New Jersey training

[NJDiver18]

Greetings all,

Looking to get into sidemount. Can anybody recommend any good instructors in New Jersey or eastern Pennsylvania around the Bethlehem area. Preferably ones that will take the time to go over equipment set up. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I'll pm you my tech instructors info. Good dude, great diver. He dives mostly sm.

 

[Andy in Gap]

The guy @rob.mwpropane sent you is a great choice. Trace Malinowski has recently gotten back into teaching and would also be a great choice.
Edit: Actually I'm not sure if Trace teaches side mount but I would certainly ask.

 

[acxc]

Kevin Pang with South Jersey Scuba is also a great local resource for sidemount.

 

[Jersey1971]

Kevin and the SJS crew are excellent.

 

[NJDiver18]

Well the great news is all the recommendations appear to be for the same people. So that is very reassuring. I appreciate all the responses and will reach out for contact info of the instructors soon to get going. Waiting on some gear to arrive. Thank you all.

The diving community sure is a great place.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Preferably ones that will take the time to go over equipment set up.

This is a MUST DO. For me S/M gear setup is perhaps the most convoluted part of it. There are so many variations of what works unlike backmount where there are very few configuration differences between good rigs.

 

[tridacna]

I'll pm you my tech instructors info. Good dude, great diver. He dives mostly sm.

Can you make that public?

 

[NJDiver18]

This is a MUST DO. For me S/M gear setup is perhaps the most convoluted part of it. There are so many variations of what works unlike backmount where there are very few configuration differences between good rigs.

Every thread I have read and YouTube video I have watched have all given so much information and my one big takeaway is that no 2 sm divers are the same. While there is an established baseline each diver ends up with their own set up that works for them. I believe in this approach for many things. I just don’t want to make errors on my own with gear setup or the methodology of sm diving that could cause bad habits or be more of a burden than actually functional.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Can you make that public?

He's kind of a private guy, not sure he'd want his info plastered online, but he works with South Jersey Scuba. Just ask to get in touch with Pat.

Or I can PM you his info.

Kevin is also good guy at SJS as mentioned above. I only ever dove with Kevin, never taken classes but I've never seen or heard anything bad. Fun guy to dive with.