PADI Tec 40 Diver - Technical Diving Course on Koh Tao
The PADI Tec 40 course is the entry point into technical diving, allowing you to transition from recreational limits to planned decompression dives using up to 50% oxygen (EANx50).
Over four days, students learn about decompression techniques and dive computers to plan and execute dives with no more than 10 minutes of total decompression.
As a sub-pro level course, Tec 40 provides the foundation for using sidemount configuration and stage cylinders, which is essential for safely exploring Koh Tao’s deep pinnacles and shipwrecks.
Tec 40 Diver in Koh Tao
The PADI Tec 40 Diver course at Black Turtle Dive is the foundational entry point into technical diving on Koh Tao. This program transitions divers from recreational limits to technical decompression diving, providing training in specialized equipment setups and gas planning. Students learn to execute decompression dives to a maximum depth of 40 meters using up to 50% O2 for accelerated decompression, establishing the essential safety protocols for advanced technical exploration.
Discover the Art of Technical Diving
Discover and learn the advanced art of Technical Diving with the PADI Tec 40 Diver course on Koh Tao.
Expand your horizons and extend your limits beyond those of traditional Recreational Diving and embrace the exploration opportunities afforded by Technical Diving.
During the course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to experience and explore environments where only a limited few will choose, or evolve the abilities to enable them, to discover.
If you are an experienced diver, with a deep desire to continue your quest and pursue your passion as an avid adventurer and ocean explorer, then the transition to Technical Diving, and the ability and opportunity for the depth and no-decompression limits (NDLs) imposed by traditional Recreational Diving to no longer be a limiting factor on your dives, means the PADI Tec 40 Diver course provides the possibility for an enjoyable and exciting new direction in your diving journey.
Included in the PADI Tec 40 Diver Technical Diving Course
- PADI Tec 40 Diver eLearning & PADI Tec 40 Diver Manual
- 6 x Dives at varying shallow skills focused and advanced deep dive sites around Koh Tao
- PADI Tec 40 Diver Certification eCard
- Rental and use of all required Technical Diving equipment, including Sidemount Harness & Sidemount Regulators, 100% O2 Compatible Decompression Regulator + required backup / redundant equipment, including Dive Computers, Reels, SMBs, Slates etc. + Decompression Cylinders & Gases
- FREE rental and use of 2 x Dive Computers required throughout the course
- 2 x Students per PADI TecRec Instructor, and / or max. 4 x Students per PADI TecRec Instructor + PADI TecRec Certified Assistant
- Black Turtle Dive Customer & Environmental Promise + FREE Black Turtle Tech T-Shirt
Prerequisites for PADI Tec 40 Diver Technical Diving Course
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver with PADI Rescue Diver recommended
- PADI Enriched Air Diver
- PADI Deep Diver or proof of 10 dives to 30 metres / 100 feet or deeper
- 30 logged dives
- 18 years old
- Medically fit to dive, including Dive Medical with Physicians Approval prior to course start
- Personal Dive Accident Insurance, with partnerships / options for packages to cover course / dive trip duration, and / or annual packages included with our Pro-Level courses applicable
**Please note that qualifying certifications from another agency can be used to meet the pre-requisites for the PADI Tec 40 Diver Technical Diving Course on Koh Tao – please contact us for clarification / confirmation, or with any additional questions.
PADI Tec 40 Diver Course Schedule & Structure
We conduct the PADI Tec 40 Diver Technical Diving Course on Koh Tao over a minimum of 3 x Days, including:
- 1 x Day initially spent on Academics, Equipment & Theory
- 1 x Day including 1 x Experience Dive + 3 x Training Dives
- Final day including the initial mandated 1 x Decompression Dive + 1 x Bonus Decompression Dive
Our PADI Tec 40 Diver course consists of 3 x sections:
- Knowledge Development – Complete PADI Tec 40 Diver eLearning, including Knowledge Reviews and the Tec 40 Diver Exam
- Academics, Equipment & Theory – A full day spent on the associated academics and theory concepts for Technical Diving, including:
- Decompression theory, dive planning software, contingency / emergency planning etc.
- Preparation and setup of Technical Diving equipment, including double / multi-cylinder configurations, management / rigging of decompression / stage cylinders, as well as backup / redundancy equipment requirements etc.
- Plus, associated theory concepts concerning dive physics and physiology, including decompression algorithms / models, general gas laws, oxygen / nitrogen partial pressures + gas narcosis etc.
