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Sidemount & Decompression Programmes
Sidemount & DECO Training
Diving Sidemount opens the door for some more serious diving, increased depth and duration are now at your fingertips. Don't like walking with heavy cylinders, well sidemount lets you carry your cylinders one by one, great for remote locations, or difficult entries, and underwater, oh boy, the freedom and streamlining!
The team at DC Diving are delighted to offer both RAID & TDI Technical Sidemount Courses
The Technical Diving International (TDI) is a globally renowned scuba diving training agency that specialises in providing comprehensive instruction and certification for individuals seeking to explore the thrilling and challenging world of technical diving. Founded with a commitment to advancing the boundaries of recreational scuba diving, TDI offers a wide range of courses designed to equip divers with the knowledge and skills required for diving beyond the traditional limits. Whether it's deep diving, wreck exploration, cave diving, or utilizing mixed gases, TDI is a leading authority in training divers to safely and confidently explore the underwater realm in more demanding and exhilarating conditions. With a strong emphasis on safety, TDI has earned a reputation for producing highly skilled technical divers who are prepared to tackle the underwater world's most fascinating and challenging environments.
Founded in 2007 as a specialised rebreather organisation, RAID has evolved into a global agency that maintains a distinct "technical first" philosophy across its entire curriculum. Unlike traditional agencies that treat technical diving as a separate add-on, RAID integrates advanced principles—such as horizontal trim, technical equipment configurations, and precise buoyancy—into its foundation, requiring even entry-level students to train with an explorer's mindset. This rigor is supported by a comprehensive technical track covering everything from open-circuit decompression and trimix to sophisticated rebreather and cave training. Leveraging a 100% digital platform, the agency ensures quality through a strict audit trail and a mastery-based approach, emphasising that a diver is only as good as their actual skill set rather than their number of logged dives.
TDI Courses
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The TDI Sidemount Diver Program is tailored for divers interested in applying sidemount techniques within technical diving environments, such as deep or extended-range dives. This course focuses on advanced configurations, gas management, and redundancy systems critical for technical diving. Divers are trained to use sidemount setups for greater flexibility, efficiency, and safety in overhead environments like caves and wrecks or for managing multiple cylinders in decompression scenarios.
Key Differences from the SDI Sidemount Diver Program:
-Level of Focus: While the SDI program caters to recreational divers and emphasizes comfort, buoyancy, and streamlined configuration, the TDI program builds on this foundation to meet the demands of technical diving.
-Cylinder Management: The TDI course trains divers to handle multiple tanks for extended dive times, staged decompression, or gas blending.
-Diving Environments: TDI sidemount training often includes practice in more challenging conditions, such as overhead or deep environments, where technical diving protocols are essential.
-Equipment Redundancy: Greater emphasis is placed on redundant systems and troubleshooting in scenarios where failure is less forgiving.
This distinction ensures that TDI sidemount divers are prepared for the complexities of technical diving, while SDI sidemount divers enjoy the configuration’s benefits within recreational limits.Price From £750
Duration From 3-4 Days
Pre-Requisite Confident Drysuit Diver
Equipment Supplied Twinset/Wing/Regulators
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The TDI Advanced Nitrox & Decompression Procedures Combo Course in Sidemount Configuration equips divers with the skills and knowledge to conduct staged decompression dives using nitrox mixes up to 100% oxygen.
This integrated program focuses on advanced gas management, decompression planning, and multi-cylinder handling, all optimized through the versatility and streamlining of sidemount diving. Divers master buoyancy, gas switches, and ascent protocols for dives up to 150 feet (45 meters), combining the benefits of extended bottom times with safe decompression practices.
This course prepares divers for technical diving challenges with confidence and precision in sidemount configuration whilst using nitrox, 50% and 100% deco mixes, as well as accelerated decompression techniques.Price From £750
Duration From 3-4 Days
Pre-Requisite Confident Tec SM Diver
Equipment Supplied None
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The TDI Helitrox Diver Course is your introduction to the benefits of helium-enriched gas mixtures for safer and clearer thinking during dives beyond recreational limits. Designed for divers seeking to extend their range while minimizing narcosis, this course teaches the use of helitrox blends (helium and nitrox) for staged decompression dives to a maximum depth of 150 feet (45 meters).
