How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver No Experience

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver 000

Sidemount rigs were initially designed for cave diving. It allows divers to pass through small cracks and restrictions (tiny hole) much more easily than the traditional back mount rig.

Sidemount diving stems from the cave diving world but has also found its way into the recreational, non-overhead diving world in recent years.Simply put: instead of wearing one or two tanks mounted on your back, you will wear your tanks on your side. The tanks are attached to a Sidemount BCD with clips and/or bungee cords allowing for great flexibility. Initially, it was this flexibility that allowed cave divers to take their tanks off underwater to fit through narrow spaces as well as making their overall profile smaller.

Mentality: Technical diving is still fun. It's just as much about seeing cool objects, like sport diving. However, technical divers see sights that are longer, deeper, or hidden from sport divers. Technical divers are still a fun and focused group, but they also stay on the right track. There are still plenty of jokes, and there are many laughs. However, dive planning must be executed with seriousness. You are always at risk when you dive, even if you have the right skills and practice.

Technical diving is great fun, but it isn't recommended for anyone looking to dive deeper. Cave and deep diving pose a higher risk. It is possible to mitigate this risk through careful dive planning and training. Divemasters performing these dives will be held to a high standard. It will take practice and hard work to become a technical diver. The only way to improve your water time is through research and reading. Divers will often notice that the minimum standards of diving are often exceeded in training courses. Technical instructors can often exceed these minimum standards. Technical training helps to teach diver redundancy. While it may sound scary and difficult, it is necessary to dive in such an environment. Technical training is fun, challenging and gives you the chance to see places in the world that are closed to others.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver No Experience

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Photos

The entry-level tech diver will be trained to optimize their equipment to reduce drag and avoid dangling gear. This will ensure a maximum profile for efficient propulsion, awareness and propulsion.

Technical diving was something that I never had an interest in at first. I remember laughing at the Tec divers and wondering why anyone would need more equipment. I love the feeling you get when you are close to nature. Tom had a reputation for being an inspirational teacher. It seemed to me that I should at least try.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Photos
How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver At Night

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver At Night

Television, magazines and stories from friends - no matter what source, the idea of exploring the underwater world is captivating and thrilling. What can we do to keep exploring the underwater world? What is technical diving exactly?

Our Scotty’s diving center headquarters facility is where all our Tec diving and technical scuba diving lessons are offered. It's located at the Shangri-la Hotel in Mactan. If you don't belong to the Shangri–la hotel, we can either pick you up at home or you can walk in.

Technical Diver

New gear means new techniques. Even though sidemount diving is simple, you will need to master some new skills.

Skills (generally) - An introductory tech diver will practice his trim and buoyancy using the new equipment configuration. This is the first step to efficient diving. Once this foundation is established, the student can begin practicing locomotion before moving on to more advanced skills.

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

One of the most important changes in equipment cave divers have made since the start of the century was the switch from sidemount to backmounted doubles. Sidemount is a popular choice for cave divers. It's also possible that sidemount cave divers are more common than backmount cave divers.

The next day was technical sidemount. This means that we added our deco 50 and 100 percent oxygen tanks on either side. This can increase your profile underwater. It is important that you keep your tanks as small as possible. The clips can be found on each side. As your tanks become buoyant, you will adjust your tank position to fit the second clip. Here, the goal is to be as efficient as possible. Each few minutes, you switch your breathing between the tanks. By doing this, the pressure in each of the tanks will decrease at roughly the exact same rate. In the event that a tank or regulator fails you will still be able to breathe. It is important to gain experience with any new thing. I spent the next few nights doing deco dives with the sidemount rig. I was buddied with Evolution coowner David Joyce who is a very experienced Tec diver as well as a Trimix instructor. One dive saw us visit the Japanese Mogami Japanese Mogami sank at 164 feet. It was here that I was seduced by old gas masks and uniforms as well as a few bones.

How much does a scuba diving rebreather cost

The following options are available for those looking for diving classes alternatives and lessons, as well as information on the best next steps in their education.

At first I was not interested in technical diving. I vividly remember chuckling at the Tec divers who I saw and wondering what made them want to take more equipment. I love the sense that you can be close to nature while feeling free and connected. Tom was a well-respected teacher. I felt it only right to give him a try as I was working in a dive shop offering Tec courses.

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Frequently Asked Questions

5-6 days
Rebreather training classes are typically 5-6 days long, but can be longer depending on a variety of factors such as the training agency, your local conditions, your instructor, and your ability to meet the class standards.

- Increased Bottom Time A Closed Circuit diver is not concerned with running out of gas because they are only limited by decompression. This can also be reduced by selecting an oxygen partial pressure that provides the diver with virtually limitless bottom times in 60 feet or less of water.

2-3 hours
Even with small cylinders, you can usually dive for 2-3 hours (rebreathers typically have two 2/3l cylinders or one 3/5l cylinder).