- Confined & Open Water Training – A minimum of 6 x Dives is included with the course, comprising 1 x Experience Dive, 3 x Training Dives + 2 x Decompression Dives, 1 x mandated plus 1 x Bonus
At Black Turtle Dive we take our customer promise and training standards very seriously.
All PADI TecRec courses are conducted with a maximum ratio of 2 x students per PADI TecRec Instructor, or where demand dictates, a maximum ratio of 4 x students per PADI TecRec Instructor + PADI TecRec Certified Assistant.
PADI TecRec Technical Diving Instructor
Our in-house PADI TecRec Instructor is highly experienced and trained, holding multiple student and instructor level certifications with both PADI & TDI, in a range of Technical Diving disciplines, including deep, open-water Extended Range diving, hard-overhead Advanced & Technical Wreck diving, and Cave / Cavern diving, choosing, and continuing, to learn from some of the most accredited and experienced Technical Diving Instructors in Thailand, and the wider South-East Asia region.
Each course is individually tailored to both your current experience level and preferred timeframe, with depth, knowledge, and skill progression designed to ensure that you feel fully comfortable and confident, prior to advancing further and course completion and certification.
While we recommend a minimum of 3 x Days, and 6 x Dives to complete this course, during your training, we are also able to accommodate, and encourage, the inclusion of additional days and dives.
This allows you to develop the level of competence and confidence to ensure that upon certification, you feel that you are an excellent, experienced, and safe PADI Tec 40 Diver.
**Please ask, either via email or on one of the messenger apps on this page, if you require any additional information, have any special requests, and / or would like to schedule an exploratory conversation with our in-house PADI TecRec Instructor.
Day 1:
07:00-12:00 – Orientation + Academics & Theory
12:00-13:00 – Lunch Break
13:00-16:00 – Equipment & PADI Tec 40 Diver Practical Applications
16:00-18:00 – Academics & Theory
Day 2:
07:00-11:30 – 1 x Experience Dive + 1 x Training Dive
11:30-12:30 – Lunch Break
12:30-17:30 – 2 x Training Dives
Day 3:
07:00-11:30 – 1 x Decompression Dive + 1 x Bonus Decompression Dive
11:30-12:30 – Dive Logs, eLearning Quick Review & Certification
Congratulations! You are now a certified PADI Tec 40 Diver!
PADI Tec 40 Diver Course Cost: 25,000 THB
**Please note that you will enjoy a 10% Discount on the cost of this course as a continuing-education student, if you have already completed a course(s) with Black Turtle Dive
**Additional Discounts / Promotions available if you are enrolled in / after completion of a Pro-Level course with us, including Divemaster, IDC, MSDT, IDC Staff Instructor & Master Instructor – Please contact us for additional information regarding these Discounts / Promotions
PADI Tec 40 Diver Technical Diving Course Information
Day 1 – Academics, Equipment & Theory
We will start your PADI Tec 40 Diver course at 07:00 with an Orientation that will include completion of required Medical & PADI Paperwork, as well as a brief introduction to the Schedule over the following days of the course.
The PADI Tec 40 Diver course consists of a minimum of 6 x Dives, at a variety of both shallow skills focused, as well as deep, potential decompression diving sites located around Koh Tao.
There is also a PADI Tec 40 Diver eLearning curriculum to complete, including Knowledge Reviews, Tec 40 Diver Exam, and eLearning Quick Review, that your PADI TecRec Instructor will guide and mentor you through, including a thorough review on course completion.
The remainder of the day will consist of PADI TecRec Instructor led interactive experiences, presentations, and sessions concerning and covering the important aspects and concepts of Academics, Equipment & Theory that apply to Technical Diving.
These will include:
- Decompression Algorithms, Models & Theory + Dive Tables
- General Gas Laws – Boyles Law, Daltons Law & Henrys Law etc.
- Multi-Gas Dive Computers, Technical Dive Planning + Dive Planning Software
- Multi-Cylinder Technical Diving Equipment + Decompression / Stage Cylinder Rigging & Use
- Backup / Redundant Equipment Requirements & Use, including Gas Reserves, Computers, Masks, Reels, SMBs, Slates etc.
- PADI Tec 40 Diver Practical Applications – Dry and on-land practice and mastery of critical and important skills required for Technical Diving, including but not limited to: Ascent & Descent Checks, Managing & Running Decompression Schedules, Gas Switches, Contingency & Emergency Planning & Preparation, S-Drills etc.
