From 24–26 April 2026, Elba Island will host the Elba Sidemount Festival, a three-day gathering built around practical diving, equipment testing, and the kind of discussions that normally happen after the dive day ends.
Hosted by Elba Diving in collaboration with training platform 4FreeWorld, the event is designed less as a traditional dive expo and more as a working session for divers who want to refine their skills and compare configurations in real conditions.
Participants will combine guided dives, equipment trials, and focused workshops covering decompression thinking, gas management, operational safety, and equipment configuration. The festival is open to multiple diving approaches, including sidemount, backmount, rebreathers, and technical setups, making it more about execution and decision-making than about any single configuration philosophy.
sdm. quick facts
- Dates: 24–26 April 2026
- Location: Elba Island, Italy
- Host: Elba Diving
- Partner organization: 4FreeWorld
- Format: Diving, workshops, equipment trials, and evening social events
- Open configurations: Sidemount, backmount, CCR, and technical setups
Diving first, discussion second
The structure of the Elba Sidemount Festival intentionally revolves around the water. Dives are scheduled early in the day so that the experiences underwater can feed directly into technical discussions, equipment adjustments, and workshop sessions afterward.
Local dives will include well-known sites such as Secche della Fenicia, one of Elba’s prominent offshore reef systems. Boat operations allow divers to reach multiple sites rather than limiting activities to shore diving.
Participants can expect guided dives combined with skill-refinement rotations where teams test techniques, evaluate equipment setups, and troubleshoot configuration details. Opportunities for DPV (diver propulsion vehicle) testing are also planned, giving divers the chance to try propulsion units in real diving conditions rather than controlled demonstrations.
The event’s philosophy is deliberately configuration-neutral. Instead of promoting a single “correct” setup, the focus remains on how effectively divers execute their dives.
Sidemount rebreather demonstrations
A major draw of the event will be access to sidemount rebreather specialists and hands-on demonstrations of modern CCR systems.
Two experienced instructors will present their units and discuss operational considerations:
- Simone Villotti presenting the Liberty Sidemount rebreather
- Matteo Ratto presenting the X-CCR Flex 2
For divers interested in rebreather technology, especially sidemount configurations, this kind of access provides insight into real-world use, including hose routing, bailout strategies, and the ergonomics of different systems.
Workshops focused on real operational problems
The classroom sessions scheduled during the festival focus on the small details that often determine whether dives run smoothly.
Configuration specialist Nicola Ferroni will lead a session on sidemount bungee tuning and configuration refinement. Minor adjustments to attachment points, cylinder positioning, and bungee tension can significantly improve trim, stability, and task load underwater.
Decompression thinking will be addressed by Sandro Bertoni, who will present his “Mnemonic Decompression” framework. The approach aims to simplify decompression decision-making and help divers maintain clarity when task loading increases.
Operational equipment handling will also be covered. Filippo from Tecnodive will run a session on gas booster use, focusing on safe operating procedures and potential failure points when handling high-pressure systems.
Air quality, a topic that often receives less attention than mixed gases, will be discussed by Matteo Amadori of Coltri Compressors, highlighting the importance of clean breathing gas at the very start of the supply chain.
The festival will also feature a presentation by diving media professional Stratis Kas, exploring how storytelling and knowledge sharing influence diving culture and how communities transfer practical experience.
The social side of the event
As with many technical diving gatherings, some of the most valuable learning happens outside the classroom.
The festival includes two informal community evenings designed to encourage conversation between instructors, equipment specialists, and participants.
Friday evening will open with a casual pizza night, while Saturday’s program includes a dive-centre barbecue with music. These gatherings provide space for divers to compare approaches, discuss equipment decisions, and exchange lessons learned from recent dives.
Who’s organising the festival
Elba Diving, the event host, is led by Fabio Agostinelli, a diver with experience spanning recreational and technical diving pathways and an early adopter of rebreather technology in the late 1990s. The dive centre focuses on structured operations, local site expertise, and a safety-driven approach to diving.
Partner organisation 4FreeWorld, founded in 2011, operates as a training and development platform centred around experiential learning. Its programs include sidemount training pathways ranging from recreational sidemount courses to more advanced technical development involving DPVs and rebreathers.
Registration and contact information
Divers interested in attending the Elba Sidemount Festival 2026 can contact the organisers directly.
Elba Diving
Website: https://elbadiving.it
Email: info@elbadiving.it
Phone / WhatsApp: +39 339 733 8902
4FreeWorld
Website: https://4freeworld.it
What the festival offers divers
For divers already using sidemount systems, the event provides opportunities to refine configuration details that can significantly reduce task loading underwater.
Those moving toward technical diving will find sessions addressing fundamental concepts such as gas planning discipline, decompression clarity, and operational safety, topics that apply across multiple diving styles.
Divers interested in closed-circuit rebreathers (CCR) can examine sidemount rebreather units directly and discuss practical considerations with experienced users.
Perhaps most importantly, the combination of structured dives and informal discussions creates the type of environment where diving practices evolve quickly as teams exchange ideas and test them in real water conditions.
sdm knowledge
The Elba Sidemount Festival 2026 will take place from 24–26 April 2026 on Elba Island, Italy. The event is hosted by Elba Diving in collaboration with 4FreeWorld, combining guided dives, technical workshops, and equipment demonstrations.
No. While the event focuses heavily on sidemount diving, it is open to multiple configurations, including backmount, sidemount, and closed-circuit rebreather (CCR) setups. The emphasis is on skills, decision-making, and operational diving practices rather than promoting one specific configuration.
Participants can expect guided dives around Elba Island, including well-known sites such as Secche della Fenicia, along with skills-focused rotations, configuration tuning sessions, and opportunities to test DPVs (diver propulsion vehicles) in real diving conditions.
The schedule is designed so that dives happen earlier in the day, allowing the afternoon workshops to analyze and refine what divers experienced underwater.
Yes. The festival includes sidemount rebreather demonstrations from experienced instructors. Divers will be able to see units such as the Liberty Sidemount CCR and the X-CCR Flex 2, with opportunities to discuss configuration, bailout strategies, and real-world handling.
Divers interested in attending can register directly through Elba Diving, which is organising the event with 4FreeWorld. Registration details and contact information are available through the dive centre’s official website.
The Elba Sidemount Festival is aimed at divers who want to improve their technical awareness and equipment setup in a collaborative environment. While sidemount divers will likely find the most direct value, the event is also relevant for technical divers, CCR users, and experienced recreational divers interested in learning about gas management, decompression thinking, and configuration refinement.
The combination of diving, workshops, and informal discussions allows participants to exchange practical experience with instructors and other divers.
Elba Island is known for its varied dive sites, clear Mediterranean waters, and underwater topography that includes reefs, walls, and offshore seamounts. Sites such as Secche della Fenicia offer complex structures and depth profiles that make the area attractive for both recreational and technical diving.
The island’s established dive infrastructure and access to boat diving across multiple sites also make it well suited for training events and technical diving gatherings like the Elba Sidemount Festival.
