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 Dahab
Why Dahab remains a global hub for technical diving
Omar’s transition from open-circuit sidemount to CCR
Why the KISS Sidewinder became his rebreather of choice
Training and mentorship under Jacek Konikowski and Patrick Widmann
Safety culture, humility, and mindset in high-level technical diving
This 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.
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🤿 Train with Steve: https://www.sidemountpros.com/locations
💛 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 @omar_derbalaa