Sidemount Training

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So looking at the pics in your article okay, nothing was even remotely close to that and the instructors form/trim in the water is perfect. Quite possibly it's just me expecting more. Thanks for the input.

I run two versions of the 'basic' sidemount course. 2-days and 4/5 days. Obviously, you can expect a lot more over 4/5 days (8-10x 90 minute dives) than you could from 2 days (4 dives).

What do you get 'more'? A fully comprehensive equipment workshop... building your (if you bring your own) rig from scratch, looking at different options for configuration, bungees, bands, hoses, routing etc.... Look at customizations and tweaks to 'off-the-shelf' sidemount BCDs. Looking at different rigs and features - for diving steel or aluminum cylinders (British vs American design heritage etc).

In water, there's a lot more fundamentals development... so that goes well beyond 'learning to dive a sidemount BCD'... and much more about 'becoming a very proficient sidemount diver'. We do a lot more drills and skills... developing the capacity to undertake every function, protocol and skill without deviation in trim, buoyancy or degradation to situational awareness. We work on proper communications and develop team diving procotols. We refine ascent and stop techniques. We do precision dive planning, gas management and SAC calculation. Lessons are filmed, reviewed and debriefed on GoPro footage. We work propulsion techniques, including back-kick, frog-kick and helicopter turn. Emergency protocols and equipment familiarity is drilled until fingers bleed.. even using a black-mask to enable a degree of higher finger/hand manipulation. We look at carry lights (primary and back-up), equipment pockets, kit stowage and use, DMSB deployment.

In contrast... a basic 2-day course is really just an introduction.... lots of principles and a 'road map' to your future self-development. A lot more chatter than "10 minutes" theory though... normally a half-day of theory and kit configuration on each day.

It really depends what the student wants to get out of it.... and how much expertise the instructor has to share.
 
Sidemount equipment configuration also tends to be specific to the area where you will be diving. For example, the SMS100 & Armadillo derivatives are fairly specific to N Florida, where divers carry heavy steel tanks that stay clipped to the harness once in the water. Mexican cave diving, especially exploration, is done in a simpler harness (Razor or Stealth) with Aluminum tanks that can be unclipped to negotiate tighter passages.

Divers seem to be more satisfied when getting their instruction from someone who uses one or more sidemount rigs as their primary means of diving and/or exploration. Due to the proliferation of recreational Sidemount diving and instructors, it's more important to do a little research on your instructor before committing to the class, or a particular style of rig.
 
Check out Steve Martin at sidemounting.com. He offers an online set of videos that are unsurpassed in reviewing setup, dive tips, etc. The last video alone (#5 I believe) is in itself 8 hours worth. Definitely more than well worth the cost.
 
I just got into sidemount, and I had an amazing instructor in John Nunes in Vancouver who only dives sidemount and often goes to Mexico to dive caves. Fortunately, I only had to drive 3 hours for a good instructor.

I think a big part of the course was simply getting my trim correct and dealing with my Faber steel tanks getting floaty when close to empty and how to deal with that. We also did the skills that Andy mentioned above, but I did emphasize that the #1 thing I wanted over the 4 dives was to get my trim correct. We spent a lot of time on adjustments underwater. I did develop a feel of when I have reasonable trim and when I don't. While I am taking a break from sidemount to focus on backmounted doubles for my upcoming GUE course, when I do go back to sidemount, I'll be taking more videos of myself. I believe I have a foundation for fixing my own issues and continuing to develop. I can also share those videos and get feedback.

There are so many different harnesses in sidemount, so much different than backmounted singles or doubles. I think a good instructor will have knowledge over many sidemount BCD and/or know how quickly how to make the adjustments to help you become trim.

I encourage people interested in sidemount to seek out a Andy Davis, Steve Bogaerts, Steve Martin, and others like them. My instructor John isn't as famous, but he came recommended to me by a number of really good sidemount divers that I know, and I feel I had a great class.

Though technically now, I could self-certify and teach sidemount, but then my students would have experiences like the OP. I won't teach something that I cannot teach well. I have been asked to teach, but I refer people in Seattle to make the drive up to Vancouver BC and dive with John. Or go on vacation to wherever a top notch instructor is located.
 
I recently did a SM conversion a bit like you; BM doubles guy and I like TDI as an agency. I did the PADI SM course with Art Gardiner. It was outstandingly good. We did 11l alys, 12l steels, wet and dry and included the set up of the harnes (Stealth Tec). Could not have been better. I know everyone says its always down the instructor, we all know it's true. I have dived with Protec and they know a thing or two about SM and are obviously very good on Xdeep Stealth set up. Also Tom Steiner in Malta/Mexico or Greg De Satnick in Tulum Mexico if you are heading that way.
 
I did the PADI Rec Sidemount course in Thailand, one-on-one with my instructor, using one of his Hollis SMS100s. He explained things thoroughly, helped me work out my trim, and got me up to speed with all of the drills and skills; but of course when I returned to the States, I was on my own re-configuring my Transpac for sidemount use, and getting used to my own rig. That took a lot of trial and trimming, because the Transpac/Nomad setup with its ring-bungee system is quite different from the Hollis rig with its loop-bungees, but he'd taught me well enough that I was able to correct my mistakes and make the rig work.

No doubt I'd have gotten a lot more out of the course if I'd taken it with Andy Davis in Subic Bay. From his descriptions on his website, he'd certainly have had me DO more ... maybe I should book some extra training with him, next time I go to the Philippines.
 
My friend did the TDI sidemount course and was thoroughly underwhelmed.
I called my local dive store and asked about training. They told me, if I bought the gear, they would show me how to use it. I told them that I didn't know what to buy because I knew nothing about sidemount, impass.
So, I purchased the PADI sidemount course book, asked a bunch of questions, watched some videos, surfed the net, bought some gear, went to the local pool and did a bunch of drills and then went diving. Seemed to work just fine.
 
Since sidemount hit the mainstream recreational marketing machine, it is common to read complaints of inexperienced sidemount instructors passing on their knowledge, or lack of it.


Sidemount lends itself too highly variable set-ups and tweaks among the different sidemount systems and quick a bit of variability within the same system.


This can be overcome by lots of experimentation on your part to find out what works for you and of course having an experience sidemount instructor familiar with multiple sidemount systems will cut down the learning curve by quite a bit.


I was lucky, because fortunately, here in Calgary one of the sidemount instructors is familiar with multiple sidemount systems and is also full cave certified. So he brings things up another level in his course.


So, the short of it – there are many instructors doing it by the numbers and there are also instructors passing on knowledge and experience. And your experience is not uncommon to any dive course or instruction.

My 2 cents...

Ken, would you mind sharing the instructors name? Now that Aquasport has closed, I need to find a good tec instructor for drysuit and solo courses before I go to Komati for cave school.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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