E094 Florian Symoens - "Transitioning to a Full Time Instructor"

Thanks so much to XDEEP and also to the patrons of Speaking Sidemount whose support enables this podcast. In this episode, I catch up again with Brian Kakuk of Bahamas Underground and he shares the emotional story of his recovery following Hurricane Dorian and how he is dealing with the current COVID lockdown. We also get into his exploration of the Crystal Caves of Abaco, Sidemount CCR, using the Shearwater NERD 2, and Brian's involvement in Jonathan Bird's brilliant IMAX feature... Amazing Caves. Thanks again to Brian for sharing. Thanks also and image credit to Jill Heinerth - Into the Planet, and Nancy Albury.

28 Huhti 202047min

In this episode sponsored by XDEEP, I interview David Debruyne of Outcast Explorers in Belgium. Huge thanks to the patrons of Speaking Sidemount who are helping to produce the episode you are about to listen to. David teaches sidemount and cave diving in Belgium and other parts of Europe. We catch up and discuss his experiences training with Garry Dallas, how Outcast Explorers was formed, how he configures his sidemount gear, how he teaches sidemount, sidemount boat diving in the North Sea, his exploration of the mines of Belgium, and then we talk sidemount rebreathers and the KISS Sidewinder... All this and much more in this episode of Speaking Sidemount. Become a patron - https://www.patreon.com/speakingsidemount

14 Huhti 20201h

As I've mentioned a few times, I am often frustrated with the level of criticism and lack of respect shown on some of the sidemount Facebook groups. I guess there's an element of human nature in there and also comments are taken out of context or misunderstood due to language barriers or the limitations of the written word. You do see genuinely helpful comments but these are also sometimes shouted down or lost in the dross of the string. So I took note when a while back when Florida based Dive Instructor Ryan Custureri offered to do a live session free of charge for a new sidemount diver looking for some help. I thought that was very cool and I have seen Ryan referenced positively many times by his students and his videos are top-notch.  So... I thought I'd reach out to Ryan to ask his thoughts on sidemount diving, equipment set up, how he boat dives in Florida, how to choose your instructor, and his advice for instructors looking to set up on their own... All this and much more in this episode of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to XDEEP for their support of Speaking Sidemount.

1 Huhti 20201h

In this episode sponsored by XDEEP, I catch up with Sandra Clopp. Sandra is an exceptional diver, instructor, adventurer, and role model for aspiring divers. I seriously enjoyed our discussions and the depth of thought and practice she has put into her growth as a diver and teacher.   She walks the talk and by that I mean, she hones her skills through regular practice, she seeks out and forms relationships with mentors from whom she can learn and follow. And then ultimately, she travels the world enjoying adventures that enrich her own diving.   In this episode, Sandra and I discuss, how she got into diving and sidemount diving. How seeking out cave diving instruction benefits your diving at all levels, we talk sidemount boat diving and introduce how we are diving the KISS Sidewinder from boats. We discuss sidemount setup and contrast Florida and Mexico style sidemount diving, and we talk at length about Sandra's upcoming training and her work as a KISS ambassador... All this and much, much more...   Thanks to: XDEEP - https://www.xdeep.eu/

11 Maalis 202052min

In this episode sponsored by XDEEP, I catch up with Mexico based cave diver, explorer, and instructor, Roger Williams of Xoc-Ha.   We talked about how Roger got into diving, cave diving and instructing. We contrast the paths that you can take in diving - becoming an instructor or... focusing on developing as a diver through tech training. I get Roger's perspectives on sidemount and how he dives sidemount in the caves of the Yucatan Peninsula.   We discuss the importance of using local guides to build knowledge of a new area and then we cover the local line committee who make collective decisions on permanent lines and markers for the region.   We finish by getting Rogers perspective on the "Somos Los Cenotes" initiative and the importance of conservation with respect to real estate development.   #somosloscenotes #Xoc-Ha #cavediving #sidemountdiving #sidemountpros   Xoc-Ha - https://www.xoc-ha.com/ Sidemount Fundamentals eBook - https://www.sidemountpros.com/store

10 Helmi 20201h 10min

In this episode sponsored by XDEEP, I catch up again with Toddy and we talk all things caves in Sardinia. We then go deep into his staggering cave exploration Project Utopia where Toddy is set to break cave exploration distance records while employing cutting edge decompression strategies to accomplish these amazing dives. Listen in to hear how Toddy is doing this and also how he is helping to develop the next generation of Cave Explorers at Protec Sardinia. #XDEEP, #SupramonteKarstExplorationProject #ProtecSardinia #ProjectUtopia #SidemountPros #cavediving #caveexploration https://www.xdeep.eu/ https://protecsardinia.com/

19 Tammi 20201h 6min

In this episode sponsored by XDEEP and Shearwater Research, we "turn the tables" and Audrey Cudel interviews me! We talk about, my vision when I started Speaking Sidemount, how I develop episodes and find interview guests, how my own knowledge has grown through the interviews. We discuss the diving here in NZ and the sidemount training courses that I run. We cover my experience training on the KISS Sidewinder with Edd Sorenson, and plans for future CCR diving, diving the XDEEP Stealth 2.0 Tec with the Sidewinder, and we finish with my thoughts on the current state of sidemount diving. #XDEEP #Shearwaterresearch #sidemountdiving #cavediving #sidemountccr #KISSSidewinder #Sidemountpros #Stevedavis #audreycudel

30 Joulu 20191h 8min

In this episode sponsored by XDEEP, I catch up with Chris Dawson to discuss his experiences dealing with PTSD and depression following two operational tours in Iraq with the British Army. In this inspiring story, Chris shares his journey from rock-bottom to recovery through diving and how he has become involved with the organisation, 'Dive Against Depression' where he is working to help others affected by mental health issues. Chris and I also discuss sidemount diving, cave diving, and our recent transition to diving sidemount CCR. Sponsor XDEEP - https://www.xdeep.eu Dive Against Depression - https://www.facebook.com/diveagainstdepression/ #xdeep #ptsd #depression #mentalhealth #diveagainstdepression #sidemountdiving #cavediving #sidemountccr #sidemountpros

5 Joulu 201949min