Looking for comments and advise

I am a diver with 200+ dives who was PADI certified in 1988. Have always loved the sport but had a diving dry spell while raising a family and working. Over the last couple years I have got back into it as I approached my retirement (30 years law enforcement) and knowing I would have time to travel and dive. In the last 18 months I have dove Key West, Bonaire, Cozumel, Belize, Texas Flower Gardens and St Croix. In all my years of diving I have self studied but never took any advance certifications with the exception of Nitrox. Recently I was introduced to Semi-closed circuit rebreathers and side mount in a pool session. I loved both but found side mount to be the best fit for me. Logistics of sorb for rebreathers seem to be an expensive option when traveling.

July 19 I'm taking the PADI side mount course. I am following that up with a week in Cozumel (Scuba Club) in September so I can log dives and get comfortable with side mount. An additional week is planned in December at Scuba Club for the same reason.

The reason for this track is April I'm headed to..... Wait for it.......... Truk Lagoon and Palau. I am very pumped up and want the best and safest dives possible and believe side mount will offer that.

Here is what I'm tossing out... Should I try to get Tec40 in and advanced Nitrx prior to Truk? I want an intro to decompression diving (as it is common/encouraged) in Truk on the planned trip. I can see that because of the possible number of dives and depths that entering into Deco during dives is very possible (I know - plan your dive - dive your plan).... But honestly I want to do and see the most I can safely and having this advanced training can't hurt.

If not Tec40 or Advanced Nitrox then what do y'all suggest based on your experience with side mount and/or Truk.

Thanks in advance!

Sarge


Sarge
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PADI now permit the Tec Sidemount course to be integrated with the Tec40/45/50 program. Elements of the sidemount course consequently count towards certain requirements (dives and theory) for the tech modules and vice-versa. If considering sidemount + tech training, then this is a very efficient way to do it.

Tec40+45 covers your options for Truk... unlimited deco with 1 deco gas. The primary reason to do Tec50 is the added emphasis on gas-switching protocols that leads to utilizing multiple deco gas mixtures - useful for some, more challenging, dives and essential foundations for trimix.

IMHO, the leap from Tec45 to Tec50 is far more to do with gas-switch deco than adding 5m of extra depth (which makes it a very different focus to the leap between AN/DP to Extended Range, with other agencies).

Palau can be done all no-deco, but everyone* is deco diving Truk/Chuuk, whether trained or not, to the point that they hang Nitrox for the hang tank on the boat sometimes.

So unless you want to do tech diving (deco diving) without training, you should do tech training. And as DevonDiver points out, sidemount can be (and personally I would say should be) integrated into tech training, because adding a third reg into the mix, that cannot be used at depth, is worth getting used to right from the beginning. Sidemount already involves a fair amount of playing with regs and hose routing to begin with, and getting that last hose and tank squared away is worth handling right from the jump.

Also you probably want do your training in the kinds of tanks you will be diving in, which probably means standard AL80s. There are enough differences between sidemounting steels and aluminum tanks that it is almost a whole new skill set when you switch from one to the other.

(You are going to have to jump through some hoops to do tech training since most require some progression beyond OW.)

All solid information and advice. Thanks.

That was one of my concerns was that deco diving in Truk seem to be normal/accepted/expected....

I would rather gave the training and decide not to use it then need it and not have the training.

Sarge

One bit of advice on your training progression. Find an instructor who is actually, and regularly, doing deco side-mount diving and do your training with that person regardless of agency. Actual, and real, experience in diving the type of kit you are using is, to my mind, MUCH more important than the letters behind the name of the instructor.

Well knocked out my sidemount certification this weekend.

I am a very comfortable diver and never have to "work" at diving. Always can make adjustments during the dive to make it smooth.

The simple things of just purging air from the BC is completely different ....

Sidemount is a whole new set of skills! I'm diving with a SMS50. I learned that weight is a real important issue seeing the lift of a SMS50 is much smaller than a typical jacket BC (ScubaPro Nighthawk).

I also found the weight I needed was obviously a lot less because of the additional tank and gear. But I have never use 6 pounds! Always a lot more. I'm a floater.

I do love the safety and redundancy of sidemount diving but learning this new skill set will take some time. So this month I will be doing a lot of pool time working on skill set drills!

This swimming backwards kick... Wow I have to figure this out....

Later

Sarge




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