XR Explorers

Recreational Diving: Single Tank vs. Doubles vs. Sidemount

❓Which one should you choose?

⚫️ Single Tank

For most rec divers it’s the perfect choice that provides enough gas for an enjoyable dive. It is simple, lightweight, easy to transport, and available everywhere. Setup is straightforward, easy to maintain and troubleshoot.

➕Advantages:
• Lightweight & easy to use
• Available everywhere
• Lower equipment cost
• Ideal for travel

➖Limitations:
• Only one gas source
• Limited gas supply
• Less redundancy

For many divers, that’s perfectly fine because recreational dives are planned with direct access to the surface.

⚫️⚫️ Doubles

Doubles are often associated with technical diving, but many rec divers also enjoy diving them.
The biggest benefit is redundancy and gas amount.

Each cylinder has its own regulator, and if one side develops a problem, the diver can isolate the manifold and still breathe from the remaining cylinder.

Doubles also provide balanced trim, solid feeling, and excellent stability in the water.

➕Advantages:
• Large gas supply
• Full redundancy
• Excellent balance
• Ideal preparation for tech diving

➖Limitations:
• Heavy to carry
• Requires additional training
• Not available everywhere

Carrying doubles does not automatically make you safer. Without valve drill practice and gas management, the additional equipment can increase complexity.

⚫️ Sidemount ⚫️

Originally developed for cave exploration, sidemount has become increasingly popular among rec divers.

Many divers love the flexibility. Cylinders can be attached in the water, making shore entries much easier. Individual cylinders are lighter to carry than a set of doubles.
Sidemount also offers great streamlining and easy access to valves.

➕Advantages:
• Redundancy
• Lighter during transport
• Comfortable for shore diving
• Easy valve access

➖Limitations:
• Longer setup
• More skills to master
• Requires regular gas balancing between cylinders

Sidemount requires training to achieve good trim, cylinder positioning, and efficient gas management.

Which one is the best?
The best is the one that matches your type of diving.

🤿 Hollie Elyse
📸/🎥 XR EXPLORERS

Why Continuing Education Matters

Scuba diving is often introduced as an adventurous activity, where completing an entry-level certification is only the beginning. While basic training provides the skills necessary to dive safely under favorable conditions, the underwater environment is dynamic, unpredictable, and diverse. This is where continuing education becomes essential.

First, further training expands a diver’s competence and confidence. As divers progress into advanced courses, they are exposed to new environments such as deeper waters, wrecks, currents… and are taught how to manage the associated risks responsibly. Each level of education builds upon the fundamentals, refining buoyancy, trim, and situational awareness. The more a diver trains, the more instinctive these skills become, allowing them to focus less on survival and more on the experience itself.

Second, continuing education strengthens safety. Diving accidents often occur not due to equipment failure, but because of human error, stress, or poor decision-making under pressure. Education introduces divers to emergency protocols, redundant systems, and advanced planning strategies, which are vital in preventing and managing incidents. Moreover, by regularly engaging in training, divers keep their skills current.

Third, education opens doors to exploration and personal growth. Technical/cave diving, underwater photography, scientific diving, and conservation projects all require specialized knowledge and training. Without further education, these opportunities remain inaccessible. Beyond the practical benefits, continuing education also fosters a mindset of discipline, curiosity, and respect for the underwater environment.

Finally, education contributes to the broader diving community. Well-trained divers serve as role models, mentors, and advocates for safety and conservation. Their example helps elevate standards across the industry, encouraging others to approach diving with responsibility and professionalism.

🤿 My beautiful model Hollie Elyse
📸/🎥 by XR EXPLORERS

My Cinematic Filming Process
I have received several inquiries about filming tips and advice. Here is my process simplified. Please note that it is specific to the environments I film in and the camera I use.

Underwater, I use either the Sony Alpha 1 or the Sony A7S III, paired with two Keldan 20k lumen video lights.
Above water, I also use the Sony FX6.

🎥 Does the Camera Matter?
For the environments I film in, yes. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve great results with an action camera.

🌁 “Flat Profile” Filming
One of the biggest advantages of using a pro camera is the ability to record in a dedicated gamma curve, such as S-Log3 (on Sony cameras), which captures a much wider dynamic range and more color information. It records a very flat, desaturated image, but allows for better color grading.

For simplicity (and because every manufacturer uses different names), I’ll refer to these gamma curves as a “flat profile.”

Most small/action cameras either don’t offer this option or provide only a limited implementation. If you shoot in a flat profile, color grading is must.

🌅 White Balance & Lighting
White balance is particularly important when filming in environments dominated by ambient light, where video lights have little or no effect. Unlike RAW photography, video records the white balance into the footage, so getting it right underwater is much more important. You should white balance every few meters.

If you’re filming in a standard picture profile (not flat), white balance is even more critical.

In darker environments, below approx 40 meters, or inside canyons, caverns, caves, and wrecks, I usually don’t white balance. This is where lights kick in. Mastering light work takes practice.

🌄 Color Grading
Color grading is an essential part of cinematography. It’s the final ingredient that gives a clip its character. If you film with an action camera or without using a flat profile, your options during color grading become much more limited.

Color grading doesn’t mean your footage has to look unnatural or heavily edited. How much you choose to alter the image is entirely an artistic decision.

🎥 by XR EXPLORERS