Tag Archive: training
The following commentary was first published as a post on the Scubaboard internet discussion forum. I felt that it provided a very beneficial perspective on the positive and negative aspects of sidemount configuration; particularly in comparison with back-mounted alternatives. It’s a useful read for those divers, of all levels and backgrounds, who are considering their [...]
Tec40 Sidemount Qualification Dive Brian Ferguson undertakes his TecRec Tec40 sidemount check-out dive. He completed both the Tec40 and Tec Sidemount courses in Anilao, Philippines, qualifying him to make decompression dives with multiple tanks in sidemount configuration. For the course, he was using the Razor 2 harness and Apeks sidemount regulator set. Dive was 40m/130ft [...]
Tec Sidemount Course Open Water Dive One Video Congratulations to Marcus Sulander for completing his Tec Sidemount course in February 2013. This video shows the first open water training dive of the course, Marcus completed a total of 2 confined water sessions and 5 open-water dives, using 2-4 cylinders and simulated decompression. Tec Sidemount courses [...]
Tec Sidemount Course – Subic Bay, Philippines I will be running two Tec Sidemount courses: on the 15-17th Feb and 25-27th March. Vacancies are available. Tec Sidemount courses are 3 days / 6 dives. Maximum 2 participants per course. Courses involve full sidemount qualification, plus use of 2x deco stages and simulated decompression dives. Cost [...]
Sidemount Wreck Training – Subic Bay, Philippines Firdaus Kapadia visited Subic Bay in January 2013, to complete Sidemount Wreck training. Over 5 days of training, he mastered the basics of sidemount configuration diving, before putting his new equipment to the test on my challenging Wreck Diver course. Several of the sidemount wreck training dives were [...]
PADI Sidemount Diver Course Presentation I have uploaded the powerpoint presentation for my PADI Sidemount Diver and Tec Sidemount courses run in Subic Bay, Philippines. You can enjoy the presentation on the main website, here: For more details on Sidemount Training in the Philippines, please check out: Sidemount Courses Overview PADI Sidemount Diver Course [...]
How To Evaluate A Wreck Diving Course by Andy Davis, PADI/TecRec/ANDI Sidemount Technical Wreck Instructor In this article I will be looking at what differentiates basic wreck diving courses – the good, the bad and the ugly. In particular, I want to examine specific wreck penetration issues, so that the reader may find some guidance [...]
The Value of Progressive Scuba Training – ‘Putting Another Dollar In’. When I talk with divers and read the online scuba forums I see a lot of scepticism about progressive scuba training courses. Novice divers often question the value of courses X, Y or Z. Many intermediate and advanced divers will profess to having wasted [...]
Silt Out – Wreck Danger! This video, filmed by myself in Subic Bay, graphically shows the danger of silt out to wreck divers conducting penetration dives. What looks like a nice safe and benign compartment, with plenty of light and an obvious exit (well within recreational wreck diving limits) turns into a potential death [...]
Congratulations Nick Baker! Tec40 Technical Diver Congratulations to Nick Baker who joined the technical diver community and completed his TecRec Tec40 training course in Subic Bay during November 2012. Course Report An experienced recreational diver, Nick took his first steps to becoming a technical diver over the space of 4 days and many hours of [...]
Are You Ready For Solo Diving? by Andy Davis, Consultant Technical Diving Instructor, Scuba Tech Philippines The issue of solo diving often comes up in conversation amongst divers and the activity is increasingly being seen as a more ‘mainstream’ pursuit, now supported through formalized training courses and qualification by most of the primary scuba training [...]
When Some Scuba courses are more Equal than Others There’s some big discrepancies in course pricing for seemingly ‘identical’ scuba courses. Cheaper courses, that result in the same certification and adhere to the same minimum agency standards should all be equal…. shouldn’t they? Why shouldn’t a prospective student simply shop around for the cheapest deal [...]
Stress Management in Scuba Training – What can be done about the Panic Reaction? I’m not a psychologist, but I have noticed some trends when it comes to diver reaction to scuba diving incident stress, and how those trends can be, to a greater or lesser degree, influenced by the effectiveness of scuba training. The [...]
QUESTION: I am a recreational diver and I dive mostly with my husband. Our relationship issues (bickering) caused me stress. Is this a factor I should consider when scuba diving? I know of at least one diving fatality that could otherwise have been avoided if intra-relationship dispute and/or the associated stress wasn’t a factor. It’s [...]
Advanced Recreational Wreck Diving, Subic Bay, Philippines Going beyond a standard ‘Wreck Diver’ course and exploring the full range of training and equipment available to recreational divers who seek to dive safely and confidently in a wreck environment. This video was taken during an ‘Advanced Recreational Wreck’ workshop in Subic Bay, over 4 days [...]
Tec45 Sidemount Course – F4 Phantom (45m) Check-Out Dive By Andy Davis, PADI and ANDI technical and sidemount course instructor In June 2012, I ran a PADI Sidemount Course in combination with the TecRec Tec40/Tec45 program, based out of Subic Bay, Philippines. These are photos from the graduation dive – conducted on the Vietnam-era F4 Phantom supersonic fighter-bomber. [...]
Sidemount Diving Video – The Force of Sidemount I hope you enjoy this sidemount diving video, just put together with some footage from technical wreck dives in Subic Bay earlier this year…. For more information about basic and advanced/technical sidemount courses in the Philippines, please visit the Sidemount Overview Sidemount Diving is a ground-breaking new [...]
Sidemount Diving Course Notes By Andy Davis, ANDI & PADI Sidemount / Tec Sidemount Diving Instructor See also ‘Sidemount Course Powerpoint Presentation‘ See what courses I have to offer – Andy Davis Sidemount Training, Subic Bay 1. What is, and isn’t, Sidemount Diving? Sidemount Diving Sidemount diving is the, now increasingly formalized, approach towards conducting [...]
PADI Wreck Diver Course, Subic Bay, Philippines, December 2011 The culmination of a PADI Wreck Diver course, this video shows the penetration element of dive #4 - into the boiler room of USS Majaba (El Capitan) at a depth of 14m. Bad visibility due to being on the outskirts of Typhoon Washi/Sendong. The PADI Wreck [...]
ADVANCED WRECK DIVING – COURSE NOTES by Andy Davis, PADI / ANDI Technical Wreck Instructor Disclaimer: These notes accompany a professionally supervised advanced wreck diving workshop, aimed at developing specialist skills for qualified wreck divers. This information is not a substitute for gaining proper experience under qualified direction. Wreck penetration is a very hazardous [...]
Scuba Gas Management – Course Notes by Andy Davis, PADI TecRec, ANDI, BSAC and SSI Technical Diving Instructor How To Improve Your Scuba Diving Safety Through Scuba Gas Management & Advanced Dive Planning. Surface Air Consumption Surface Air Consumption (SAC) is a useful measurement of air consumption at surface pressure, which enables the diver to [...]
I’ll be running an Advanced Buoyancy Workshop, in Subic Bay this Saturday (4th June 2011). Workshop will focus on; Precision weighting Horizontal trim perfection Advanced propulsion techniques (frog kick, modified flutter kick) Advanced control techniques (helicopter turn, back kick) Precision ascents, descents and stops Suitable for divers of all ability levels, who wish to improve [...]
