PADI TecRec · Amed, Bali
Forty metres is where it begins.
Technical diver training on Bali’s north-east coast: decompression, gas planning and the discipline to dive beyond the recreational limit — led by Martin Slisans, director of Ocean Dive League.
- Courses
- Tec 40 · 45 · 50
- Max. training depth
- 50 m
- Configuration
- Backmount / sidemount
01 — What is technical diving
More than going deeper.
Technical diving is about the challenge of exploring places few people ever see — and about the knowledge, equipment and procedures that make it possible to manage the added risk.
A dive is technical when it involves one or more of the following:
- 01Diving beyond 40 metres
- 02Required stage decompression
- 03An overhead environment more than 40 linear metres from the surface
- 04Accelerated decompression and/or variable gas mixtures
- 05Extensive equipment and technology
Who it is for
Experienced, certified divers aged 18 or over who want to go beyond their current limits — and who are willing to accept the added risks, training, investment and commitment that technical diving demands.
Recreational vs technical
| Recreational | Technical | |
|---|---|---|
| Depth | To 40 m | Beyond 40 m |
| Decompression | No-stop diving | Planned decompression stops |
| Ascent | Direct ascent always possible | No direct ascent until decompression is complete |
| Gases | Air or enriched air | Several gases, incl. high-oxygen decompression mixes |
| Equipment | Single cylinder | Redundant gas supply, stage cylinders |
02 — The depth profile
A clear progression, one step at a time.
PADI TecRec courses build on each other. Each level introduces new equipment and procedures to extend your limits — from the recreational limit at 40 m to decompression dives at 50 m.
- 18 mOpen Water Diver
- 30 mAdvanced Open Water
- 40 mRecreational limit · Tec 40
- 45 mTec 45
- 50 mTec 50
03 — Your instructor
Train with Martin Slisans.
Martin is the director and owner of Ocean Dive League. Technical diving is at the centre of his own diving and teaching.
- PADI Course Director
- PADI’s highest instructor-training rating in recreational diving — it is what allows Ocean Dive League to run the Instructor Development Course.
- PADI TecRec instructor
- Technical courses are taught under PADI’s separate TecRec instructor ratings. Martin teaches the TecRec programmes himself — Tec 40, Tec 45 and Tec 50 — as well as sidemount.
His approach goes beyond the checklist: emergency skills are practised in the water, not only discussed in theory — from switching to a single regulator during decompression stops to managing a buddy with oxygen toxicity. Safety always comes first, and the goal is a diver who is genuinely prepared.
Martin’s YouTube channel“I don’t choose an organisation to take a course from. I choose an instructor.”
04 — Programmes
Technical diving programmes
Prerequisites below are as published by Ocean Dive League. Your eligibility is always confirmed against current PADI standards before the course begins.
All prices in US dollars. Prices are provisional and are confirmed with your booking.
- DTDConfined water
Discover Tec Diving
A short, hands-on introduction to technical equipment and procedures in confined water.
You will learn
- First feel for a technical configuration
- Basic skills such as primary-to-secondary regulator switches and gas shutdown drills
- May credit towards the Tec 40 course
- TSM4 dives
Tec Sidemount Diver
Learn to configure, trim and manage a technical sidemount rig — balanced, streamlined and redundant.
You will learn
- Rig, balance and stream-line two side-mounted cylinders
- Gas management and regulator switching between cylinders
- Horizontal trim and precise finning — the foundation for tec training
Equipment
- Sidemount set available to rent (per day)
USD 360Enquire - TEC 4040mMax. depth
PADI Tec 40
Where recreational diving becomes technical. The first stage of the full PADI Tec Deep programme, bridging no-stop diving and full decompression diving.
You will learn
- Qualify for limited decompression dives to 40 metres
- Build the knowledge, planning and in-water skills for further tec training
Prerequisites
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
- PADI Enriched Air Diver, with at least 10 enriched-air dives deeper than 18 m
- PADI Deep Diver, or proof of at least 10 dives to 30 m
- At least 18 years old with 30 logged dives
- Good buoyancy and finning, including back-finning (we can teach it, but it adds time)
- Medical statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months
USD 550Enquire - TEC 4545mMax. depth
PADI Tec 45
Part two of the Tec Deep programme. Plan and execute repetitive decompression dives in a complete technical rig — backmount or sidemount.
You will learn
- Extend your depth limit to 45 metres
- Use a single stage / decompression cylinder
- Accelerated decompression with enriched air or pure oxygen
Prerequisites
- PADI Tec 40 Diver and PADI Rescue Diver
- Minimum 50 logged dives: at least 12 on enriched air deeper than 18 m and 6 deeper than 30 m
- At least 18 years old
- Medical statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months
USD 500Enquire - TEC 5050mMax. depth
PADI Tec 50
The final stage of the full PADI Tec Deep programme — and the door to deeper diving expeditions.
You will learn
- Dive to a maximum of 50 metres
- Extended, accelerated decompression stops using up to two decompression gases
- Demonstrate competency as a technical diver
Prerequisites
- PADI Tec 45 Diver
- Minimum 100 logged dives: at least 20 on enriched air deeper than 18 m and 15 deeper than 30 m
- At least 18 years old
- Medical statement signed by a physician within the last 12 months
USD 500Enquire
Course schedules are planned with you around your experience and travel dates.
Preparing for Tec 40
Recreational courses that build the foundation — all available in Amed.
05 — Equipment, safety & philosophy
Discipline is the real equipment.
- 01
Planning
Every dive is planned for gas, decompression and contingencies before anyone gets wet — and the plan is followed underwater.
- 02
Redundancy
In technical diving the surface is often not an immediate option, so critical systems — gas supply and regulators — are duplicated.
- 03
Teamwork
Technical dives are team dives: shared procedures, clear communication and divers who can rely on one another.
- 04
Procedure
Skills are repeated until they are automatic, with each course building on the last under an instructor’s supervision.
On site in Amed
- Nitrox and mixed-gas fills
- 15-litre cylinders
- Sidemount sets to rent
- DPVs to rent
06 — Technical diving in Bali
Deep water, close to shore.
The Amed–Tulamben coast combines warm water — 27 to 30 °C year-round — with walls that fall away close to shore. The Tulamben Drop Off, formed by the 1963 lava flow from Mount Agung, descends from 3 m to around 80 m. Most Amed and Tulamben sites are 5–20 minutes by road from the dive centre.
Not every site suits every programme. Training sites are chosen by your instructor for each course level and for the day’s conditions; areas known for strong or down-currents are generally unsuitable for decompression training.
Dive Sites
Ready to go deeper?
Tell us about your certification level, logged dives and goals. Martin will help you plan the right next step.
Discuss your training