THE WORLD OF
TEK
DIVING
FOREWORD BY DAVID STRIKE AND MICHAEL MENDUNO
With an overabundance of unexplored caves , karsts and lengthy underground rivers ; seas littered with the remains of mysterious vessels that , over the centuries , have fallen victim to storm , piracy and war ; deep ocean basins and drop-offs , and reefs that teem with exotic life forms , Asia ’ s growing reputation as a diving destination without equal – one that ’ s rich in exploration opportunities – is well deserved .
It ’ s a status that owes a considerable debt to the region ’ s premier diving event , the annual ADEX Show , which , since 1995 , has not only helped boost international awareness of the region ’ s diving possibilities , but in creating a sounding board for seasoned practitioners , gave early legitimacy to an aspect of recreational diving then considered to be beyond the scope and purpose of the mainstream training organisations , that is , technical diving .
Just a year earlier , in January 1994 , the leader page of the nowdefunct Skin Diver magazine – then the doyen of recreational diving publications – critiqued an article about diving with mixed gas that had appeared in Sports Illustrated magazine , a publication with a stated readership of 23 million .
The Skin Diver editorial stated : “ I tried to rationalise that this type of diving should be considered part and parcel of recreational diving . … But when all is said and done , there is no amateur application of this commercial technology . This is commercial and professional diving , pure and simple . If amateur divers want to experiment with commercial techniques , that ’ s up to them . When they cross the line and say this is the future of recreational diving and recommend it to anyone with a Certification-card ( with or without additional training ), it ’ s time to pick sides .”
The article later went on to say : “ The proponents of nitrox and trimix seem to be willing to go to any length to sell their ‘ soap ’. … Their use of innuendo , pseudo-science and just plain scare tactics to promote ‘ enriched air ’ is a self-serving ruse even the worst used car salesman wouldn ’ t employ .”
8 | SDAA