Speaking Sidemount
A podcast dedicated to sidemount and cave diving, covering equipment, skills, techniques, and expeditions. Features interviews with top sidemount and cave divers. Suitable for both beginners and experienced divers. New episodes are released monthly.
Episodes
Sidemount 101 | Philosophy & Equipment
Have you ever watched really good sidemount divers underwater and wondered how they make it look so effortless?Meanwhile, your cylinders float, your trim feels unstable, hoses are everywhere, and it feels like you’re constantly fighting your equipment?In episode 120 of Speaking Sidemount, Steve Davis breaks down the complete philosophy and equipment foundation behind exceptional sidemount diving a
Stuck in a Wreck | The Moment Everything Went Wrong
I got stuck inside a wreck I knew better than anyone. This is the story of my close call on HMNZS Canterbury — and how complacency nearly cost me my life.In this solo episode of Speaking Sidemount, brought to you by XDEEP, I break down a real close call during a wreck-penetration dive on the HMNZS Canterbury in New Zealand.Despite years of experience, deep familiarity with the wreck, and even writ
Naval Officer Analyzes the Scylla Wreck Tragedy | E118
In this episode of Speaking Sidemount, brought to you by XDEEP, Steve Davis reacts to and analyses the 2021 wreck-diving tragedy inside the wreck of HMS Scylla off Plymouth, UK. This is Steve's reaction to Dom Robinson's interview with Adam Dent, the sole survivor of this tragic dive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMYKjZocins&t=1996s On the dive in question, two divers lost their li
Why The KISS Sidewinder 2 Took So Long and Why It Was Worth It!
The Sidewinder 2 is here — and the story behind it is wild.In this episode brought to you by XDEEP, Patrick Widmann joins me to share the real journey behind the years-long development of the Sidewinder 2 rebreather. From design struggles, manufacturing setbacks and testing fails, to finally achieving CE approval in January 2026.Please sit back and enjoy this behind-the-scenes look from inside the
From BellBoy to Cave Mentor - Tavo's Darkside Story
In Episode #116 brought to you by XDEEP, Steve Davis is joined by Gustavo “Tavo” Padilla-Pohjanen of Darkside Divers, Mexico. From a rocky start in snowboarding to discovering peace and purpose underwater, Tavo shares his remarkable journey into diving, sidemount, and ultimately the caves of Mexico.Tavo opens up about the importance of foundational training, the need for a strong mindset and prepa
Growing Up in the Mecca of Technical Diving | CCR, Sidewinder & Dahab with Omar Derbala
In this final episode of Speaking Sidemount for 2025, brought to you by XDEEP, Steve Davis sits down with Omar Derbala, a technical and CCR instructor born and raised in Dahab, one of the most iconic and influential technical diving locations in the world.Omar quite literally grew up in a dive centre, surrounded by technical divers from an early age. This upbringing shaped his calm, precise, and d
"Lies, Lessons, and Legacy" - Chris Richardson on 30 Years in the Dive Industry
In this brutally honest episode brought to you by XDEEP, Steve Davis sits down with Chris Richardson, founder of Deep Six Gear, to unpack three decades of hard truths inside the dive industry. From the early days at Oceanic to the realities of online retail, dealer politics, teaching professionalism, and gear innovation — Chris lays it all out.We also honour the lives and contributions of Michael
E113 British Army to Sidemount Master - Mark Rowe's Incredible Diving Journey
In this episode of Speaking Sidemount brought to you by XDEEP, Steve Davis talks with Mark Rowe, a former British Army Royal Engineer who began diving in 1989 and went on to become a leading sidemount and technical instructor.Mark shares his incredible journey from military service to full-time diving instructor, including his role in developing the Battle Back program, using diving to rehabilitat
