Speaking Sidemount

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 preparation before entering overhead environments, and how his passion evolved into Darkside Divers, a thriving training operation built with purpose alongside his wife, Laura. This is a must-listen for any diver curious about the path to becoming a top-tier cave instructor—and why “just meeting agency standards” isn’t enough.Guest BioGustavo “Tavo” Padilla-Pohjanen is a cave and technical diving instructor, co-founder of Darkside Divers in Tulum, Mexico. With roots in recreational diving and a deep commitment to progressive, foundational training, Tavo has worked with legendary instructors like Patrick Widmann, Fred Devos, and John Kieren.Host BioSteve Davis is a passionate sidemount instructor, technical diver, and the voice behind Speaking Sidemount. With extensive experience in sidemount and overhead environments, Steve brings deep insight and curiosity to every conversation.🎥 Watch full episodes & bonus clips: https://www.youtube.com/@sidemountpros@sidemountpros 🎧 Listen to the Podcast - Spotify | Apple | Google — search Speaking Sidemount Podcast📘 Sidemount books: https://www.sidemountpros.com/store🤿 Train with Steve: https://www.sidemountpros.com/courses💛 Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/speakingsidemount📸 Follow Steve on Instagram: @nzsteved🛠️ Thanks to our sponsor XDEEP - https://www.xdeep.eu and to Tavo PCDarkside DiversFacebook: @darksidediversmxInstagram: @darksidediversEmail: [email protected] Earth – Mick Friis’s video with Tavo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxp5on6jnHY

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 disciplined approach to diving and teaching.In this conversation, we explore:What it’s like to grow up diving in DahabWhy Dahab remains a global hub for technical divingOmar’s transition from open-circuit sidemount to CCRWhy the KISS Sidewinder became his rebreather of choiceTraining and mentorship under Jacek Konikowski and Patrick WidmannSafety culture, humility, and mindset in high-level technical divingThis episode is a deep and thoughtful discussion about the environment, equipment, training philosophy, and what truly matters as a technical diver — and a fitting way to close out a fantastic year for Speaking Sidemount.🎥 Watch full episodes & bonus clips: https://www.youtube.com/@sidemountpros 🎧 Listen to the Podcast - Spotify | Apple | Google — search Speaking Sidemount Podcast📘 Sidemount books: https://www.sidemountpros.com/store🤿 Train with Steve: https://www.sidemountpros.com/courses💛 Support the show: https://www.Patreon.com/SpeakingSidemount📸 Follow Steve on Instagram: @nzsteved🛠️ Thanks to our sponsor XDEEP - https://www.xdeep.eu and to Omar Derbala https://www.instagram.com/omar_derbalaa/

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 Menduno (AquaCorps, InDEPTH) and Nancy Easterbrook (DiveTech Cayman), two giants whose impact continues to shape the world of technical diving.If you’re into sidemount, tech diving, dive instruction, or the dive business, this episode is packed with insights, lessons, and real talk you won’t hear anywhere else.🎥 Watch full episodes & bonus clips: YouTube.com/SidemountPros🎧 Listen to the Podcast - Spotify | Apple | Google — search Speaking Sidemount Podcast📘 Sidemount books: www.sidemountpros.com/store🤿 Train with Steve: www.sidemountpros.com/courses💛 Support the show: www.Patreon.com/SpekaingSidemount📸 Follow Steve on Instagram: @nzsteved🛠️ Thanks to our sponsor XDEEP - www.xdeep.eu and to Chris - Deep Six Gear — https://www.deep6gear.com

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 rehabilitate injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.We explore:🔹 His early days learning to dive in Sharm el-Sheikh before it became a Red Sea diving mecca🔹 Building the UK’s largest military dive club and founding Battle Back Diving🔹 The evolution of sidemount diving and why good instruction matters🔹 Insights on training, gear setup, and diving safely across multiple systems🔹 Rebreathers, tech diving, and the future of advanced diving educationWhether you’re a sidemount diver, an instructor, or just passionate about diving history — this is a deep, inspiring conversation you won’t want to miss.🎧 Thanks to our Sponsor XDEEP - https://www.exdeep.eu📘 Grab Steve’s Sidemount Fundamentals eBook → https://www.sidemountpros.com/store🌐 Follow Mark Rowe at Rubicon Diving Lanzarote - https://www.rubicondiving.com

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 on his professional education background in dive instruction. They discuss the significance of daily practice, the role of video feedback in enhancing diving skills, and the necessity of continuous learning to fill training gaps. The dialogue also touches on diver safety, gas sharing protocols, and the evolving technology in cave diving, including the benefits of rebreathers. They discuss Mallorca's caves, their beauty, the history of exploration, and the specific differences between sump diving and cave diving. Álvaro shares insights into the caving community in Mallorca, the exploration and scientific projects that he supports, and his future plans in diving.