Technical Diving on Koh Tao – Discover & Explore
There are only 4 x PADI Tec 40 Diver Training Dives required according to PADI Standards to become a PADI Tec 40 Diver on Koh Tao.
However, in keeping with our attitude and ethos towards Training Standards at Black Turtle Dive, we feel that a minimum of 6 x Dives are required to enable students to safely, competently and confidently transition from Recreational Diving to Technical Diving, and consequently that is what, as a minimum, will be included with your PADI Tec 40 Diver course.
PADI Tec 40 Diver – Training Dive 1
During this dive you will begin understanding the conscientious and thorough nature of pre-dive planning and preparation for Technical Diving, including dive planning, equipment checks, in-water bubble / descent checks, and S-Drills etc.
You will also practice and begin to master the basic fundamentals of effective and safe Technical Diving practices, including, but not limited to: backup / redundant equipment deployment, gas shutdowns, out-of-air and air-sharing drills and ascents, advanced buoyancy and finning techniques, as well as NO TOX gas switches to decompression / stage cylinders, and managing simulated multi-stop decompression diving ascents.
Throughout this course and dive, these drills and skills will be completed in accordance with Black Turtle Dives Neutral Buoyancy Philosophy, ensuring that on course completion, you are certified as the most competent and confident Technical Diver that you can be.
PADI Tec 40 Diver – Training Dive 2
During this dive you will begin building the awareness and discipline required to be a Technical Diver, including several depth, gas, and time awareness situations and tasks, designed to assess and test your abilities in managing these critical aspects of a technical dive.
The data collected from these tasks will then be used in calculating your SAC rates and become the basis for your gas calculations used in planning your decompression dives.
In addition, you will revisit and refine fundamental buoyancy control and finning skills and techniques, applying them to more advanced technical diving scenarios and skills, such as staging and recovering deco cylinders, managing gas switches, and maintaining decompression stops.
PADI Tec 40 Diver – Training Dive 3
This dive will hone and refine the skills introduced and practiced on previous dives during the course, with the intended goal and outcome to provide and prepare you with the attitude and skills, both mentally and physically, to enable you to enjoyably, safely and successfully execute your first decompression dives.
Considering the above, you will be required, individually or as part of a team, to respond appropriately to up to 3 x simulated emergencies presented by the Instructor, including: out-of-bottom gas, out-of-deco gas, freeflow / leak from regulator / hose / SPG, freeflow / leak from cylinder / manifold, dive computer / timer low battery, and / or dive computer / timer failure.
PADI Tec 40 Diver – Training Dive 4
This is your final training dive of the course and time to explore and enjoy. You will be expected to plan and execute a decompression dive, actual or simulated, within PADI Tec 40 Diver limits, accounting for all aspects of a technical dive plan.
This dive will be conducted with 2 x cylinders of bottom gas, plus 1 x decompression / stage cylinder containing a maximum of 50% O2. Decompression will be limited to 10 x minutes total decompression breathing a deco gas, or 15 x minutes decompression based on breathing bottom gas throughout the dive.
You will also have the opportunity to complete an additional bonus decompression dive, at no additional cost, to give you the enjoyment and experience of another decompression dive during your course, and / or to address and ensure certification as a PADI Tec 40 Diver, in the unlikely event that you are unable / unsuccessful at doing so on your first dive.
Congratulations! You are now a certified PADI Tec 40 Diver!
Technical Diving Course Combo Packages
PADI Deep Diver + Enriched Air Diver + Tec 40 Diver – 3 Course Combo
PADI Tec 40 Diver + Tec 45 Diver & Tec 50 Diver – 3 Course Combo
You can enhance and enrich either your initial PADI Specialty Certification training, and / or your initial PADI Tec 40 Diver training, by combining either the PADI Deep or Enriched Air Diver Certification training with the PADI Tec 40 Diver course, or alternatively the PADI Tec 40 Diver course with the PADI Tec 45 Diver & Tec 50 Diver courses.
Special discounts and promotions, as well as flexible Internship style programs apply to either of these options, affording and allowing you unlimited flexibility and tailored tuition to enable you to reach your intended aspirations and goals.
