How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Left Behind

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If sidemount will not be used during your cave diver training, then you should take our CDS Basics Orientation program.

Sidemount diving is easy with an Open Water Diver. You will need to be able to handle your equipment yourself. Sidemount diving adds a new dimension in terms of equipment setup and skill.

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.

Apart from the Sidemount equipment you will need your normal wetsuit, fins mask, computer, compass, DSMB, and other accessories.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Left Behind

Scuba Gear

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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How deep can you dive without decompression

How deep can you dive without decompression

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Certification Requirements
Certification Requirements

Sidemount Diver was by far the most challenging course I have ever taken. However, my instructor Fiona at Big Blue Tech (a trusted dive center) and Big Blue Tech (my instructor) included a lot of skills and dives in my course. We made sure to keep my task load manageable and practiced many skills including tank removal underwater, mask and tank replacement, out of the air drills, and many others while trying to stay in top trim.

Sidemount cylinder mounting was originally developed for cave diving, and has become more common in technical diving. The sidemount cylinder mounting allows you to separate the dual cylinders with one stage per cylinder and mount them on either the left or right side of your body. Although this doesn't allow for the diver to breath from any cylinder in the case of a regulator malfunction, it does make it easier to access valves. Sidemount diving allows the diver to have a wider horizontal profile but a narrower vertical one.

Recreational Divers

Every PADI Specialty you complete is one step closer toward the Master Scuba Diver(tm); rating.

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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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).

Have a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor certification or have completed a PADI Deep Specialty Instructor course. Have at least 100 logged dives, including at least 20 enriched air dives, 25 dives deeper than 18 meters/60 feet, and 15 dives deeper than 30 meters/100 feet. You can become a Tec 45 diver.
 

According to experts, approximately 40% of technical divers enroll in additional education and training programs. This yields a reasonable estimate of approximately 160,000 active technical divers worldwide.