How To Dive Sidemount

Certification Requirements

Skills (specific) – Throughout the tech programs the specific dive skills for that category of diving are practiced until faultless. For overhead diving navigation and line skills are honed in until they’re automatic. Decompression divers can plan and execute the stops and gas management without blinking an eye. Rebreather divers meticulously build, test and break down their units to ensure perfect functionality of the equipment. Skills for each course are laid solid in the first level of certification, and advanced from there. Each step deeper or further hones these skills and adds additional challenges to develop a well rounded, well prepared and well informed diver.

Although I'm still learning, Sidemount diving is something I feel confident in. I have done 20 Sidemount dives and I can proudly say I'm a Sidemount diver.

Gear - Although the gear is the same, divers who are enrolled in an introductory tech class (Intro Tech, Sidemount, or CCR Air Diluent) will notice fundamental differences in the configuration. Instead of having 2 second stages per cylinder, they are split into two with each stage having a separate first. The gas planning process becomes more detailed and the harnesses have more chrome.

Gear – While the gear is fundamentally the same, divers in their introductory tech class (Intro to Tech, Sidemount or CCR Air diluent) will notice some fundamental configuration differences. Instead of 2 second stages on one cylinder they’re split between two, with a separate first stage on each. Gas planning becomes an in-depth thorough process and the harnesses seem to have more chrome.

Recreational Divers

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.

The Sidemount diving setup is a little different from the setup when diving backmount and so is the equipment.

Recreational Divers
How deep can you dive without decompression

How deep can you dive without decompression

Sidemount has many benefits, but it is particularly well-suited for cave diving. (It was cave divers who invent sidemount. These benefits include:

Along with the Sidemount equipment that is specialized, you will also need your typical wetsuits, fins, masks, computer, compass, DSMB and other necessary equipment.

Scuba Gear

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.

All Tec diving lessons, open circuit and closed circuit rebreather, as well as technical scuba dive classes, are held at Scotty’s dive center headquarters facility in Mactan. If you aren't a Shangrila hotel guest, you can still walk in or we can pick up you at your hotel.

Bottom Gas
Bottom Gas

You will need the same equipment as the course to learn how to operate and set up the equipment you'll use for your tech diving training. This includes:

Don't wait! Find a TDI instructor near you today: https://www.tdisdi.com/search/?area=instructors

How To Dive Sidemount
How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Gear

‘Shadow Divers’ by Robert Kurson is about the identification of a German submarine that was tried to be identified by John Chatterton and his crew during almost a decade.

Academics – The academic parts of technical courses are similar to any other class in scuba diving. Students will learn from their instructors and do some self-study. Technical courses require a lot more planning than most people are familiar with, but they are crucial to a successful dive. Gas management will be a more involved part of overhead and decompression dives than many divers are used. The computer program calculates the required gas volumes and reserves for each dive.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Technical diving (also known as tec diving or tech diving) is non-professional scuba diving that exceeds the agency-specified limits of recreational diving.