E112 Álvaro Granell - Cave Diving Mallorca
In this episode of Speaking Sidemount, brought to you by XDEEP, host Steve Davis interviews Álvaro Granell, a cave diving instructor from Mallorca. They discuss Álvaro's journey into diving, his transition to sidemount diving, and his path to becoming a cave instructor.Steve and Álvaro delve into the intricacies of diving education. As Álvaro is a high school teacher, Steve asks how he leans o
E111 Ana Gonçalves - Dental Considerations for Divers
In this episode of Speaking Sidemount, host Steve Davis interviews Ana Gonçalves, a prosthodontist and sidemount diver, about her unique journey that intertwines her expertise in dentistry with her passion for diving. They explore the challenges and rewards of sidemount diving, the importance of proper training, and the risks associated with diving, including those related to dental work. Ana shar
E110 Back to Our Roots - The Fundamentals of Sidemount Diving
In this episode of Speaking Sidemount, brought to you by XDEEP, Steve Davis interviews Anand Chandra Sekaran, a PADI Course Director based in Malaysia, who shares his journey from a small town in Malaysia to becoming a diving instructor, sidemount and cave diver. Anand discusses his early fascination with underwater exploration, the transition to sidemount diving, and the importance of effective i
E109 The Art of Diving with Xavi P Tapia
In this episode of Speaking Sidemount, brought to you by XDEEP, host Steve Davis welcomes Xavi P. Tapia, a cave diver and instructor from Ecuador, who shares his journey through the world of diving. From his beginnings in the Galapagos Islands to establishing his dive center, "The Art of Diving" in the Dominican Republic.Xavi discusses the philosophy behind The Art of Diving and the impo
E108 Nick DeRutter - Dive Saga
It's great to bring you Episode 108 of Speaking Sidemount, the podcast dedicated to sidemount diving and cave diving—huge thanks to our show sponsor, XDEEP. In this episode, I interview Nick DeRutter, a Tech Instructor Trainer and the creator of the Dive Saga YouTube channel. We discuss Nick's diving journey, the ethos behind Dive Saga, and the exciting Bottom Line Projects Boh Yai Mine ex
E107 Stratis Kas & Lionel Wolovitz - A Dive Gone Wrong: Lessons from a Serious DCI Incident
Hey, great to bring you Episode 107 with Stratis Kas and Lionel Wolowitz. Huge thanks to XDEEP for sponsoring Speaking Sidemount.In this episode, I catch up with Stratis Kas and Lionel Wolovitz. You may remember Stratis has been on the show twice before to discuss his cave exploration in Greece and his book "Close Calls". The latter proved somewhat prophetic, as Stratis recently experien
E106 Maria Bollerup - Stunning Expedition Buteng
In this episode of Speaking Sidemount, produced with the support of XDEEP, Steve interviews Maria Bollerup. Maria is one of the world's most passionate divers and explorers. Along with her dive partner Rannva Joermundsson, Maria heads Nixie Expeditions, an explorer group focused on combining dive exploration with conservation, science, and education.Steve and Maria discuss Maria's journey
E105 Ben Reymenants - "A Life in Diving"
In this episode brought to you by XDEEP, Ben Reymenants shares his extensive diving journey, from his early experiences in the murky waters of Belgium to becoming a technical diving instructor. He discusses the evolution of diving training and the risks associated with deep diving. The conversation continues with a reflection on the Thai Cave Rescue, where Ben played a significant role, highlighti
E104 Naomi Allen - "Sidemount and Mine Diving Thailand"
Hey, welcome to another episode of Speaking Sidemount, brought to you by our show sponsor, XDEEP, Insta360, and the show's patrons.
