How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Forest Fire

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver North Carolina

There are several more agencies that provide technical diver training which are more region specific. In general the recommendation is to find a reputable instructor, look for recommendations from trusted sources and choose your instructor accordingly. Trust and comfort during the course are invaluable and will help you to feel confident and comfortable to push your boundaries and gain the knowledge you need to go beyond your current certification level.

One of the big risks for a technical diver is decompression sickness. It occurs when nitrogen gas cannot exit the body thru respiration on ascent as the ambient pressure decreases. Therefore stops have to be executed on ascent in order to avoid a pressure difference too big so nitrogen bubbles can be formed. Buoyancy control is very important to control the stops on ascent and increase efficiency for off-gassing of nitrogen. Another important skill is proper breathing which makes metabolism efficient. Trim, which we call a proper tech diving position such as horizontal with a slight arch in the back, looking forward and knees at a 90 degree angle with fins pointing back. Trim prevents stirring up sediments on the bottom as well as most efficient movement in the water. And of course proper finning techniques to avoid overexertion are mandatory to make a diver achieve maximum performance. Now you might say, we want to have fun when we go diving and not be a machine.

Sidemount BCDs are a harness that has a bladder and an intricate system of sliding D rings, bungee cables, and clips. They are important for the tank position and trimming later in the water. Your instructor will likely spend quite some time making sure they fit perfectly.

The Sidemount setup for diving is slightly different to the backmount setup, and the equipment is also slightly different.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Forest Fire

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Exam Answers

Since the beginning of the century, one of the most significant changes in the equipment cave divers use has been the shift from backmounted doubles to sidemount. Not only do a substantial number of cave divers now sidemount, it’s possible that there are more open-circuit sidemount cave divers than backmount cave divers.

Sidemount diving is a form of sidemount diving that originated in cave diving but has been incorporated into recreational and non-overhead diving over the years. Simply put, your tanks will be worn on your side instead of being attached to your back. The tanks attach to a Sidemount BCD with clips or bungee chords, allowing for maximum flexibility. It was this flexibility that cave divers used to be able to lift their tanks from the bottom underwater, making it easier to pass through tight spaces.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Exam Answers

Technical Scuba

Sidemount PCB offers assistance to those who have questions about their medical ability to dive.

Computer-aided instruction is an integral aspect of almost all courses we teach. The Why? The simple answer is that eLearning allows students to get in the water faster and spend more time there. This is why we include any applicable eLearning program -- typically a $140 value -- in all our courses at no extra cost. This is equivalent to an additional day's in-water training. This is what it's worth. Priceless.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Ltd
How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Ltd

Sidemount diving has become very popular in open water. It is more comfortable than having a tank on the back and allows you to have more fun.

This scuba diving course is also offered by another agency, PADI tec sidemount diving.

How To Become A Sidemount Technical Scuba Diver Go

You will also learn how to use Sidemount regulators. Usually, you will have one regulator on a long hose as well as one regulator on a short hose with a necklace. Unlike your normal regs, Sidemount regs are also marked so you can easily distinguish which tank you are breathing from. During my training, this included a swivel joint for my short hose regulator. In addition, you will have 2 SPGs – one for each first stage.

If you're not ready to try diving locally, but want to support your local dive shop, you can complete eLearning and coursework near home, then complete your training dives while traveling. Contact your local PADI Dive Center to ask about a referral.

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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).

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.