Growing Up in the Mecca of Technical Diving | CCR, Sidewinder & Dahab with Omar Derbala

<p>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:</p><ul><li>What it’s like to grow up diving in Dahab</li><li>Why Dahab remains a global hub for technical diving</li><li>Omar’s transition from open-circuit sidemount to CCR</li><li>Why the KISS Sidewinder became his rebreather of choice</li><li>Training and mentorship under Jacek Konikowski and Patrick Widmann</li><li>Safety culture, humility, and mindset in high-level technical diving</li></ul><p>This episode is a deep and thoughtful discussion about the environment, equipment, training philosophy, and what truly...