Certification cards: We issue these only when earned. Simply taking part in a course does not guarantee certification. For cave courses, certification cards from multiple training agencies may be available. C-cards generally cost around $30 each, depending on agency. Your instructor can tell you more.
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.
Sidemount diving is also very popular, even in open water. Why? Because diving sidemount is very comfortable and easy to learn.
Sidemount also has clips and tanks bands. The clips will be attached to your harness. Once again, their positions are important for the location of your tanks.
All Tec diving (open circuit and closed circuit rebreather), as well technical scuba diving courses, are taught at Scotty’s dive centre headquarters facility. It is located in Mactan in Cebu province. You are welcome to walk in or have us pick you up from your hotel if you are not a Shangrila guest.
There are three parts to certification. Knowledge development, skill practice and open-water diving. You can do all three on your own, or take a break to complete one of them.
Sidemount Diver Specialty courses may count towards Advanced Open Water Diver certification. Ask your instructor.
If you're a Tec diver and want to do sidemount diving, it's important to know how to set up your new rig, adjust it, enter the water with it, and much more.
Cave passage formed over millions of years of water erosion that stretch thousands of feet from the entrance are reserved for those trained in overhead diving. The unique beauty and tranquility that these sites offer is only surpassed by the incredible timescale with which they formed.
PADI Training apps are available for Android(tm), Apple(r), and iOS devices. The best experience is achieved by devices no older than three models with the latest OS (operating System).
Sidemount mounting for cylinders was originally used in cave diving. Since then, they have grown to be more popular in all types of technical diving. The dual cylinders are separated with a 1st stage for each cylinder. They then mount them on either one side of the diver's bodies. However, this does not allow the diver access to any valves and allows him to only breathe from one cylinder in the unlikely event of a regulator failing. Sidemount diving offers a divers a wider horizontal profile, but smaller vertical profile.
It was difficult to get into the pool for my first session. I felt like an open water diver, securing myself in twin tanks and conducting valve drills. As we went through the Tec 40, 45, and 50 courses, I found new skills and was enjoying the course. The best part about Tec diving is the ability to improve your buoyancy, awareness and dive skills. It's quite an experience to know that you can manage life-threatening emergencies at depth without having to go to the surface due to decompression requirements. It's also satisfying to execute your dive plan with military precision.
PADI Training is available for both Android(tm), and Apple(r), iOS devices. Devices should not be older than three years old and have the latest OS (operating systems).
While technical diving is still for fun they aren’t for people wanting to go deeper, just because. There is a higher risk associated with cave and decompression diving. This risk is mitigated, in part, by thorough dive planning and training. As such, divers doing these dives are held towards a higher standard. It will take practice to become a technical diver. No amount of research and reading can supplement that in water time. Divers will notice that the minimum standards are often exceeded during training courses and individual technical instructors often do this. Technical training teaches a diver redundancy so that problems can be successfully solved 1500ft inside a flooded cave and an exit to the surface can be executed. While that sounds complex and scary it’s a necessary aspect of diving in that environment. Technical training is not only challenging but it’s fun and at the end of it the diver has a golden ticket to see parts of the world that are totally closed off to other people.
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).