In this episode, I meet Naomi Allen of Koh Tao Divers in southern Thailand. Naomi is a leading light in the next generation of premiere technical divers and instructors. She has spent the past few years training, teaching, and diving in Thailand with guidance and
E103 Hollie Gallacher Teggart - "Maritime Archaeology, Wreck Diving, & Love of Sidemount”
In this episode of Speaking Sidemount, sponsored by XDEEP and Insta360, host Steve Davis interviews Hollie Gallacher-Teggatt, a sidemount diving instructor based in Malta. They discuss Hollie's journey into diving, her passion for sidemount, and her studies in maritime archaeology. The conversation explores the significance of wreck diving, particularly in Malta, and the importance of preserving u
E102 Joseph Bicanic - Bent Out of Shape at Boesmansgat
This is the amazing story of Joseph Bicanic's
decompression sickness (Bends) incident while cave diving at Boesmansgat or Bushman's Hole in South Africa. Joseph joined Richard "Harry" Harris and Craig Challen's "Dark Side of the Moon" expedition. While working on mapping the cave and also achieving a personal depth record of 210m, Joesph was "bent" and subsequently
had to medevac to Johannesburg
E101 Gus Gonzalez - Dive Talk
It's great to bring you Episode #101 with Gus Gonzalez, one-half of the dynamic duo behind the YouTube phenomenon, "Dive Talk".
Huge thanks to our podcast sponsor, XDEEP and episode sponsor, Seacraft along with the patrons of Speaking Sidemount for their support.
In this episode Gus and I discuss his journey from novice diver to prominent figure in the diving community through the YouTube Channel,
E100 Josh Richards - Mt Gambier Cave Discoveries
Hey, it's great to bring you... Episode #100!!! Six years, a lot of blood sweat, and tears as the saying goes but a huge amount of learning, growth, and fun... I've loved every moment.
I want to acknowledge the support of XDEEP who had the vision to join us early as the show sponsor and have been with us every step of the way. I am incredibly grateful to Piotr, Patrick, Bart, Magda, Barbar
E099 Stefan Panis - Shipwrecks of the Dover Straits
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
E098 Por Parasu Komaradat - Thai Sidemount Diving
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 episod
E097 Jacek Konikowski - A Dive into the KISS Sidewinder 2
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/spe
E096 Steve Martin & Vas Proud - Educating Sidemount Part 2
Great to bring you episode 96 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
We had a phenomenal response to part 1 of my interview with Steve Martin and Vas Proud of Sidemounting.com. Thanks to everyone who followed up with me for the discount code. I am sure
E095 Steve Martin and Vas Proud - "Educating Sidemount Part 1"
Awesome to bring you Episode #95 Steve Martin and Vas Proud - "Educating Sidemount Part 1" with the support of our brilliant sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their ongoing support of this podcast. I've spoken many times on this show about how I got started in sidemount. Steve Bogaerts' Ponderosa skills video was the trigger but quickly after that, I foun
E094 Florian Symoens - "Transitioning to a Full Time Instructor"
Hey, great to bring you Episode 94 Florian Symoens - "Transitioning to a Full Time Instructor" with the support of our show sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support which helps to make this show possible. Well, there must be something in the water in Belgium. For such a small country, located in northern Europe… there seem to be so many divers from
E093 Tamara Adame - "The Path to Cave Instructor"
Hey, I hope you are having a great start to the year :)!! It's great to bring you Episode #93 Tamara Adame - "The Path to Cave Instructor". Thanks again for your support. Huge thanks also to XDEEP for sponsoring the show. Their support has been instrumental in the success of this podcast and it is sincerely appreciated. One of the pinnacles in the application of sidemount diving is of course cave
E092 Pepe Tiburon: "Tren Maya - A Disaster in the Making"
Great to bring you Episode #92 Pepe Tiburon: "Tren Maya - A Disaster in the Making". Big thanks to all of you and also to our brilliant sponsor XDEEP. Your support makes this podcast possible. Many of you will be aware of the environmental issues and development pressures experienced on the Yucatan peninsula in the area spanning from Cancun to Tulum. This area encompasses the largest cave systems
E091 Ellen Cuylaerts - "The Power of Positive"
Hey, great to bring you Episode 91 Ellen Cuylaerts - "The Power of Positive" with the support of our sponsor XDEEP, and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Massive thanks to both for their support :)! Of all the disciplines associated with diving, photography and videography have always been special to me. The ability to capture that perfect moment, underwater, in often challenging conditions, deal