**Please contact us directly to arrange an exploratory conversation with our in-house PADI TecRec Instructor for additional information on, and / or to explore and understand these options in greater detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will I learn during the PADI Tec 40 Diver course on Koh Tao?
During the PADI Tec 40 Diver course you will learn the fundamental basics, and core competencies, of enjoyably and safely executing more complex and deeper Technical Diving, using staged decompression and advanced nitrox mixtures to afford and allow you significantly extended bottom times at greater depth than possible within the no-decompression limits (NDLs) of Recreational Diving.
We will also work together throughout the course to provide a solid grounding and stable baseline understanding of all of the key areas and aspects of Technical Diving, including Academics & Theory, Equipment, as well as in-water Skills, to allow you to either enjoyably and safely continue to dive within PADI Tec 40 Diver limits, or provide the knowledge and skills to further your Technical Diving training to higher levels.
PADI Tec 40 Diver is an entry-level tec course using a single decompression gas. It is the bridge between recreational and technical diving and a prerequisite for the Tec 45 Diver level. There is an option for divers to earn a Tec 40 Trimix Diver certification.
How long does the PADI Tec 40 Diver course take on Koh Tao?
The PADI Tec 40 Diver course on Koh Tao takes 2.5 days to complete.
You will meet your PADI TecRec Instructor in the morning of Day 1, and this first day will be spent entirely and exclusively on Academics, Equipment & Theory, related specifically to Technical Diving. On Day 2, you will be conducting and enjoying 1 x Experience Dive + 3 x Training Dives on our AM & PM boats.
The following morning on Day 3, you will go out on our AM boat to one or more suitably deep, potential decompression diving, sites around Koh Tao and conclude the course with the mandated 1 x Decompression Dive + 1 x Bonus Decompression Dive, included at no extra cost with the course.
What is the cost of the PADI Tec 40 Diver course on Koh Tao?
The cost of the PADI Tec 40 Diver course is: 25,000 THB.
Included in this price are all course costs, including PADI Materials, complete and full Technical Diving equipment rental (including Dive Computer(s) + Backup / Redundant Equipment), instructor fees, boat trips and basic TAT (Tourism Authority Thailand) accident insurance.
**Please note that comprehensive and full dive accident insurance is not only recommended, but required, for all PADI TecRec Technical Diving courses at Black Turtle Dive. However, we are partnered with and able to recommend several reputable insurance companies offering flexible packages from daily, to weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually. Please contact us for further details.
Food and accommodation are not included. However, you can contact us to find out about accommodation options. We have AC rooms available at discounted rates when taking a diving course with us.
Continuing-education and / or ex-students will enjoy a 10% discount on the course price.
How many dives is the PADI Tec 40 Diver course on Koh Tao?
According to PADI Standards, the PADI Tec 40 Diver course consists of 4 x Training Dives, with the final dive of the course your first Decompression Dive.
However, at Black Turtle Dive, and in keeping with our attitude and ethos towards Safety & Training Standards, we feel that a minimum of 6 x Dives is a more effective, manageable and relaxed manner in which to conduct a course which allows students to successfully transition from Recreational Diving to Technical Diving with minimal pressure or stress, and consequently that is what, as a minimum, will be included with your PADI Tec 40 Diver course.
The PADI Tec 40 Diver course dives will be broken down into 1 x Experience Dive + 3 x Training Dives on Day 2, as well as 1 x Decompression Dive + 1 x Bonus Decompression Dive on Day 3.
How deep is the PADI Tec 40 Diver course on Koh Tao?
The maximum depth of the PADI Tec 40 Diver certification is 40 metres / 130 feet, with your decompression schedule limited to a maximum of 10 x minutes decompression breathing a decompression gas, or 15 x minutes decompression based on breathing bottom gas throughout the dive. Your decompression gas will be up to a maximum of 50% O2.
However, there are no limitations on the bottom time of your dive, provided that your decompression schedule fits within the above fixed parameters, and your PADI TecRec Instructor will advise on and guide you through multiple effective methods of planning and managing extended bottom times at 30m+ and up to 40m during the Academics & Theory elements of the course.
With this certification, you can dive independently with another PADI Tec 40 Diver certified dive buddy, within these parameters, all around the world. For those interested in continuing their Technical Diving journey, there is also the option to continue to PADI Tec 45 Diver & PADI Tec 50 Diver, with course combinations / package deals and discounts available.
**Please contact us for further information regarding continuing-education courses and combinations / package deals and discounts.
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