How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Harness

Dive Shop

One of most significant changes to the equipment cave divers use since the beginning is the shift from using backmounted doubles towards sidemount. While a large number of cave divers are now sidemounting, it is possible that there are many more sidemount cave diver than backmount.

One of the most significant innovations in equipment cave divers have seen since the beginning of this century has been the transition from backmounted to sidemount doubles. Many cave divers now sidemount. There may even be more open-circuit sidemount cave divers that backmount cave divers.

Although we can teach the SDI course if specifically requested, by default we offer the TDI one. It is possible to take this as a standalone program; however, our students generally combine this with our Apprentice Cave Diver course.

Tec 40 is the first step to start the TecRec program with Padi. The prerequisites are Advanced Open Water and Deep Diver certifications as well as Nitrox. In addition to that, before starting the course a minimum of 10 Nitrox dives have to be proved. The certification allows divers to dive to 40m doing limited decompression using gas mixes up to 50% of oxygen. The Tec 40 is also the prerequisite to continue with Padi Tec 45 which allows to do unlimited decompression time as long as it is carefully planned. The next step will be Tec 50 that enhances the allowable depth to 50m.

Who owns the Titanic wreck

Your Sidemount BCD is a harness with a bladder. There are also a number of sliding D-rings, zips, and bungee ropes. It is important that they are in the right place and fit for your tank.

Sidemount BCDs are a harness that has a bladder and an intricate system of sliding D rings, bungee cables, and clips. They are important for the tank position and trimming later in the water. Your instructor will likely spend quite some time making sure they fit perfectly.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Harness
Who owns the Titanic wreck
Are rebreathers safe

Are rebreathers safe

The technical sidemount was completed the next day. This involved adding our 50-percent oxygen tank and 100 percent oxygen tanks to either side. This will increase your profile underwater. You must ensure that the tanks are as slim as possible. A couple of clips are located on either side of your waist. When your tanks become positively buoyant and you inhale, adjust the clip to match your tank position. It is important to keep your breathing as smooth as possible. Your breathing will change from one tank to another every few minutes. The pressure in each tank will drop at approximately the same rate. If a regulator or tank fails, you will still have gas to breath. Comfort and enjoyment can only be achieved by gaining experience. I spent the next few day doing deco dives using the sidemount rig with Evolution co-owner David Joyce, a Trimix instructor and Tec diver. We visited the Japanese Mogami wreck at 164ft, where I was charmed by the pieces of old gas masks and uniforms.

Another scuba diving agency might be of interest to you: PADItec sidemount diving course.

Is Army dive School Hard

This website uses cookies to ensure that you have the best user experience. Cookies are stored on your browser. They help our team recognise you when you visit our website again and to determine which sections you find the most interesting or useful.

Sidemount is not something you'll be doing during cave diving training. Instead, you should look at our CDS Basics Orientation Course.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Vessel
How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Vessel

Sidemount regulators are also covered. You'll usually find one regulator on long hoses and one on shorter hoses with a necklace. Sidemount regs can be marked to distinguish the tank from which you are inhaling, unlike regular regs. This was a swivel-joint that I used to control my short hose regulator during my training. Additionally, you will receive two SPGs for each stage.

With most agencies you can choose between recreational Sidemount and technical Sidemount. The prerequisites for example with SDI and TDI are the same but the tec Sidemount course will add more skills. It will also ask more of you in terms of mastering them – perfect trim and keeping still and leveled during your skills is a must!

How long does a scuba tank last

International Training, the parent organization for Scuba Diving International (SDI) and Technical Diving International (TDI) offers both SDI and TDI versions of their Sidemount Diver course. Both courses are very similar. Both use the same learning materials (which, by the way, we wrote). So what’s the difference?

Sidemount provides many benefits for divers but is best suited to cave diving. Sidemount was in fact invented by cave divers. These are just some of the benefits.

Check our other pages :

Frequently Asked Questions

Technical diving (also known as tec diving or tech diving) is non-professional scuba diving that exceeds the agency-specified limits of recreational diving.

The depth range of oxygen rebreathers (simple closed circuit) is limited to approximately 6 m, beyond which the risk of acute oxygen toxicity rises to unacceptable levels very quickly.

To begin a technical diving course, you must have completed the following prerequisites: a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certificate or equivalent, a PADI Enriched Air Diver certificate or equivalent, and a PADI Deep Diver certificate or proof of at least 10 dives to 30 metres/100 feet.