E090 Thorsten Waelde - "Exploring the Bel Torrente Cave"
This episode is brought to you by our brilliant sponsor, XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support that makes this podcast possible. In this episode, I catch up for the third time with Thorsten Waelde or Toddy as he is known. I first met Toddy in Episode 24 when we did a deep dive into Toddy Style Sidemount. We caught up again in episode 44 to talk about h
E089 Turk Vangel - "Sidemount Fundamentals"
Here's Episode 89 brought to you by our sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Thanks so much for your support. Over the past 88 episodes, cave diving has featured heavily and that's no accident. As you'll be aware, sidemount diving grew from the requirements of early flooded cave explorers, firstly the CDG in the UK, with others around the world following and eventually building on
E088 Scott RG - "The Mines of Scotland"
This episode is brought to you by XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support, that makes all of this possible. It's my great pleasure today to bring you episode #88 on the fifth anniversary of the founding of this podcast. If you told me on those nervous days starting on this venture that we'd still be pumping out episodes five years later and that I would h
E087 Arielle Ginsberg - "Belize Cave Exploration"
Great to share Episode #87 Arielle Ginsberg - Belize Cave Exploration, brought to you by our sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support. I recently picked up a Facebook post by XDEEP describing the exploits of Arielle Ginsberg. Arielle is a founding member of the Belize Cave Diving Society and is its first female member. The project sounded amazing b
E086 Michael Menduno - InDepth on Sidemount
Awesome to bring you this episode sponsored by XDEEP and with the support of the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Massive thanks to both for making this podcast possible. A couple of episodes back, I let you all know that I was working as guest editor along with Stratis Kas, with none other than Michael Menduno to assist in producing what I think is going to be a groundbreaking issue of InDepth Maga
E085 Robbie Schmittner - Understanding the Caves of Yucatan
Hey, great to bring you Episode 85 with the support of our sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Massive thanks to both for their support of the show that makes all of this possible. It was super cool to do this episode with renowned cave explorer Robbie Schmittner. Robbie has spent the last 25 years exploring the caves of the Yucatan peninsula and has mapped literally hundreds of k
E084 Patrick Widmann - KISS Sidewinder 2
The KISS Rebreathers team recently set Facebook "on fire" with their teaser posts on the new Sidewinder 2. To say that the new changes are innovative and revolutionary feels inadequate. Many of the changes are in the process of being patented and there is even a patent pending on the entire concept by which this rebreather operates. By definition, this means that the KISS Sidewinder 2 will bring
E083 Demis Farrugia - "Unlock Your Full Potential"
Great to bring Episode #83 to you with the support of XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support that makes this podcast possible. Demis Farrugia and I first started chatting online around 5 years ago. I could tell immediately he was committed to training, diving and ultimately becoming an instructor and was prepared to put in the hard yards to become as goo
E082 Jake Bulman - Aspiring to Excellence
Great to bring you Episode #82 with the support of XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Massive thanks to both for their support that makes all of this possible. I am still coming down from my nearly 3 weeks in Mexico last November. I went primarily to train with Patrick Widmann, co-owner of ProTec Dive Centers and the Training Director for KISS Rebreathers along with the many… many other
E081 Chris Godlewski - Sidemount Society
Hey great to bring you Episode #81 Chris Godlewski - "Sidemount Society", with the support of our brilliant sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support. Looking back over the 80 episodes I've produced for Speaking Sidemount, there is a massive slant towards cave diving and exploration. I guess it goes without saying that this is as it should be, with
E080 Stephen Fordyce - Seconds from Death
Hey, great to bring you Episode #80 Stephen Fordyce - "Seconds from Death" with the support of our sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support, which makes this podcast possible. The title refers to Australian Tech Diver of the Year, Stephen Fordyce reliving his harrowing, near-death experience where he had a laryngospasm at over 50m while on a p
