Our sidemount diving course is the perfect option for you to master a new way of diving under the watchful eyes of our experienced sidemount instructors. Learn how to manage two cylinders, emergency procedures, master finning techniques and much more!

Our course is designed to enable the certified diver to extend proficiency in the water and to review and put in practice the Essentials learned in any IANTD diver classes. This systematic learning and professional training is designed to enhance the student’s personal and team underwater skills. Development of buoyancy, trim, balance and propulsion. Refine and expand fundamental diving skills. Equipment Streamlining and configuration. Diving safety, situational awareness and accident prevention. Enhanced Dive planning and gas management. Decompression overview and minimum decompression procedures. This program is designed for divers who wish to increase their skill competency by further developing their diving skills to be safer, more comfortable and more efficient in the water while expanding the divers basic diving skills to take more advanced recreational and/or technical diving programs

Who this course is for:

• The certified diver looking to use sidemount cylinders
• Those preparing for cavern and cave training

Course prerequisites:

• Open Water Scuba Diver or equivalent
• Minimum age 18 (15 with parental consent)

What you can expect to learn:

The Sidemount Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

• Gas management utilizing independent cylinders
• Equipment considerations
  • Cylinder options
  • Regulator options
  • Buoyancy compensator device (BCD)/harness options
  • Proper weighting
  • Equipment configurations
• Communication
  • Hand signals
• Problem solving
  • Gas-sharing
  • Gas hemorrhages
• Water entries
  • Shore
  • Boat
• S-Drills (specific to sidemount)

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Plan dive
• Test and check all equipment (depth gauges, bottom timers/watches and computers)
• Familiarization with area
• Descend to planed depth and not exceed any pre-planned limits
• Demonstrate the ability to safely manage gas in independent cylinders
• Monitor depth/time/air consumption, figure all times on slate
• Demonstrate ability to control buoyancy
• Attaching sidemount cylinders while
  • Out of water
  • On surface standing on bottom
  • On surface in water to deep to stand
  • At depth
• Perform gas switches
• Perform safety stops

What’s in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in sidemount diving activities without direct supervision, provided the following limits are adhered to:

• Safety stops as appropriate
• Planned dives do not exceed diver’s current certification level

Also, the SDI Sidemount Diver certification counts towards a single specialty rating to achieve theSDI Advanced Diver Development program.

Sidemount Diver minimum requirements:

• Perform all land drills and open-water dive requirements safely and efficiently
• Demonstrate mature, sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution
• Log all dives

Next steps:

This course prepares you to take your cavern/cave training in sidemount configuration.

Cancellation policy

A 50% deposit is required for bookings. In case of cancellations deposit is non-refundable, but can be used as credit for rescheduled courses / guided diving.