What’s best way to start tech diving – in twinsets, sidemount or rebreather? Good question!
As is so often the case, there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer. And the good news is you don’t even need to decide before you give tech diving a try – just like Marie did recently with us, working her way through all three configurations / ways of diving.
But rather than just telling Marie’s story, I want to try and answer the question in the headline – twinsets, sidemount or rebreather – or at least talk a bit more about pros and cons of each of those options. One fundamental point is that technical diving requires more than one cylinder to allow for redundancy not just of regulators (which large cylinders fitted with dual-outlet valves would provide) but also of cylinders and valves themselves to minimise the risk of catastrophic gas loss.
Twinsets or Sidemount?
Many tech divers and instructors would argue that, traditionally, twinsets / doubles have been the configuration of choice for divers looking to go deeper and exceed no-stop limits on their dives. And they are right. Personally, when I became a tech diver in 2011, I didn’t even know sidemount diving existed. But that has probably more to do with my ignorance at the time than anything else.
Over the past ten or so years, sidemount diving has stepped out of its niche in the realm of cave diving and has become a fad some would say, or a legitimate alternative for others. It’s no secret that I fall into the latter group and believe that there are plenty of reasons to choose sidemount even when not in overhead environments. Some of them I explained in a blog post for TDI earlier this year.
Twinsets may be a more standardised way to start tech diving, but don’t be afraid to look at alternatives if they happen to suit you better.
So where should you start? First of all, there is no wrong place. What you learn in twins / doubles will transfer to sidemount and vice versa. You don’t have to return to square one, but rather learn to appreciate the differences, strengths and weaknesses of either configuration and learn from both.
Where would you like to go?
Try and imagine where you would like your tech diving to lead you. If caves are what you would love to dive, why not start in sidemount? If you are dreaming of shipwrecks sunk in the middle of the ocean and usually dived from large boats in big waves maybe a twinset is the better option. And if you are already dreaming of depths requiring hypoxic trimix and more than four cylinders, you may well be looking at CCR diving.
Whilst you can start your tech diving journey on a closed circuit rebreather, most divers have at least Advanced Nitrox & Deco Procedures qualifications or equivalent before they do so. This provides them with a grounding, a foundation on which to build their CCR diving knowledge and training.
Which brings me back to Marie. Having finished her Divemaster training, she was looking to learn more and find out about technical diving equipment, principles and skills before committing to deep dives.
Having the time to do that is a bit of a luxury, but my advice would be to give yourself that time if you are at all unsure where to start and where your tech journey may lead you.
It’s never a waste of time to understand configuration options, have a grasp of what your team mates are diving when you are in different configurations and be able to assist them when needed.
And just in case you’re wondering what Marie liked best – in the end, it was the TDI Intro to Tech she completed on twinsets that won her over, and we hope to see her back here in Bali to complete her decompression diving training.