Divers who are comfortable with sidemount diving can also enjoy open-water dives. Why? Because sidemount diving is very easy and comfortable.
Initial pool sessions were hard. I felt like an openwater diver again, strapped in to the twin tanks trying to conduct valve drills. However, as we moved through the Tec 40 to 45 and 50 courses, our skills improved and we were able to enjoy the course. The most satisfying part of Tec diving is taking your skills, buoyancy, knowledge and awareness to the next stage. It is quite exciting to be able to manage life-threatening emergencies at deep water without having to climb to the surface (due decompression requirements). It's gratifying to execute your dive plan in military precision.
An Open Water Diver is all you need to get started in Sidemount diving. It is important to have good buoyancy, trim, and be able set up your equipment and manage it yourself. Sidemount diving can bring a new dimension to your equipment setup and skills.
Sidemount PCB offers assistance to those who have questions about their medical ability to dive.
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.
Sidemount Diver was, I must admit, one of the most difficult courses I have ever taken. My instructor Fiona and Big Blue Tech in Koh Tao were able to include a lot more skills as well as dives into my course. We practiced many skills, including mask removal, tank deployment underwater, out-of-air drills and SMB deployment. All the while keeping my trim.
SDI/TDIIncludes 2 Open Water DivesMinimum 18 Years, 15 Years with parental Consent.
The initial pool sessions were tough; I felt like an open-water diver again, strapped into the twin tanks and trying to conduct valve drills. But as we progressed through the Tec 40, 45 and 50 courses, new skills started to come naturally, and by the end of the course I was enjoying myself. The satisfaction in Tec diving comes from taking your dive skills, buoyancy and awareness to the next level. Knowing that you’re capable of managing life-threatening emergencies at depth, and without the option to ascend straight to the surface (due to decompression requirements) is quite a buzz. And it’s satisfying to execute your dive plan with military precision.
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Are you interested in becoming a Sidemount diver. This post will explain everything you need to know about becoming a Sidemount diver.
International Training, parent organization to Technical Diving International / Scuba Diving International (TDI), and Technical Diving International / Scuba Diving International - offers both TDI and SDI versions of the Sidemount Diver course. Both courses have a lot in common. Both courses use identical learning materials (which we also wrote). So, what is the difference?
Sidemount divers typically use two tanks, but you can use just one tank (I was taught it's called "monkey") or more than two tanks to do deco dives.
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.
SDI/TDI Includes 2 open water divesMinimum age 18 years, minimum 15 years with parental consent. Must have an SDI Openwater Diver or the equivalent
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.
Technical diving (also known as tec diving or tech diving) is non-professional scuba diving that exceeds the agency-specified limits of recreational diving.
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.