"A specialty that will change the way you dive" Back to Courses - PADI Courses Chart - GSM Courses Chart

Please note: training course is structured around two areas...

1. Building a divers essential skills set.
2. Developing the dive skills and theory needed to become a safe "open water" sidemount diver.

If you have not yet read my page on why sidemount please do so before continuing this page.

Why do this course..?

Benefits for the recreational diver are;

• This course acts as a great "intro to technical diving" course.
• It is an easy way to start diving with more than one cylinder.
• Course stays within the recreational diving limits.
• Only additional sidemounting skills are learn't, so no mask swims and other advanced tec skills are left for further technical courses (see course skills list below).
• Also see benefits to the technical diver as some apply to the recreational diver.

Benefits for the technical diver are;

• Enables access to dive sites that taking a backmounted twinset is either difficult or impossible.
• Your cylinders are put on and taken off in water so no more straining your back and body.
• A system that offers a "true" redundant and independent air source (without carrying additional cylinders).
• Having the cylinders at your side enables betters trim and buoyancy control (than with a twinset).
• Now means easy access to your cylinder valves should a problem arise (fixes the can not reach behind the head problem).
• Same equipment is used during more advanced advanced technical training e.g. "wreck penetration" and cave diving in "restrictions".
• Having this specialty enables you to take further training using sidemount equipment during any PADI TecRec technical courses.

Skills learn't during this course;

• Don and doff their sidemount cylinders whilst in the water.
• Conduct a buoyancy check at the surface.
• Demonstrate equipment matching exercise and dive plan review (prior to descent).
• Donor and receiver to an out of air diver.
• Switch regulators to keep gas balanced in their independent cylinders.
• Neutral buoyancy swimming using various finning techniques (frog, modified flutter and shuffle kick).
• Demonstrate helicopter turn (while maintaining neutral buoyancy).
• Demonstrate static neutral buoyancy for 1 minute.
• Valve shutdowns exercise combined with gas switches (safety drill).
• Demonstrate removal and replacement of all non-life support equipment whilst underwater.
• Demonstrate sidemount cylinder band failure procedures whilst underwater.
• Simulate a regulator free flow and breathe from regulator using (valve fluttering).
• Maintain the correct trim of the sidemount cylinders (especially when buoyant).
• Sidemount bungee failure, replace with spare.
• Demonstrate SMB deployment and maintain a safety stop for 3 minutes.

What will we do..?

Course duration - 3 or 4 days with 1 training dive & 3 open water dives

• Day 1 - Classroom theory, equipment workshop and skills training dive (includes video demonstrations of skills)
• Day 2 - Advanced classroom theory and skills open water dive 1 (no staged skills, just get used to SM equipment)
• Day 3 - Open water dives x2 (various skills from training dive to be repeated during dives)
• Day 4 - Optional based on performance of divers.

Please note: An extra day is recommended if you like either a more relaxed training program or just more time to develop and practice skills, with another day with can easily add in another training dive and an open water dive or more classroom time. All courses are performance based not based on time. On a 3 day schedule you will start at 8am till approx 6pm (9 hours training with 1 hours break), on a 4 day schedule we can do two evenings then two full days or 4 days with a more relaxed time frame 9am till 4pm (7 hours with 1 hour break). The schedule is flexible and can be customised before each course start.

What do I need to start..?

You need to be; PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent rating) and at least 18 years old with 25 logged dives (minimum). Upon completion of course you will receive a distinctive specialty certification called PADI Sidemount Essentials Diver. 

What can I do once certified and what to try next..?