E079 Rannvá Jørmundsson - Becoming an Explorer
Hi, here's episode #79 Rannvá Jørmundsson - "Becoming an Explorer" brought to you by 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. One of the enduring themes of Speaking Sidemount is to shine a light on the applications of sidemount diving. I am a strong believer and practitioner i
E078 Bruce Clulow - Caves of the South Pacific
This episode is brought to you by our brilliant sponsor XDEEP and by the patrons of Speaking Sidemount, huge thanks to both for their support. Speaking Sidemount has featured many of the top cave diving regions of the world… I'm thinking Mexico, Florida, UK, the Bahamas, and Sardinia. But it's been awesome to also dig deeper into regions not well known for caves… places like Sweden, Indonesia, Au
E077 Alessandra Figari - "Follow Your Dreams"
This episode is brought to you by XDEEP and by the patrons of Speaking Sidemount, huge thanks to both for their support. In this episode, Alessandra shares her inspiring story of the events that led to her moving to Mexico to pursue diving. How she started her cave diving journey under the tutelage of legendary cave explorer Bil Phillips. She relates how she built her experience diving with f
E076 Looking Back - The Best of Speaking Sidemount
Hey, welcome to Episode #76 Looking Back - The Best of Speaking Sidemount brought to by XDEEP with the support of the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both!!! This episode looks back over the first 75 episodes with me handpicking some of my very favourite segments. This was such a challenging task and what I find remarkable now that it's done, is just how much great material I have le
E075 Tom Crisp 2 - "Explorer-Adventurer"
This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Thanks so much to both for their support that makes this podcast possible. Tom Crisp hails from my home New Zealand and is undoubtedly one of our finest cave explorers and I'll use the term, adventurers. Tom has based himself in Alberta, Canada to allow him to discover and explore the caves of that r
E074 Sanne Volja - "The Power of Passion"
This episode is brought to you by our brilliant sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for your support. Sanne Volja is a cave diver and ISE instructor from Belgium and if you haven't seen her social media then you've been missing out on a real treat. Sanne combines her huge passion for diving with a unique style that makes for some of the best and most compellin
E073 Edmund Yiu - "The Business of Diving"
This episode is brought to you by our brilliant sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for your support. In this episode I catch up with Edmund Yiu. Edmund hails from Hong Kong and is a Tec Diving instructor to trimix levels on both open circuit and closed-circuit rebreathers. He also teaches cave diving, is Greater China Regional Head for the RAID Dive agency, an
E072 Stratis Kas 2 - "Close Calls"
This episode is brought to you with the support of our brilliant Sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support. I'm really happy to be able to bring you another episode featuring Stratis Kas. In addition to being a stellar cave diver and instructor who in his own words, is as passionate about sidemount diving as I am… he also seems to be constantly invo
Special Release - E058 Hayun Jung - "Young Guns"
Hey... getting through the busy summer season in NZ so here's another Special Release from the patron archive brought to you by XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. It's awesome to be able to share my discussion with Hayun Yung from South Australia. Hayun is new to sidemount but is progressing extremely quickly through diligent practice and with what you'll hear, excellent attention to det
Special Release - E056 Steve Bogaerts - When Shit Gets Real
It's awesome to be able to bring you with the support of XDEEP, another great episode from the Speaking Sidemount Patreon vault. This episode was the first of two episodes with Steve Bogaerts I did back in 2020 and was originally released as a premium, patron-only episode. The information Steve covers is awesome, so I am pleased to now share it more widely. In this episode, Steve and I discuss th
E071 - Robin Cuesta - The Caves of Sulawesi
This episode is brought to you by XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount, huge thanks to both for their support. Robin Cuesta hails from France but has made his home in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, Sulawesi Indonesia. Long known for its brilliant ocean diving, Robin discovered that the region's geology included massive areas of limestone and that all of the water came from
