The Organisation
International Technical Diving Association(ITDA) is a profesional body of diving instructors specialising in the training and development of technical diving throughout Europe. A combination of the expertise of the ITDA and experienced Instructor trainers has helped evolve highly effective, up to the minute, well-presented diver training courses that can be easily understood by the layman. Potentially a very exciting and exceptional training agency. ITDA is a British Organisation that has a select number of technical training centres throughout Europe. I.T.D.A. is a H.S.E Recognised Recreational Training Agency, and continualy strive to monitor and update the training standards.
The History
ITDA was formed in 1997 by the pioneering and leading Technical diver Rob Palmer. His ideaologies were to form an organisation to promote the safe and structured training of technical diving. Author of over 200 articles and numerous books, he took his ideas to Scotland and the Stenmar group, and the birth of the “new” agency occured.
Rob Palmer was a renown figure in the rapidly growing technical diving market, a tremendous advocate to safe diving practises, to which ITDA prides itself. He was leading major mixed gas rebreather expeditions into caves and wrecks going back to 1987, some 10 years before the APD Inspiration.
He was also part of the “think tank” who originally put together the outlines for the first mixed gas courses, which later became the blueprint for all technical diving courses.
Unfortunately Rob lost his live in 1997, during a diving trip to Egypt, and despite many differing rumours, the cause has never been verified, all that is truly known is diving had lost one of its truly great pioneers.
ITDA was taken over by Stenmar Ltd after Robs death. It was whilst under the Stenmar group, the courses laid out by Rob, gained HSE recognition in the UK, under the guidance of new technical director Simon Townsend and special projects director Ron Mahoney.
ITDA remained under the Stenmar group until the end of 2003, when due to a reorganisation of Stenmar and its subsidury companies, it was descided to sell of the oganisation. Simon Townsend decided to take the company on, not wishing to allow Rob Palmers ideas go to waste.
The Future
ITDA is now a rapidly growing organisation, whilst retaining the “quality rather than quantity” policy regarding instructors, unlike the other organisation. Its quality control is second to none and the materials are still constantly monitored and improved. Manuals and presentations are now availble in a number of different languages.
The materials follow a logical progression into technical diving, presented for the layman, by the layman.
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