There are many great readings about technical diving. Some are stories of personal experiences and adventures in technical diving that are definitely worth reading. Some of the greatest books for sure are:
For dives deeper than 56m gas mixes called Trimix are used. In order to reduce narcosis and reduce the toxic effects of Nitrogen and Oxygen, Helium is added which has no negative effect on our body to very deep depth. There are additional risks with helium but those start at depths of around 180m. In history tests have been executed with different noble gasses, however they all turned out to be toxic for the human body, so helium was the only one adequate for diving. One other gas that has no effect on the human body is Hydrogen but due to its high risk of fire and explosion in contact with oxygen, the blending of it is very difficult if not almost impossible with the techniques we use currently.
I can't recall when or why it was that I decided to take the Sidemount course. Like most of my diving decisions it was just a matter of "oh, that looks cool", and I was willing to give it a try. Sidemount would have been a valuable certification that I could use for future training. Sidemount certification would also be helpful if I wanted to go cave diving.
If you are interested in the SDI course, we will teach it. By default, however we also offer the TDI. You can take this course as a standalone, however our students often combine it with our Apprentice Cave Diver program.
We can offer the SDI course if requested. However, we only offer the TDI course by default. This can be taken as a stand-alone program, but our students usually combine it with the Apprentice Cave Diver course.
A Twinset diver will always be able to access to both tanks from one single regulator as long as the manifold, or the connection between both tanks is open. To carry a twinset for a smaller person might be a challenge on land. It is quite heavy and sidemounted tanks can be carried individually which sometimes makes it easier to access remote areas or steep slopes to access the water.
While we are able to teach the SDI course if you ask, the default is the TDI. Although you can do this program as an individual course, we recommend that students combine it with our Apprentice Cave Diver course.
And of course, the book of Verna Van Schaik ‘Fatally Flawed – The Quest to be Deepest’, the one woman who succeeded to break the female world record in depth in Bushman’s hole in South Africa and how she god there.
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.
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Do not worry about how it all will come together. A large part of the course teaches you how to set up Sidemount equipment and how to adjust bungees to ensure your tanks are in good shape. Your instructor will be there to help you through it all!
New gear means new techniques. Sidemount diving, even if it's simple, requires some new skills (easily learned).
The entry-level tech diver will be trained to optimize their equipment to reduce drag and avoid dangling gear. This will ensure a maximum profile for efficient propulsion, awareness and propulsion.
The Sidemount diver's setup is slightly different than the backmount.
from 170 to 350 feet
While conventional scuba diving has a recommended maximum depth of 130 feet, technical divers may work at depths ranging from 170 feet to 350 feet, and sometimes even deeper.