UTD Books and Manuals Preview of Student & Diver Procedures Manual v2.0 | Page 8

expandability beyond open-circuit back gas doubles and deco/stage bottles became limiting. In 2008 Georgitsis and Jeff Seckendorf teamed up, and Unified Team Diving (UTD) was born. UTD is a progressive training agency with roots in DIR. To that end, we continue to teach a very consistent “DIR” open circuit program, from our Open Water and Recreational 1 basic certification classes, through more advanced recreational diving, technical, trimix, cave, wreck, and rebreather. Our open water students learn the same team procedures, same emergency procedures, same gas planning and ascent procedures as our Trimix students. This means there is a consistent path to all training within the agency. There is no need for students to replace gear, or learn new protocols as they move though more advanced classes. Each class advances on the previous, adding to the students’ experience as they move to deeper and more complicated diving, such as overhead cave and wreck environments. UTD then pioneered the integration of other diving disciplines into the “UTD/DIR approach,” including the MX Series mCCR Rebreather, a fully closed circuit manual rebreather, based on designs and disciplines learned, taught and propagated by Andrew Georgitsis and other WKPP members using pSCR rebreathers in exploration during the late 1990‘s and early 2000‘s. This is a UTD/DIR compatible configuration for a rebreather, allowing a mixed team of open circuit and closed circuit divers to seamlessly function as a team – gas planning, ascent strategy, and emergency procedures are all similar. This question often arises: Why does UTD care about “mixed team” protocols? Simply put, this should be the cornerstone of any rebreather configuration and design. In other words, almost every emergency on a rebreather leads to an open circuit bailout therefore, by default, the team has to deal with the emergency and exit as a “mixed” team. Knowing, practicing, and ensuring the team understands the proper protocols and procedures of mixed-team diving is essential in these “emergency” bailout situations.
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UTD Student and Diver Procedures Manual

Preface