Recent Experience Additionally, successful students typically have made at least 10 to 20 dives in the six months prior to the course. Further, those students who do well in Technical Diver training typically practice and master the buoyancy skills outlined on this page, in confined or open water, within 30 days of the start of the course. Students can test this by seeing if they can view everything that is going on behind them simply by tucking their chins to their chests. The rest of the body, including and especially the hands, should remain motionless throughout the turn. In an emergency, personal fitness can literally make the difference between life and death.
Fitness is also a key factor in reducing the risk of decompression illness.
Successful Technical Divers typically have the following commitment to personal health and fitness. Fatty foods, typical of what you find at most fast-food restaurants, are simply not part of your normal diet. You have little difficulty maintaining a body weight that is in proportion to your height, sex and build. Your minimum aerobic workout should consist of at least 20 minutes a day, three times a week. At least 30 minutes every day is better.