A great fact book about technical diving is ‘Deco for Divers – A Guide to Decompression Theory and Physiology’ written by Mark Powell.
Do not worry about how it all will come together. A large part of the course teaches you how to set up Sidemount equipment and how to adjust bungees to ensure your tanks are in good shape. Your instructor will be there to help you through it all!
Different depths require the use of different gas mixes. The maximum partial pressure of oxygen a diver wants to dive at is 1.4 which is reached on air at 56m. Due to the water pressure the pressure of each individual gas increases and therefore we need to use appropriate mixes if we choose to go deeper. In general, the more oxygen a gas mix has the less deep we can go. A tech diver will use low oxygen mixes at depth and high oxygen mixes coming up shallower to off-gas Nitrogen faster and decrease the mandatory decompression time overall.
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Sidemount diving was originally developed in cave diving. However, it has now made its way into recreational non-overhead diving. Simply put, sidemount diving means that you no longer wear one or two tanks on your back. Instead, you wear your tanks on either your side. The tanks can be attached to a Sidemount BCD with clips and/orbungee cords. This gives you great flexibility. Cave divers were able to use this flexibility to allow them to transport their tanks underwater and fit into tight spaces.
The next day it was on to technical sidemount, which means adding our deco 50-percent oxygen and 100-percent oxygen tanks on either side. This increases your profile underwater so you must keep the tanks as trim as possible against your body. You have a couple of clips on each side of your waist. As you breathe down your tanks and they become positively buoyant, you adjust your tank position to the second clip position. The aim here is to be as streamlined as possible. Every few minutes you also switch your breathing from one tank to the other. That way the pressure in each tank runs down at roughly the same rate, and if there is a failure with either tank or regulator, you’ll still have gas to breathe. As with all new things, building up experience is key to comfort and enjoyment. I spent the next few days doing deco dives with the sidemount rig, buddied up with Evolution co-owner David Joyce — a hugely experienced Tec diver and Trimix instructor. On one dive we visited the Japanese Mogami wreck down at 164 feet, where I was beguiled by the bits of old gas masks, uniforms and even a few bones we saw.
How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver MasterSidemount diving is also very popular, even in open water. Why? Because diving sidemount is very comfortable and easy to learn.
My first courses were technical sidemount, and sidemount. Sidemount diving, which is the name of the course, involves placing your tank into your hands. My hands and knuckles were covered with cuts by the end. It is possible to remove the tanks from the clips and lay them out front of you Superman-style. The afternoon dive went much better after I made some adjustments to our harness. I was now comfortable with my harness, and was 'Superman'-ing with the tanks. Sidemount allows for an extraordinary level of freedom. Matt had set up obstacles courses. Soon we were flying around them, with tanks out front, barrel rolling and even swimming upside-down.
I have just arrived in Malapascua Island on the Philippines. Over the next two months, I will work my way to becoming a Tec dive instructor. I've been a recreational dive instructor in Bali for two years. I would like to add more experience to my portfolio. Sidemount PCB was my first experience with technical diving. Tom West (PADI instructor-trainer) made me a certified Tec-50 diver.
2nd stage regulator and exposure suit with side pocket, BCD sidemount. SMB. Cutting tool. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulation. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulatory. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd Stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd stage regulator. 2nd hose
Although I don't know how to do this yet, I am happy to say that I am a Sidemount diver. It is my favorite way to dive and it has been 20 of my best dives!
Sidemount diving originated in cave diving, but it has made its way to recreational and non-overhead diving in recent years. You will now wear your tanks side-by-side, instead of having one or two tanks attached to your back. You can attach the tanks to your Sidemount BCD using clips or bungee cords. This allows for extreme flexibility. This flexibility was initially what allowed cave divers to remove their tanks underwater in order to fit into narrow spaces and make their profile smaller.
Sidemount cylinder mounting was developed for cave diving. They have been more popular in technical diving ever since. They are able to seperate the dual cylinders and mount them on either end of the diver's body. While this prevents the diver from breathing from one cylinder in case of a failure of the regulator, it allows them to have easier access to the valves. Sidemount diving provides a diver with a more horizontal profile but a smaller vertical one.
The benefits of rebreathers include the ability to extend your diving time by avoiding large cylinders and instead recycling the gas exhaled from the diver. They also scrub the CO2 out of the air and inject prescriptive amounts gas from smaller cylinders. This can significantly increase your dive time, especially for deep dives. The configuration of the rebreathers will determine the shape they create. They can be either sidemounted or back.
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.
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.
To register for the PADI Advanced Rebreather Diver course, you must first: You must be a PADI Open Water Diver, but you must also be a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver to become a PADI Advanced Rebreather Diver. Have at least 30 dives under your belt.