TDI Compressor Operator course emerges in Thailand

For people who want to work in the scuba diving industry the first criteria they look for is becoming a diving professional but often overlook the support roles like gas blenders, equipment service technicians or people certified with visual inspection procedures. More and more people are being turned on to the idea of getting certified and working in the mechanical side of diving as a way into the competitive and luxurious job of being a diving professional. More of such qualifications are also in demand of scuba instructors who worked for different dive centers around the world.

Big Blue Tech in Thailand, (TDI 5 Star Instructor Trainer Facility) realized that there was a course missing from the choices of mechanical jobs. James Thornton-Allan, Director of Big Blue Tech used his experience and qualifications as a compressor service technician to write a TDI Compressor Operator specialty course that would deliver a certification for people who wanted to work as compressor operators in dive shops who provide scuba cylinder fills.

The course was designed to comply with the strict health and safety standards of Australia and Europe with focus on safety and local regulations. Beyond the theoretical side the course covered changing filtration systems, using banked air supply and a variety of different compressors with electric and petrol powered engines. The course also includes require amount of hands on experience running a compressor and filling cylinders in the dive shop.

Many of the certified customers eventually return to Big Blue Tech to gain even more experience. In one instance a former customer who was returning to Canada to start university found a weekend job working in his local dive shop filling customer’s scuba cylinders. He later moved up to work as a Divemaster earning him money towards his education doing what he loved, diving.

Big Blue Tech have also found a huge benefit in combining the TDI Compressor Operator Course with the TDI Gas Blender Course to give the students the ability to become comfortable with continuous flow nitrox systems which are used to make enriched air nitrox, which again benefits the student enrolled in the course.

For more information check out Big Blue Tech at www.bigbluetech.net