Next, it was time to do technical sidemount. This involves adding our deco 50-percent and 100-percent oxygen tanks on each side. You will have a higher profile underwater, so it is important to keep the tanks as close to your body as possible. There are two clips at each side of the waist. You adjust the tank position by inhaling down your tanks. This is where simplicity is key. You also need to switch between tanks every few minutes. This ensures that the pressure in each tank is at the same level, so even if one tank or regulator fails, there will still be gas for you to breathe. Building up experience is the key to comfort, enjoyment and success with new technologies. The next few days were spent doing sidemount dives, budding up with Evolution coowner David Joyce, a highly experienced Tec diver and Trimix instructor. One dive took us to the Japanese Mogami Wreck at 164 feet. I was captivated by the old gas masks, uniforms, and bones that we found.
Due to the issues with single-orifice doubles or backmounted independents (which are not as common in modern diving), backmounted doubles were invented. Independents are two independent cylinders attached to one's back, with independent regulators for each. One cylinder was sufficient to take care of a failed 1st Stage. Single orifice duplicates were two cylinders linked with a valve and one regulator. A single orifice doubles set would cause all gas to be lost if a first stage fails. These problems can be eliminated with the modern isolated manifolds. Each cylinder can work independently but divers can also inhale gas from both of them through one regulator. These doubles are typically held together with metal bands. The valves can also be linked with an isolation device, which allows them to be seperated if required. Backmounted doubles diving offers a profile that's vertically identical to regular single-cylinder backmount.
This course will teach you how to set up and operate the equipment that you will use in your training as a cave diver or tech diver. This includes:
You can rent items like primary lights and cylinders, which may be difficult to carry. Please let us know if you need these.
All Tec diving (open circuit and closed circuit rebreather), as well technical scuba diving courses, are taught at Scotty’s dive centre headquarters facility. It is located in Mactan in Cebu province. You are welcome to walk in or have us pick you up from your hotel if you are not a Shangrila guest.
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To get started on Sidemount diving you don’t need more than an Open Water Diver. Mind you, it obviously helps to have good buoyancy and trim and you should be able to set up and handle your equipment comfortably by yourself. Sidemount diving will add a whole new dimension when it comes to equipment setup and skills.
I took my first sidemount and technical sidesmount courses. Sidemount diving, like the name implies, requires you to place your tank on your hands. My hands and knuckles were completely covered by cuts at the end. The idea behind sidemount diving is to unclip your tanks and then place them in front you, Superman style. This will streamline your workflow. After making some adjustments to my harness size, the afternoon dive went more smoothly. I was now comfortable unclipping my harness and "Superman-ing” with the tanks. Sidemount gives you an amazing level of freedom, even if you have doubles on your back. Matt put up obstacle courses. We were soon flying through them with tanks in front, barrel-rolling, swimming upside down and tanks at the rear.
Sidemount and technical sidemount were my first courses. Sidemount diving is, as its name implies, where you place your tank in front of you. By the end of the session, my hands were covered with cuts. You can remove the tanks from their clips and place them in front of yourself, Superman-style, to streamline your life. The afternoon dive went much smoother after some adjustments to the harness. I was now comfortable unclipping the harness and 'Superman-ing" with the tanks. Sidemount is a great way to have more freedom than having two people on your back. Matt created obstacle courses, and soon we were flying around them with tanks at our fronts, barrel-rolling, and swimming upside down.
This course will require the same equipment, as your goal is to learn the operation and setup of the equipment you will use during your cave diving or tech diver training. This includes:
It doesn't matter if you get your news from television, magazines, or a friend, diving under the sea is exciting and fascinating. How can we continue to explore? What is technical diving?
Technical divers can explore wrecks and reefs down to depths of 40 meters/130 feet. They can dive in underwater caves or other areas that are not accessible to recreational divers.
The goal of this course is to teach you the basics of how to use the equipment in your cave or tech diver training. You will also need the same equipment for the course. This includes:
Technical diving is great fun, but it isn't recommended for anyone looking to dive deeper. Cave and deep diving pose a higher risk. It is possible to mitigate this risk through careful dive planning and training. Divemasters performing these dives will be held to a high standard. It will take practice and hard work to become a technical diver. The only way to improve your water time is through research and reading. Divers will often notice that the minimum standards of diving are often exceeded in training courses. Technical instructors can often exceed these minimum standards. Technical training helps to teach diver redundancy. While it may sound scary and difficult, it is necessary to dive in such an environment. Technical training is fun, challenging and gives you the chance to see places in the world that are closed to others.
- Increased Bottom Time A Closed Circuit diver is not concerned with running out of gas because they are only limited by decompression. This can also be reduced by selecting an oxygen partial pressure that provides the diver with virtually limitless bottom times in 60 feet or less of water.
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.