Episode 113 - British Army to Sidemount Master: Mark Rowe's Incredible Diving Journey

Описание: 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 education

Whether 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.

🎧 Listen to or watch the Speaking Sidemount Podcast on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
📘 Grab Steve’s Sidemount Fundamentals eBook → www.sidemountpros.com/store
🌐 Follow Mark Rowe at Rubicon Diving Lanzarote - https://www.rubicondiving.com

Chapters
00:00 Opening Snippet
01:05 Episode Intro
01:26 Remembering Michael Menduno & Nancy Easterbrook
04:47 Mark's Beginnings in Diving
10:57 Military Life and Diving
12:09 "Battle Back" - Using Diving to Support Injured Veterans
13:17 Safety Protocols and Gas Management
19:41 Transition to Sidemount
26:19 Transition from the Military to Full-Time Diving
29:38 Diving Conditions: A Comparison of Locations
29:54 Sidemount - Redundancy & Extra Gas = Safety
32:14 Leaving the Caribbean
33:09 Lanzarotte - New Home
36:20 Adapting & Working with Different Sidemount Systems
46:58 XDEEP Exploration Support Program
48:29 Navigating Online Sidemount Communities
48:35 Finding the Right Sidemount Instructor
53:01 How to Become a Good Sidemount Instructor
01:02:02 Steve & Vas Online Training - Sidemouting.com
01:03:06 Working with Dive Agencies
01:09:21 Multitude of Instructors - Different Perspectives
01:12:04 KISS Rebreathers
01:12:52 KISS Sidewinder 2
01:16:29 Limits of Open Circuit Sidemount
01:21:43 Rebreathers - The Future of Sidemount?
01:23:19 Managing your Diving Progression
01:26:20 Choosing Your Instructor
01:28:41 Getting to Lanzarotte
01:30:40 Close & Mark's Contact