This program is desiged to be taken after Advanced Nitrox, and combines both Decompression Procedures with the use of Helium. You’ll master advanced gas planning, multi-cylinder handling, and decompression strategies, while learning how helium improves dive performance at depth. Whether you're exploring deeper recreational limits or preparing for full trimix diving, the Helitrox Diver Course equips you with the tools to dive deeper with confidence, safety, and precision.
Combining these two wonderful courses gives you the ability to perform accelerated decompression dives to 45m using 50% or 100% deco mixes and Helium enriched back gas mixes.Price From £950
Duration From 3-4 Days
Pre-Requisite TDI ANDP / Equivalent
Equipment Supplied None
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The TDI Trimix 60 Course is designed for divers ready to explore deeper depths with the safety and precision of trimix gas blends. This course teaches the use of trimix, a combination of oxygen, nitrogen, and helium, to mitigate narcosis and reduce gas density at depths up to 60 meters (200 feet). You’ll gain essential skills in advanced dive planning, gas management, and decompression strategies to safely navigate the challenges of deep diving. With a focus on handling multiple cylinders, managing gas switches, and executing precise ascent procedures, the Trimix 60 Course prepares you for the complexities of deep technical diving. If you're ready to extend your diving limits while maintaining the highest standards of safety, this course will give you the confidence to explore the deep blue.
Price From £750
Duration From 3-5 Days
Pre-Requisite TDI ANDP / Equivalent or Helitrox
Equipment Supplied None
RAID Courses
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In the RAID Sidemount Diver Course, you’ll learn essential skills for safely configuring and managing sidemount equipment, including how to enter and exit the water with ease. Throughout the course, you’ll gain hands-on experience and develop a deep understanding of the advantages sidemount diving offers, especially in overhead environments.
Price From £450
Duration From 3-4 Days
Equipment Supplied Wing/Regulators
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Nitrox Plus is a two-cylinder course. Divers learn how to carry a bailout cylinder in addition to a regular backmounted primary cylinder*. It is your perfect opportunity to advance basic equipment management skills within a structured, modular learning environment.
*Course may be taken in sidemount or twinset configuration to meet redundant gas requirements.
Price From £550
Duration From 2-3 Days
Equipment Supplied None
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This RAID program is a three-cylinder course in which sidemount or twinset divers learn how to carry one cylinder of decompression gas (up to and including 100 percent oxygen).
Available to 40 metres max depth using air and nitrox or 45 metres air, nitrox & trimix.
Price From £650 (Not incl Trimix/Gas)
Duration From 3-4 Days
Equipment Supplied None
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The RAID Advanced Decompression Diver course is open to twinset or sidemount divers wanting to plan and execute dives using two different decompression gases to optimize off-gassing during ascent. Certifications for RAID’s Advanced Decompression course are offered in two options: 50 metres air and nitrox; 50 metres air, nitrox & trimix.
Price From £950 (Not Inc Gas)
Duration From 3-5 Days
Pre-Requisite RAID Decompression Diver
Equipment Supplied None
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The RAID Extended Decompression course is available to divers who wish to venture below 40 metres using air as a breathing gas to a maximum depth of 55 metres in addition to up to 100% Oxygen Decompression Gas. This program provides the training and background knowledge, and equipment selection and management techniques that help make such dives possible without the use of trimix.
Price From £950 (Not Inc Gas)
Duration From 3-5 Days
Pre-Requisite RAID Decompression Diver
Equipment Supplied None
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RAID’s Normoxic Trimix course explores the theory, methods, and procedures for using helium breathing mixtures on dives as deep as 60 metres to reduce the effects of inert gas narcosis. This is essential training for conducting expedition-type dives in a variety of challenging conditions in fresh and salt water. Bottom mix must contain 18 percent oxygen, with decompression stress managed with up to three decompression gases containing up to 100 percent oxygen.
Price From £750 (Not Inc Gas)
Duration 3-5 Days
Pre-Requisite RAID Adv Deco Diver or Extended Deco Diver
Equipment Supplied None