Two technical divers in open blue, one in backmounted twins and one carrying a stage

Tec 40

SKU T40001

R 10,000.00

Certification: Standard

Standard
Trimix

Product variants

Every recreational course ends with the same rule: always be able to swim straight up. This is where that changes.

Recreational diving is built around one non-negotiable. No matter how deep you are or how long you've been down, you can always ascend directly to the surface. It's a sensible rule, and it's a large part of why recreational training is as safe as it is. It's also a ceiling. The PADI Tec 40 course is where you learn to work above that ceiling deliberately, with the training and the redundancy to do it properly.

Tec 40 is the first full certification level of the PADI Tec Diver programme, and it's designed specifically as the crossing point between recreational and technical diving. You'll move onto a technical equipment configuration, learn to plan dives that require staged decompression, and build the gas management, team procedures and problem-solving habits that technical diving runs on. Equipment isn't included in the course fee: technical gear is hired separately, so you can train on a proper configuration long before you commit to buying one.

It's a demanding course, and it's meant to be. Technical diving asks more of your buoyancy, your planning and your discipline than anything in the recreational syllabus. Divers who come out of Tec 40 tend to say the same thing: it made them better at every kind of diving, not just the deep ones.

What Tec 40 Qualifies You To Do

Once certified, you're qualified to make limited decompression dives to a maximum depth of 40 metres, with up to 10 minutes of decompression on your back gas, or 15 minutes when you're carrying a decompression gas of up to 50 percent oxygen. In practice, that's the difference between turning a dive at the no-stop limit and being able to properly plan the deep reef or wreck you actually came for.

There's also a Trimix option at this level. Tec 40 Trimix certifies you to use normoxic trimix as your back gas, a blend carrying a minimum of 21 percent oxygen and up to 35 percent helium, which takes a noticeable amount of narcosis out of a 40-metre dive. Same course, same limits, different breathing gas. Let us know before you book if that's the route you'd rather take.

Tec 40 is also the prerequisite for Tec 45, and from there Tec 50, Trimix and the rest of the technical pathway. Plenty of divers stop here and simply dive deeper and better for it. Others treat it as the first rung of a ladder that goes a long way down.

Ready to dive past the recreational limits? Book your Tec 40 course below, or get in touch with our team if you'd like to talk through the prerequisites and whether you're ready for it.

What This Course Entails

The course opens with seven knowledge development sections covering decompression theory, gas planning and management, technical equipment configuration, and the procedures and mindset that separate technical diving from recreational diving. This is the theory everything else rests on, so it's worked through properly rather than skimmed.

From there you'll move into four practical application sessions, where you set up and refine your technical configuration, drill valve shutdowns and gas switches, and get your buoyancy and trim to the standard technical diving actually demands. Tec 40 can be run on a single cylinder fitted with a Y-valve, or on backmount or sidemount doubles, and we'll settle on the right configuration with you before you start.

The course finishes with four training dives, building progressively from simulated decompression to genuine staged decompression dives at depth, run at Komati Springs, or as a coastal qualification if you'd rather certify in the sea. Equipment isn't included in the course fee: technical gear is hired separately. Gas, site entry and any boat or charter fees are quoted separately.

Prerequisites

Certified PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, or a qualifying certification from another training organisation. PADI Rescue Diver is recommended, and becomes a requirement at Tec 45.
Certified PADI Enriched Air Diver.
Certified PADI Deep Diver, or proof of at least 10 dives to 30 metres.
A minimum of 30 logged dives, including at least 10 made on enriched air, 10 deeper than 18 metres, and 6 deeper than 30 metres.
Minimum age is 18 years old.
Medical clearance signed by a physician within the last 12 months. Start with the health screening questionnaire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need previous technical diving experience to start Tec 40?

No. Tec 40 is the first level of the PADI Tec Diver programme and is built specifically as the bridge from recreational to technical diving. What you do need is dive experience: 30 logged dives, including at least 10 on enriched air, 10 deeper than 18 metres and 6 deeper than 30 metres, along with your Advanced Open Water and Enriched Air certifications.

What am I qualified to do once I'm Tec 40 certified?

Tec 40 qualifies you to make limited decompression dives to a maximum depth of 40 metres, with up to 10 minutes of decompression on your back gas, or 15 minutes when you're carrying a decompression gas of up to 50 percent oxygen. It is a genuine technical certification, and it is also the prerequisite for Tec 45.

What's the difference between Tec 40 and Tec 40 Trimix?

They are the same course, run to the same depth and decompression limits. The Trimix option additionally qualifies you to use normoxic trimix as your back gas, a blend carrying a minimum of 21 percent oxygen and up to 35 percent helium, which takes a noticeable amount of narcosis out of a 40-metre dive. Same course, same limits, different breathing gas. Let us know before you book if that is the route you want.

How is Tec 40 different from the Deep Diver specialty?

Deep Diver teaches you to dive to 40 metres while staying inside no-decompression limits, so you always have a direct route to the surface. Tec 40 removes that: you plan and execute dives where you cannot simply ascend, and you carry the redundant gas, equipment and procedures needed to manage that safely. Different mindset, different kit, different training.

Do I need to own technical equipment before I start?

No. Technical gear can be hired separately for the course, so you can train on a proper configuration before deciding what to buy. Hire isn't included in the course fee. Most divers use the course to work out what actually suits them, and our team can advise on kit once you know how you prefer to dive.

How long does the Tec 40 course take?

The course runs over seven knowledge development sections, four practical application sessions and four training dives. Most divers complete it across four to five days, though we run it to your schedule and your pace. This is not a course anyone should be rushed through.

Where are the training dives run?

We run the Tec 40 training dives at Komati Springs, or as a coastal qualification if you would rather certify in the sea. Gas is quoted separately from the course fee, along with site entry and any boat or charter fees, so you only pay for the gas you actually use.

What's included in the Tec 40 course price?

The course fee covers your PADI Tec 40 materials, seven knowledge development sections, four practical application sessions and four training dives with a technical instructor. Equipment hire, site entry, gas fills and any boat or charter fees are quoted separately.