What IS Technical Diving in 2026?

In this episode of Pod Diver TV, Joe Cocozza sits down with Luis of IANTD to tackle one of the biggest questions in modern scuba: what actually counts as technical diving today? From the early days of IAND and nitrox training to modern trimix, cave diving, decompression diving, and closed circuit rebreathers, this conversation breaks down how the definition of "tech diving" has evolved — and why different agencies, instructors, and divers still see it differently. We get into: • the IANTD view of technical diving vs. "Tech Lite" • whether cave and overhead environments are always technical • why depth alone does not tell the full story • recreational trimix and progressive diver development • the controversy around recreational CCR / rebreather training • bailout philosophy, checklists, and risk management • helium costs, narcosis, and why more divers are looking at rebreathers • where technical diving may be heading next Pod Diver TV in a conversation amongst divers who are passionate about diving. If you are interested in technical scuba, cave diving, rebreathers, decompression procedures, Rrimix, or the future of diver training, this episode is for you. Please like, subscribe, and turn on notifications. It helps support Pod Diver TV and allows us to keep producing serious long-form conversations for serious divers. PDTV is now working with Paragon Dive Group. Shop for dive gear, use code PODDIVER and you will save 5% To save money and help support the channel. goto: https://www.paragondivestore.com/ LINKS: Pod Diver Radio episode on Nitrogen Narcosis with Dr. Richard Vann: https://poddiver.libsyn.com/pod_diver... IANTD: https://iantd.com/ Pod Diver Lodge: https://www.poddiverlodge.com/ Pod Diver TV: https://www.poddivertv.com/ CHAPTERS: 00:00 What is technical diving in 2026? 01:40 IANTD history: from IAND to tech diving 05:00 What counts as "technical" — depth, deco, caves, and overheads 09:15 Tech Lite, recreational trimix, and diver progression 14:10 Recreational CCR, bailout philosophy, and safety culture 21:00 Helium costs, narcosis, rebreathers, and the future of tech diving