The most challenging type of technical diving is the overhead environment diving.
Wreck penetration and cave diving are the two most well-known.
The point is that these two environments look the same but are totally different.
They look the same because of the diver has a roof and because he is using same techniques and emergency procedures.
The differences include that
1) The cave has no engine room (a good friend says that J )
2) In wreck penetration diving you spend more time in the open water rather than cave that you are in the overhead from the first minute
3) The wreck is artificial but the cave is natural and is more historical.
Here you can read some good reasons on why you to choose to take the Tec Advanced Sidemount Wreck Diver Course.
At first you need to know that you will require previous sidemount training prior to starting this course.
Reasons for you to take this course include:
- A way to further develop your existing sidemount diving skills.
- A way to become a better thinking diver
- Develop skills on how to properly & safely penetrate into wrecks (more safety with side mount configuration).
- Gain access to areas that you can‘t safely get in with a "twinset" backmount equipment configuration.
- Interesting for wreck penetration dives with no interest in taking a cave diving course.
- The only PADI Tec Advanced Wreck Sidemount course.
The most important for me is the second one. I have seen many times divers with excellent skills to become dangerous for them and their team during a dive. So it is important you to understand that it doesn’t matter how good is your buoyancy, your trim or the valve drill but how effective can you use them in case of an emergency.
This is what you will do with me during this course. We will work together on your existing diving skills by discussing your way and the other suggested that are available.. There is not only one way for a diver to do something. You will learn all the acceptable ways to solve specific problems during a technical or/and wreck penetration dives.
How we will do that?
After each training dive we will returning to the base to see and talk on the videos I took during your training dive. We will discuss your decisions and if there were others, more simple and effective. This part of the training is that you have to talk and identify the reasons on your decisions with my help.
The skills that you will learn during this course include
- Sidemount equipment setup suitable for overhead diving.
- Equipment matching exercise (on surface).
- Safety drill (S-Drill).
- Cylinder staging techniques.
- Keep the gas balanced in the independent cylinders (maintaining trim and 1/3 of gas).
- Line following maintaining team contact.
- Removal and replacement of mask while maintaining contact with the guideline.
- Suitable fining techniques for diving in an overhead environment.
- Correct hand, squeeze and light signals.
- Valve shutdown exercise whilst maintaining contact with the guideline.
- Partially and full cylinders removal techniques for entering restrictions.
- Air Share to an out of air diver in confined space.
- Simulate a free flowing regulator and use of valve fluttering technique.
- Lay line properly for wreck penetration (including several required tie on - offs)
- Line course following while air sharing whilst in a restriction (touch communication).
- Line course following without mask (using squeeze signals).
- Line course following without mask while air sharing (using squeeze signals).
- Proper lost line search techniques to find the guideline or a team member when contact is lost (include silt out procedures).
- Primary light failure and back up light deployment.
- Proper use of line arrows, cookies, spools & safety reels
Course duration is 4/5 days with classroom, practical workshops, training dive & 6 real wreck penetration dives
- Day 1 - Classroom theory, equipment workshop, surface line laying skills and drills.
- Day 2 – Confined water skills training dive (includes video demonstrations of skills & video dibreafing).
- Day 3 - Wreck penetration dives 1 & 2. (various skills from the confined water training dive to be repeated during all dives)
- Day 4 - Wreck penetration dives 3 & 4.
- Day 5 - Wreck penetration dives 5 & 6.
Please note: A 5 day program is recommended if you like either a more relaxed training program or just more time to develop and practice skills. It may be possible to do this over 4 days, depending your diving skills level using sidemount equipment configuration.
All courses are performance based. Not based on time.
On a 4 day schedule we will start at 8am untill approx 6pm (9 hours training with 1-2 hours break).
On a 5 day schedule we may have a more relaxed time frame 9am till 4pm (7 hours with 1-2 hour break).
The schedule is flexible and can be customized before each course start.
To participate to that course you need to be at least…
· PADI Tec 50 Diver,
· PADI Wreck Diver Specialty (or equivalent rating),
· PADI Nitrox diver
· Open Water Sidemount Diver - twin cylinder (or equivalent rating),
· minimum of 18 years old.
· You will need to build up your sidemount diving experience and skills to a comfortable level before you start this course.
Due to my current schedule I am "on request" visiting any country worldwide.
I have a sidemount training proposal for overseas clients which can be emailed. This is really available not only to dive centers.
Schedule in a max of 3 students for this course.
If you are a single student looking to do this course, please drop ME an email and maybe i can look at finding a dive centre close to you with others who also want to join in sidemount training.
If you have any questions about the training or equipment needed, do not hesitate to contact directly with me at spyroskollas@hotmail.com.
If your a dive centre, please send me your website address and contact details and I will email you back the best way for you and your customers to go sidemounting.
Below is a list of the equipment you require for this course, I may be able to provide the equipment for you. If you have your own I can help you customise it to get the most from it and the course. The major piece you are unlikely to have is the Sidemount Harness and BCD system this can be provided for you during your course.
- Mask, Fins & Suitable Exposure Protection (including hood and gloves)
- 2 Single Cylinders (minimum size 10 liters or 70cf)
- 1 Stage Cylinder with suitable Regulator
- 2 Primary Regulators and 1st Stages
- 2m long hose (recommend Miflex)
- Sidemount Harness
- Dive Tables, Depth Guage & x2 Dive Timers (or Dive Computers)
- Cutting tools x2
- Wetnotes
- Two Surface Signaling Devices (SMB or/and liftbag )
- 1 Suitable Primary Reel (100m)
- 1 Suitable Safety Reel (30 or 50m)
- Compass
- Backup Mask
- 1 Primary Light (burn time must last dive duration)
- 2 Backup Lights
- Helmet for light mounting (recommended)
- Multi Pouch Or Pockets
- Redundancy Equipment (spare bungee, 2 double ended bolt snaps, dog clips, cable ties and mouthpiece)
- 3 line arrows & two cookies
- 1 used tire tube
Here you can read what others say about this training with me
And here
Bellow is a video from a recent Tec Advanced Sidemount Wreck Diver Course
