Hey great to bring you Episode #99, thanks for your support and XDEEP for sponsoring the show. This episode features our latest Sidemount Diving Secret - Cylinder Section: "Why You Could be Diving the Wrong Cylinders". Big thanks to Seacraft for sponsoring this segment. Check it out here - https://youtu.be/0Ksl9r7zC6I?si=ZNYWiYTGYBPWX_ZB In this episode, I meet Stefan Panis, a Belgian wreck, mine and cave diver, professional underwater photographer, and author. Stef got into diving at a young age through his parents, who were divers. He progressed from recreational to professional diving and eventually became a wreck diver. He combined his passion for diving with photography and started documenting shipwrecks. Stef's favourite exploration project is the Dover Straits in the UK, which has a high concentration of shipwrecks. He wrote a book called 'The Shipwrecks of Dover Strait' that combines history, pictures, and stories of his dives. Stef also enjoys mine diving and believes that Belgium's proximity to various diving sites contributes to the popularity of technical diving in the country. Stef started as a wreck diver but later discovered the thrill of diving in slate mines, which led him to pursue cave training. Stef and his team now explore and document mines in Belgium, providing valuable information for speleologists and emergency responders. He also organizes the Dive Expo Belgium, a dive event that brings together divers from all backgrounds. Stef discusses the challenges of transitioning from warm to cold water diving and highlights the benefits of DPVs in his diving projects, particularly the Seacraft GO. Thanks and enjoy :) Steve

It's great to bring you Episode #98 with the support of our sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support.

In this episode, I introduce a new segment 'Sidemount Diving Secrets' where I'll share some inside tips and tricks that I've picked up over the 11 years now that I've been diving sidemount around the world. Inside the episode, I'll give an overview of the tip, and given we are producing both video and audio episodes, I'll point you back to the Sidemount Pros YouTube channel for the detailed video of each "Sidemount Secret". Let me know what you think and also drop me a note back if you have a tip you'd like to share, or have an aspect of sidemount diving you'd like me to explore.

To get us started, this month's Sidemount Diving Secret is regarding the routing of your drysuit inflator hose and is brought to you by Sidemount Pros and is featuring my eBook, "Sidemount Diving Fundamentals" which is available complimentary for Gold patrons and for purchase/download via Patreon or the store on my website at www.sidemountpros.com/store.

In this episode, I catch up with Por Parasu Komaradat. Por hails from and is based in Thailand an absolute global mecca for all things diving, from beautiful reefs, to wreck diving. As we'll hear, a heap of caves and mines are being explored and opened up to suitably qualified and experienced divers.

Por shares his background in mathematics and software engineering before transitioning to full-time diving. How he learned sidemount diving from Lamar Hires and went on to also train in Mexico. Por has been working as a technical diving instructor for 16 years.

I share my own experience transitioning from software engineering to diving. We discuss the similarities between the two fields and the importance of having mentors in diving.

Por also talks about the caves and mines in Thailand and the challenges and differences of diving in each. Por also shares his perspectives on the Mine Diving cross-over course and how important it is to understand how mining is conducted and how mines are created in safely conducting mine dives.

Por shares his active projects, including exploring caves in Sulawesi and caves and mines in Thailand. He emphasizes the importance of teaching and building dive communities in the region.

Enjoy Steve

It's great to bring you Episode #97 with the support of our brilliant sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount, huge thanks to both for their support that makes everything you are about to listen to, possible.

If you'd like to support the show become a patron for as little as $5 per month and get early access to every episode plus other benefits… pop over to www.patreon.com/speakingsidemount for all the details.

Welcome to our first video podcast episode. I'm excited that we're now adding a different media format for the podcast. We will focus more on video from here on, plus the normal audio format we've been doing for many years. Video episodes will be available both through Spotify and YouTube.

It's an exciting new era for Speaking Sidemount, so I hope you enjoy it. Please give me your feedback in the comments. I'm interested in everything... the quality and whether you enjoy seeing video more than just listening to audio. I'd like to know where you're consuming the podcast. Are you usually at home or on the move? Do you use a laptop, or TV, or watch on a mobile device? I'd love to hear your thoughts :).

This month's episode is with Jacek Konikowski, an instructor trainer evaluator and IT for CCR CAVE, CCR Trimix levels, and the KISS Sidewinder. Jacek has chosen to specialize his teaching in the two areas of diving that he loves… Cave Diving and the KISS Sidewinder and as he describes, this match gives him the best of both worlds.

Jacek shares his background and how he decided to base himself in Isla Plana to be close to an amazing cave, Cueva Del Agua. We get into a massive discussion on the KISS Sidewinder and the contribution that Jacek made to the pre-production testing of the exciting new Sidewinder 2.

We go deep into the Sidewinder 2, covering the new features and the training. Would you believe it, heresy as well!! Jacek and I get into the backmount version of the Sidewinder 2. I think it's pretty exciting that we are looking here at what I consider the world's best side mount rebreather, but it's got a backmount mode. And as much as I said, it's heresy, I think it's going to be awesome to be able to have that opportunity to be able to have a backmount mode alongside sidemount. Jacek and I discussed when the Backmount mode might be useful and what is required to set it up and train on this mode. In addition, Jacek and I chat about Cueva del Agua and the special features of this cave.

Enjoy Steve