The Twin Set Diver is not just about going deeper for longer. Although it is an ideal way of stepping up from recreational diving into the realms of the technical diver without the cost and time commitments. However, many people want to stay within the recreational diving limits, but like the idea of added safety and stability when using a twin set. You may also want to extend your bottom time by using a twin set and would like formal training in using one before going it alone in the open water. The experience gained on this programme will be invaluable for your future diving both recreational and technical if you choose to go further. In a way recreational twin set diving is like technical diving, but without the technical.
Minimum age: 15
Course prerequisites: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
What will I do?
You will have two days of intense twin set training to complete. In our fully equipped multi-media classrooms, you will learn about the many benefits of diving with a twin set configuration. After reviewing the theory with your PADI Instructor, you will practise setting up and diving with a twin set in our onsite heated training pool.
On the second day, you will then put into practice what you learn in a combination of skills during two open water training dives at a local dive site.
During your programme you will learn how to:
- Properly assemble and configure twin set scuba diving equipment.
- Trim your weight system and twin set so you’re perfectly balanced in the water.
- Manage gas and air shutdown drills.
- Respond correctly to potential problems and hazards when twin set diving
How do I get started?
Just pick your dates if you can and pay your £125 deposit. There are no manuals, so there is no home study before this course as the accademic session will be led by your instructor on the first morning of your training. Don’t worry if you can’t commit to a date straight away as there are plenty scheduled throughout the year.
How long will it take?
The Twin Set Diver course takes place over one weekend. Starting on a Saturday at 9am, you will review the theory behind twin set diving with your Instructor then familiarise yourself with diving with a twin set configuration in the pool. On the Sunday you will put your skills into practice during twoopen water training dives.
What will I need?
The Twin Set Diver programme is open to all divers over the age of 15 years who hold the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification or equivalent.
All the standard scuba equipment you need to complete the programme is included. It is always a good move to buy your own dive computer for future dives, however we will supply one for the Sunday if you prefer.
You will need to fill out a self-certification medical statement. If you have any medical conditions that you think may prevent you from scuba diving, please feel free to contact us and we will try to be of assistance.
All the materials and standard scuba equipment needed to complete the programme are included in the cost. You will need to pay for your entry to the open water dive site and any required air fills while away from the centre. This is approximately £30 a day.
When can I start?
Just pay online, call the centre on 0121 706 6628 or email info@aquasportonline.com to check availability and book your dates.
Where can I go from here?
Once you have completed your Twin Set Diver you have started down a road of discovery. With more gas available to extend your bottom time, your next step may be the PADI Deep Diver Specialty and the PADI Enriched Air Diver Specialty.
The Twin Set Diver course is also an excellent preparatory course for technical diving and so the PADI Tec 40 could be the next course for you.
Reviews
-
Heartedly recommended as a step into technical diving
I took the twinset course for two main reasons, firstly to get a taste of technical diving, and secondly, to start a move to back plate and wing (BPW) style set up from traditional BCD’s. The course was run over a weekend, with Saturday morning dedicated to some theory then running through the set up and adjustment of the back plate and wing rig. All I’d say on the theory is bring paper and a pen, dive table or eRDPml, and a calculator. Also brush up on ‘the rule of thirds’ for dive planning. This really set the scene for the rest of the course, re-learning stuff I thought I already knew. The Saturday afternoon was spent in Aquasport’s dedicated 3-metre-deep pool getting used to the trim of a BPW set up and running through some drills like valve shutdown and air sharing. Shutdown drills are not on the recreational spectrum, and air sharing is different with a long hose set up, so time to refresh or gain new skills that may have got a bit rusty over years of recreational diving. On Sunday the class (3 students and Mitch the instructor) headed over to Stoney Cove for some open water practice with the kit. On suggestions from others who had done the course I took a bench to set the gear up on and assist with getting kitted up. This proved to be a real boon, something to be well recommended. As is a trolley for carting the twin set around. Be under no illusion a twin set of 12’s is heavy! In the water we did a dive out to the Stanegarth with some hovers and fin pivot drills on the way. It was good to swim some distance to help get more of a feel for the twinset trim characteristics. It is certainly true with a BPW set up you ‘hang’ under the kit and keeping horizontal seems easier and more intuitive. Dive two was a shallower dive where we completed valve shutdown drills and air sharing. I wish I had done more stretching exercises for the shutdown drills as this would really have paid benefit, but the air sharing skills certainly started to become instinctive with a long hose set up. Again, it was really good to run through new skills to help re-evaluate previous learning and get some perspective of what’s required for a different style of diving. I found the course valuable for gaining new skills, experiencing the BPW style set up, meeting new divers, and refreshing some of the theory that had started to rust in my brain. I’d strongly recommend the course to anyone considering technical diving but wants a taster. Mitch clearly knows his stuff, just watching the ease with which he executes a helicopter turn is enough to inspire a venture down the technical diving path. On a personal level, I achieved my two main goals. I am now convinced that I want to dive a BPW set up, and the taste of technical diving is with me, onwards, and upwards. Or downwards should I say!