E070 Christine Tamburri - "Passion Plus"
This episode is brought to you with the awesome support of XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both, their support makes this podcast possible. Great to give you Episode #70 Christine Tamburri - "Passion Plus". Christine is a young woman hailing from the US Northeast. She has not been diving long, but as you'll hear, she has developed an exceptional attitude to both her
E069 - Prof Simon Mitchell 2 - Gas Density & Other Issues
This episode is brought to you by XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support. In part 2 of my discussion with Prof Simon Mitchell, we get into the negative impact of increased gas density, particularly at depth. We muse on the impact of gas density and CO2 retention with it likely being a factor in dive accidents such as that of David Shaw, and then I get to
E068 - Prof Simon Mitchell - A Line Under Deep Stops
This episode has been produced with the support of XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support. In this episode, I catch up with fellow Kiwi and world-renowned Hyperbaric Physician, Prof Simon Mitchell. In this, the first of two special episodes with Simon, we discuss his background and how he got into diving medicine, how his service in the Royal New Ze
E067 - Skanda 2 - KISS Sidewinder Exploration
Hey, here it is. "Skanda Strikes Back"... with the support of XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks for the amazing support of this podcast :)!! In Episode #67 Skanda 2 - KISS Sidewinder Exploration, Skanda shares more on his very best cave exploration projects and in particular, we investigate how the KISS Sidewinder rebreather is enabling the Protec Tulum team and ot
E066 - Skanda Coffield
This episode is brought to you with the support of our brilliant sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both. A few weeks back I received a message from Patrick Widmann asking if I had seen the efforts of Skanda Coffield... and for sure I had seen him featured in a couple of Phillip Lehman's Somos Los Cenotes videos most notably the Blue Abyss dive which was just stunn
E065 - Daniele Pontis
This episode is brought to you with the support of our sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both :)!! Late last year I was honoured to be invited to speak at the FLOW Sidemount event in Cala Gonone, Sardinia. The event was originally slated for June this year but moved to October due to COVID. Conceived and organised by Stratis Kas my guest way back in episode #38 al
E064 - Mikko Paasi
Awesome to be able to share Episode #64 - Mikko Paasi brought to you with the support of XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Huge thanks to both for their support. By now the name Mikko Paasi is, or should be well known to all of us as a key member of the support diver team that contributed massively to the positive outcome of the Thai Cave rescue. Hailing from Finland, Mikko owns Kho Tao
E063 - Laurent Miroult - Live For Moments You Can't Put Into Words
Welcome to the 2021 season of Speaking Sidemount brought to you with the support of XDEEP and our patrons. In this episode, I catch up with renowned cave diving photographer, Laurent Miroult. Huge thanks to Stratis Kas for the introduction. Laurent and I dive into... his background and how he got into sidemount and cave diving, how he balances his career as a doctor with diving, and his training a
Special Release - E054 Matt Jevon - Diving after COVID-19
It's awesome to be able to bring you with the support of XDEEP, another great episode from the Speaking Sidemount Patreon vault. In this episode, I catch up with my old friend Matt Jevon, just a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic. I first met Matt Jevon back in late 2015 when I was being taught and mentored by Tom Steiner at Gozo Technical Diving. Matt and I teamed up on a bunch of awesome div
Special Release - E052 PJ Prinsloo
As our summer hiatus continues, it's awesome to be able to bring you with the support of XDEEP, another great episode from the Speaking Sidemount Patreon vault. This time I catch up with PJ Prinsloo. PJ is a technical diving instructor trainer and the Director, Technical Diving for RAID South Africa. As you'll hear, he is passionate about the benefits of sidemount and has a wealth of knowledge fro
Special Release - E050 Chris Jewell: Beyond Thailand
I'm super excited to publicly release Episode #50 with Chris Jewell. Previously this episode was only available to Patrons of Speaking Sidemount and is brought to you with the support of XDEEP. Chris is a member of the British Cave Diving Group and was part of the team involved in the acclaimed Thai Cave rescue. Chris took part in the actual extraction dives of the rescue and in doing so became pa
