These are the options for you if you're looking for alternative diving lessons and classes, or if you want to find out what next steps should be taken.
The choice of equipment is very individual and different divers will recommend different styles. In general to go with a well known brand is useful as they stand for quality, performance and configurability. Some of the best brands are Apeks, Diverite, Halcyon, OMS, Scubapro, Hollis and some newer brands like xDeep or Tecline. The preferred divecomputers for tech divers at the moment are Shearwater products, whether it be the Petrel 2 or Perdix, the flexibility of the algorithm, handling and display.
Technical diving is a combination of passion, training, and experience. Technical diving is not for those who lack any of these three.
I can't recall when or why it was that I decided to take the Sidemount course. Like most of my diving decisions it was just a matter of "oh, that looks cool", and I was willing to give it a try. Sidemount would have been a valuable certification that I could use for future training. Sidemount certification would also be helpful if I wanted to go cave diving.
Sidemount Diver Specialty may count towards your Advanced Open Water Diver certification. Ask your instructor for details.
I'm not certain when or why I decided on Sidemount. As with many of my diving choices, it was likely a case of "oh that looks cool, could prove useful", so I decided to take the Sidemount course. It would be a useful certification that I could build on in the future. Sidemount would allow me to dive in caves, something I always wanted.
If you plan to go sidemount, particularly if you are a tec diver already, you will need to learn about your new rig. How to adjust it, how it can be used to enter the water, and more.
Sidemount divers usually use two tanks. However, it is possible to use one tank as a standard. I was also told that you can use one tank for deco diving.
Sidemount diving is a great way to get additional air. There are two tanks that you use, one tank with an SPG and the other with regulators. This makes it safer and gives air-hogs like me a lot more air. Sidemount also makes diving extremely easy, since you can simply put tanks on top and there isn't any pressure on your spine.
Academics: The academic sections of a technical class are the same as any other scuba class. Students will complete some self-study, and then bring their knowledge to the instructor for a discussion. While the technical course's dive planning is more complicated than what most people are familiar with it is an essential part of performing a successful dive. Decompression and overhead diving require gas management discussions that will take much longer than normal. To calculate the required gas volumes for the dive, they use a computer program.
To make dives beyond 130ft, decompression divers will add Helium to the cylinders. Then they can explore the realm of the uncommon. Their experiences at wrecks and reefs are often less frequent than those of astronauts who visit the moon.
Specific skills - The tech programs teach specific dive skills that are required for each category of diving. Navigation and line skills for overhead diving are practiced until they become automatic. Without blinking an eye, decompression divers are able to plan and execute gas management stops and stops. To ensure the equipment's perfect functionality, rebreather divers carefully build, test, and disassemble their equipment. Each course is covered in the initial level of certification. From there, you can move up to the next level. Each level of certification takes these skills deeper and makes them more challenging. This helps divers become well-rounded, knowledgeable and well-prepared.
The Sidemount setup for diving is slightly different to the backmount setup, and the equipment is also slightly different.
Sidemount rigs also include tank bands, clips, bungees, and likely some more to store your regs. The clips are attached to your harness. Also, their position will affect the position of your tanks.
from 170 to 350 feet
While conventional scuba diving has a recommended maximum depth of 130 feet, technical divers may work at depths ranging from 170 feet to 350 feet, and sometimes even deeper.
Technical diving (also known as tec diving or tech diving) is non-professional scuba diving that exceeds the agency-specified limits of recreational diving.
- 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.