You hold XBASE and Velari
Sidemount and Twinset require Genesis through Driftar and Velari; Stage requires the full XBASE chain and Deyron. Trained elsewhere means an assessment day first.
XTEND
TEND is FlowState Divers' configuration path: sidemount, twinset, and stage cylinder taught as one craft after the XBASE foundation. Each changes how you carry gas, hold trim, and work as a team - trained as integrated practice, not a bolt-on specialty.
Sidemount, twinset, and stage cylinder taught as one craft - configuration extensions for divers who hold XBASE and Velari.
Before you extend
After the foundation, the configuration
XTEND is mentor-led and configuration-specific - sidemount, twinset, and stage cylinder, each taken after XBASE and Velari. We welcome divers who want redundancy and range built into how they already dive.
You want redundancy, not more kit
A second cylinder, doubles, or a stage are trained as one craft with your existing team protocols - not as a bolt-on specialty.
Online learning material stays separate
Online learning material is sold separately and is not included with in-person training. Online coaching opens by application after you study the materials. In-water skills are confirmed with your mentor in the water.
How training begins
- Hold an Open Water Diver certification from any recognised agency, valid SCUBA insurance, and the prerequisites for the configuration you choose. Sidemount and Twinset require XBASE Genesis through Driftar and Velari; Stage requires the full XBASE chain and XPERIENCE through Deyron.
- Choose a track. Online learning material is sold separately and is not included with in-person training. Online coaching opens by application after you have purchased and studied the materials. In-water skills are confirmed with your mentor in the water. Sessions are one-to-one, or with your regular dive team of up to three.
- Start with the configuration you will dive. XTEND modules have no fixed order between them. You advance when your mentor confirms readiness - not when a weekend ends.
Trained elsewhere? Entry requires an assessment day covering every missing XBASE module - dive planning, trim, regulator, mask, DSMB and gas-sharing skills, precision propulsion, and dive leadership - before training days begin.
The configurations
- Sidemount - harness and bungee setup with hose routing checked before every dive, entry and exit protocols that protect regulators and cylinders, weight and trim checks with two cylinders, the sidemount valve drill, gas sharing with hose handoff, dynamic cylinder management as gas depletes, and rescue while keeping your own kit under control. Nine skills.
- Twinset - cylinder banding with manifold and isolator orientation, long-hose routing on backmount, entry and exit protocols with the extra weight and volume, weight and trim checks as gas is consumed, isolator and individual valve shutdowns, long-hose gas sharing, and rescue in a twinset. Eight skills.
- Stage - rigging and streamlining that holds trim as the cylinder drains, gas analysis and labelling, carry and stow positions, gas switch and failed-switch procedures, stage gas inside the team plan, surface and in-water handoffs, and emergency scenarios under mentor supervision. Eleven skills.
Twenty-eight skills across the three configurations. Each is trained inside the team protocols you already hold.
Who XTEND is for
XTEND suits divers who hold XBASE and Velari and want redundancy and range woven into how they already dive - a second cylinder, doubles, or a stage without a second set of habits. It is not an entry point, it does not replace the XPERIENCE scenario work, and it is a poor fit if the goal is another card.
Where XTEND sits
XTEND extends your kit; it does not gate other programmes. Velari comes before any XTEND module. Stage waits for Deyron. Guideline in XPLORE waits for Velmora. Take the configurations in the order your diving calls for.
Curriculum
3 modules · a guided preview
Three configurations in any order after the prerequisites. Online learning material sold separately; online coaching by application after study; in-water skills confirmed with a mentor.
sidemount
Harness and bungee setup, hose routing, and a configuration checked before every dive. Entry and exit protocols that protect regulators and cylinders, weight and trim checks with two cylinders, the sidemount valve drill, gas sharing with hose handoff, cylinder management as gas depletes, and rescue in sidemount. Online learning material sold separately; in-water with your mentor. Nine skills.
twinset
Cylinder banding, manifold and isolator orientation, and long-hose routing on backmount. Entry and exit with the extra weight and volume, weight and trim checks as gas is consumed, isolator and individual valve shutdowns, long-hose gas sharing, and rescue in a twinset. Online learning material sold separately; in-water skills with your mentor. Eight skills.
stage
Rigging and streamlining that holds trim as the cylinder drains, gas analysis and labelling, carry and stow positions, gas switch and failed-switch procedures, stage gas inside the team plan, surface and in-water handoffs, and emergency scenarios under mentor supervision. Online learning material sold separately; in-water skills with your mentor. Eleven skills.
Where you would enter
Sidemount and Twinset open after XBASE Genesis through Driftar and Velari; Stage after the full XBASE chain and Deyron. Answer a few questions and we will show which configuration you can start, which modules are missing, and what the assessment day covers.
Further reading
Journal & resources
Writing on standardised configuration, deliberate practice, and competence that outlasts the card.
FAQ
Choose the configuration you will dive and confirm you hold its entry standard. Sidemount and Twinset require Open Water certification, valid scuba insurance, XBASE Genesis through Driftar, and Velari. Stage requires the full XBASE chain and XPERIENCE through Deyron.
Then choose a FlowState Divers mentor (see available options here). Online learning material is sold separately and is not included with in-person training. Online coaching opens by application after you have purchased and studied the materials. In-water skills are confirmed with your mentor in the water. If you trained elsewhere, your mentor schedules an assessment day covering every missing XBASE module before training days begin.
No. XTEND modules are not sequential with each other - start with the configuration you will actually dive. Each one has its own cross-bundle prerequisites, though: Sidemount and Twinset need XBASE Genesis through Driftar and Velari; Stage needs the full XBASE chain and XPERIENCE through Deyron. Your mentor confirms you meet them before training days are scheduled.
Yes, as two separate steps. Each XTEND module's online learning material is purchasable with lifetime access; buying it does not enroll you in coaching. After you have studied the materials, you apply for online coaching. In-person training does not include online learning material. The in-water skills - rigging, valve drills, gas sharing, trim checks, rescue - are confirmed with your mentor in the water.
Every session is one-on-one with a mentor, or with your regular dive team (maximum three participants). Training includes structured theory, land-based skill development, and extensive in-water work. The schedule responds to your progression - modules advance when readiness is demonstrated, not when a weekend ends.
Your mentor holds standards, corrects in real time (or through online coaching on the mentorship platform), and confirms each competency before the next module.
To train with FlowState Divers, you are required to be a certified diver. The minimum certification accepted is the Open Water Diver certification from any recognised agency.
In order to train with FlowState Divers, it is necessary to have valid scuba diving insurance that is recognised in the country where you will be completing your in-person training. If you do not currently possess insurance, it is advisable to contact your mentor prior to booking your training to explore your options. Your mentor may be able to assist in arranging suitable insurance, or they may provide guidance on the specific insurance requirements for the country in which your training will take place.
FlowState Divers requires a minimum equipment set that must adhere to our standards. Some programmes have special equipment requirements that you need to verify on that programme's page before you start training. For the generic equipment list, check out our standards.