diving beyond recreational limits, with:

  • Mandatory decompression
  • Multiple cylinders or a rebreather
  • Redundant systems
  • More detailed planning
  • More responsibility

It’s not about being extreme or “pushing limits”. It’s about gaining the training and equipment to dive longer, deeper and safer on the sites you actually want to explore.

Signs You’re Ready for Technical Diving

Most people don’t wake up one morning ready for Tec. But these are the real signs:

1. You want more time on deeper sites

You’ve hit 30 m and thought: “This can’t be all there is.”
Wrecks like the Hellespont, Le Polynesien, HMS Stubborn and deeper reefs demand technical profiles.

2. You enjoy the planning side of diving

Gas planning, decompression, equipment configuration – you enjoy thinking it through.

3. You value mastery and precision

You’re the diver who checks kit twice, stays in trim and wants to improve skills.

4. You like structured progression

Tec isn’t a quick fix. It’s a sequence: twinset → Tec40 → Tec45 → Tec50 → trimix → (maybe CCR).
If that excites you, you’re exactly the right candidate.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before Starting Tec40

You don’t need to be elite.

You need:

  • PADI Advanced Open Water (or equivalent)
  • PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent)
  • 50 logged dives minimum
  • Solid buoyancy, trim and situational awareness

If you’re not sure about your skill level, Jason can assess this on a single dive or tune-up session.

Tip: Many divers think they’re not good enough for Tec yet, when in reality they’re already close.

Your Pathway: From AOW to Tec Diver in Malta

Malta is uniquely suited for a clean, structured progression. You can do each step on local sites perfectly matched to the level.

Step 1 – Twinset / Intro to Tec

Learn:

  • Twinset setup
  • Shutdowns
  • Trim & buoyancy
  • Basic gas management

This is the foundation of everything.

Step 2 – PADI Tec40 (first real technical level)

Depth: 40 m
Gas: Single deco gas (up to 50%)
Skills:

  • Decompression stops
  • Gas switches
  • Longer dive planning

This is the level where it “clicks” – you become a technical diver.

PADI Tec40 course in Malta

Step 3 – PADI Tec45 (deeper & longer)

Depth: 45 m
Gas: One deco gas (up to 100% O₂)
Skills:

  • Longer decompression
  • Failures & rescue on technical profiles
  • More complex planning
  • More bailout responsibility

By the end of Tec45, you’re a capable, self-sufficient technical diver.


PADI Tec45 and Tec50 programmes in Malta

Step 4 – Optional: Tec50 / Trimix / Prism 2 CCR

Depending on your goals:

  • Stay on open circuit and go deeper with trimix
  • OR go rebreather early (many do)

If you have long-term goals like 60–100 m wreck dives, CCR is the smart choice.

Hollis Prism 2 CCR training in Malta

Why Malta Is the Ideal Place to Become a Technical Diver

Malta is a unique training environment because it offers progression in one place:

1. Perfect depth ranges

  • 5–20 m (skills training)
  • 30–40 m (Tec40-level wrecks)
  • 45–60 m (Tec45/Tec50 wrecks)
  • 70–100+ m (trimix & CCR projects)

No flights, no big logistics jumps – you can grow step by step.

2. Controlled shore entries for training days

You can do shutdowns, gas switches and deco drills without worrying about boat cost or offshore conditions.

3. Real wrecks at real depths

No swimming over sand – actual historical wrecks with structure and purpose.

4. Predictable conditions

Much more reliable than the UK or northern Europe, especially for sequential training days.

5. One instructor through your whole journey

Instead of switching schools every course, you can build consistency, trust and realistic development with Jason.

What Technical Diving Is Not

Let’s address the myths:

  • ❌ It is not about being reckless
  • ❌ It is not about depth for bragging rights
  • ❌ It is not for people who rush training
  • ❌ It does not require you to be super fit or superhuman

Good technical divers are calm, conservative, and methodical.

If that sounds like you, you’ll do well.

What Technical Diving Is

  • ✔ Safer and more controlled than recreational deep diving
  • ✔ A path to real wreck exploration
  • ✔ A skillset that lasts your whole diving life
  • ✔ A progression you can take at your own pace
  • ✔ A gateway to rebreathers, trimix and expedition-style diving

Costs and Time: A Realistic Overview

Costs vary by equipment and gas, but here’s the simple version:

  • Twinset setup: €600–€1200 depending on what you buy
  • Tec40: 3–4 days
  • Tec45: 3–4 days
  • Complete path (twinset → Tec45): 2–4 weeks depending on schedule
  • CCR later: The Hollis Prism2 is the logical next step

Why Train With Jason in Malta?

If you choose a Tec instructor, you’re choosing:

  • Their experience
  • Their biases
  • Their safety margins
  • Their approach to problem-solving
  • Their attitude toward discipline and bailout

Jason brings:

  • 500+ hours on the Hollis Prism2
  • PADI Tec CCR 100 achieved at 27
  • Thousands of dives from UK quarries to 100 m+
  • A methodical, calm teaching style
  • Focused progression towards wreck diving
  • Small groups only (1–2 students max)

You’re not buying a course.
You’re buying a pathway.

Ready to Start Your Tec Journey in Malta?

Whether you’re:

  • An AOW diver wondering if Tec is for you
  • A Rescue diver ready for the next step
  • A future CCR diver exploring options
  • Or someone dreaming of deep wrecks

…your technical journey can start right here in Malta.

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