Take our SSI technical sidemount dive course to learn how to use four tanks (cylinders) for longer dives. Technical sidemount diving is a great way to learn technical diving. It will teach you how to use multiple cylinders in one dive. You will also learn how to set up your sidemount gear, configuring a sidemount harness and how to adjust the sling tanks (cylinders).
Being a technical diver requires a lot of training, experience, and passion. The added risks of technical diving are not worth the risk if any one of these is missing.
Continue your Tec Sidemount Diver training and you'll be able to learn additional skills for tec diving in sidemount.
Sidemount PCB can answer your questions regarding medical fitness to dive.
Decompression divers can use all sorts of oxygen mixtures to extend their time looking at reefs and wrecks on the sea floor. While the sport diver may only have two 15-minute bottom time dives at 100ft, the decompression diver is able to cruise for up 60 minutes. This allows them to get the most bang possible.
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.
On top of this specialized Sidemount equipment, you will also need your usual wetsuit, fins, mask, computer, compass, and DSMB.
Sidemount divers generally use two tanks. But you can use one tank, (I was told it's called monkey), or two tanks for deco dives.
The sidemount rig was originally invented for cave diving as it allows the diver to pass thru cracks and restrictions (tiny holes) easier than the classic back mount rig.
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.
Mentality - Technical dive is still enjoyable. It's all about looking for cool things. Technical divers can see further and deeper than the sport diver, which allows them to see details that may not be visible to other divers. Technical divers are still fun-focused but also remain focused. Although jokes and laughter are still possible, it is essential to have a serious attitude when planning and executing dives. Every dive comes with risks. If you do not plan, practice skills, and execute your dives properly, these risks will increase.
However it is important at greater depths to decrease effort and achieve maximum performance to avoid overexertion and CO2 buildup. CO2 is the trigger for our breathing reflex, so the more CO2 we build up the more we will feel the urge to breathe. This means in the same amount of time we will pump more gas through our lungs and we take in more gas in the same amount of time.
There are three parts of certification: knowledge, skill practice, and open water diving. You can either complete them all locally, while on holiday, or divide them.
I just arrived on Malapascua Island (Philippines) and will soon be working my path to becoming a Tec instructor. I've been working as a recreational instructor at Bali for the past two-years and would love to grow my professional experience. Sidemount PCB gave me my first taste in technical diving. Tom West was the PADI course director, and Tec instructor-trainer. He made me into a PADI Tec-50 diver.
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).
5-6 days
Rebreather training classes are typically 5-6 days long, but can be longer depending on a variety of factors such as the training agency, your local conditions, your instructor, and your ability to meet the class standards.
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.