E062 - Rob Neto - The Almost Comprehensive Guide to Sidemount
Hey all, Happy New Year. I hope that wherever you are, that you are well and doing OK. Excited to provide the first episode of 2021 brought to you by XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Thanks so much to both for their support. In this episode, I catch up with Florida based, cave instructor, explorer and author, Rob Neto, Rob has just released the 2nd edition of his book "Sidemount Divin
E061 - Sean Wheller
Here it is... the last episode of 2020 with Speaking Sidemount Gold Patron, Sean Wheller. Sean and I have been communicating online for well over a year, and in fact, he was one of the very first patrons to support the show. He's a sidemount diver, a decompression and cave diver and continues to progress his training with PJ Prinsloo in South Africa. In this episode, Sean and I chat about his div
E060 - Tamara May
This episode is sponsored by XDEEP and supported by the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. I'm really excited to share this episode with you featuring my chat with Tamara May. I first sighted Tamara on YouTube, I think about 5 or 6 years ago as the star of an excellent sidemount configuration and skills video shot in Mexico. The skills were excellent but as I was taken with the video flow, the camera
E059 - Victor Tovar
This episode is sponsored by XDEEP and supported by the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. Victor Tovar is the principal of Cave Tribe through which he provides specialised and personalised diving training with an emphasis on sidemount and cave courses. Victor is passionate about foundational skills and as you'll hear in this episode he focuses on progressively building foundational skills while
E057 - Steve Bogaerts Dealing With Career Ending DCS
This episode is sponsored by XDEEP and supported by the patrons of Speaking Sidemount. This is the second episode in this series where I catch up with renowned cave explorer Steve Bogaerts. Over the past two years, Steve has had it pretty tough with respect to diving. A series of DCS incidents, on successive dives, each a little worse than the previous, has led Steve to hang up his fins and r
E055 - Mathieu Burdon - Surviving COVID-19
Great to release Episode #55 with our VIP Patron of the Month, Matt Burdon. Matt is a Public Safety Diving Team Leader, Tech Dive Instructor, VIP Patron of Speaking Sidemount, and survivor of a serious infection of COVID-19. Matt graciously joined me to share in detail his experiences contracting COVID-19, from the knowledge that it had infected his workplace to seeing a colleague die, to his
E053 - Robert Thomas - The Next Generation
In this episode, brought to you by XDEEP with the support of the patrons of Speaking Sidemount, I catch up with British cave diver and instructor Robert Thomas. Robert has had an extraordinary beginning to his dive career, first diving at the age of 6... Joining the ranks of certified divers at the tender age of 10 before starting to cave dive in his teens. At 18 as soon as he was old enough he j
E051 - Brendon Allen - Fixing Sidemount
This episode is brought to you with the support of XDEEP and our amazing patrons, which makes everything you are about to listen to possible. If love Speaking Sidemount and would you'd like to know more about how you can support the show by becoming a patron, go to www.patreon.com/speakingsidemont This month's VIP Patron of the Month and my guest on this episode is Brendon Allen. Brendon
E050 - Chris Jewell - Beyond Thailand Extended Trailer
I'm super excited to release Episode #50 as our very first premium episode available exclusively to patrons. This is an extended trailer brought to you with the support of XDEEP. To access the full episode go to - https://www.patreon.com/speakingsidemount In this episode, I speak with British cave diver, Chris Jewell. Chris is a member of the British Cave Diving Group and was part of the team invo
E049 - Brian Kakuk Interview II
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
E048 - David Debruyne Interview
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 c
E047 - Ryan Custureri Interview
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
E046 - Sandra Clopp Interview
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 re
E045 - Roger Williams Interview
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 s
E044 - Thorsten-Toddy-Waelde - Project Utopia & The Caves of Sardinia
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 dev
E043 - Turning the Tables - Steve Davis with Audrey Cudel
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 KIS
E042 - Chris Dawson on Dive Against Depression
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 aff
