Technically Speaking - Talks on Technical Diving Volume One: Genesis and Exodus, tells the story of where technical diving came from, how it developed, how it expanded across the world, who the important movers were and how the efforts of a few determined people changed our little field of human endeavour forever.

This momentous period in diving history is told in the form of a series of detailed and overlapping talks, each covering a specific theme, picking out the various threads that combined and entwined with each other during the years preceding the emergence of what came to be known as technical diving and following them through to the late 1990s, by which time “tech” had become part of the scuba mainstream.

This era saw the greatest shake-up sport diving has ever seen. Between 1989 and 1999, the frontiers for fun divers were pushed back and, by the end of the decade, divers were playing in a much bigger pool than before and with far more advanced toys.

But the pathway to progress was anything but smooth. There were very few experts in the early days and the protagonists had to learn fast. A lot of influential people were concerned that embracing more extreme forms of diving would damage scuba’s reputation as a family activity, there were plenty of obstacles to be overcome and, even viewed in retrospect, the advocates of technical diving seemed at times destined to fail in their mission.

Ultimately, success came down to perseverance, people power, good timing and more than a few fortuitous twists of fate.

Here is what a few of technical diving's pioneers had to say about it.

“Simon Pridmore’s new book, ‘Technically Speaking’ is an outstanding tour de force from one of modern diving’s most accomplished practitioners and best-selling authors.” David Strike: Oztek & Tekdive Convenor

“Simon has completed a complex task with consummate skill and has accurately unravelled the whens, the whos and some of the whys, much of which would have been unjustifiably lost in the mists of time if not for this work.” Kevin Gurr: Author, Inventor & Innovator

“It will take some doing to better this account of tech’s first steps… as no matter how much you know or think you know you will still find many obscure historical gems...” Kevin Denlay: Explorer & Wreck Finder