Looking for a good sidemount book or two

Oldbear · Sep 14, 2014

It might be a year or so before I can leave Kwajalein to take any sidemount training. We might have one of the other instructors get his sidemount instructor rating...but I am not positive on that one at this time.

So I can better understand the posts and threads in the Sidemount Diving forum does any one have any suggestions for a good book or two on the subject? I would prefer one that has a good mix of theory/text and graphics.

Thanks for any suggestions...

~Oldbear~

DevonDiver · Sep 14, 2014

I have an article on sidemount diving, plus some other materials on my site: Sidemount Diving Course Notes

Jill Heinerth and Brian Kakuk have a good book "Sidemount Profiles" and a video also

PADI have released a single comprehensive manual to support the Sidemount Diver and Tec Sidemount courses earlier this year. I haven't seen that yet, as it's not available in the Philippines until now.

Patoux01 · Sep 14, 2014

What rig do you dive?
Steve martin made very good videos. He mostly focuses on the stealth when it comes to harness setup, but most of the things he says in there are right for any sidemount I guess. As long as you're not going into technical range, there's no real need for a course.

Oh, and I'd chose my instructor carefully. When I see what happens here in Sydney with "sidemount" courses, I have a better setup, trim and tank trim than some of the guys who have followed courses (and i'm roughly 400$ richer than them, but I don't have a fancy SM card). Would rather wait and focus on tirm/finning/buyoancy for a year and then plan a trip where i can train than take a course by some instructor who's been in sidemount for 5 hours.

There's a book by Brian Kakuk, not sure what it's worth. Side mount profiles

mk706 · Sep 14, 2014

The PSAI overhead sidemount book is well written. It follows Edd's class very closely.

http://www.caveadventurers.com/esse...ving-for-the-overhead-environment-manual.html

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Oldbear · Sep 14, 2014

Thanks Andy...I will revisit your site tomorrow. I will also look at PADI's site Monday.

Patoux...I have not invested in a rig yet. Still paying off other new toys. But at some time I will take up sidemount diving. I will look up Steve martin's videos. Are you saying Brian Kakuk's book is just out there or are you indorsing it as a good book for the library?

MK ... for $23 the manual might be a nice read.

Thanks everyone...I greatly appreciate your input and suggestions.

decompression · Sep 14, 2014

Andy is a great resource, also checkout http://www.unifiedteamdiving.com/main for online access, books and DVD's.

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TSandM · Sep 14, 2014

I bought Jill and Brian's book, and I was pretty disappointed, and gave it away (which is very rare for me to do). The book read like an expanded outline of Jill's sidemount curriculum, without the content -- just a description of the structure. The only really useful part of the book to me was the last section, where various people outlined the sidemount setups that they used, and described how they were configured and what they liked about them.

Patoux01 · Sep 14, 2014

For the book, I'm just saying it's out there, never read it. I had read a review going the same way as what TSandM says, and never bothered searching further for books.

For the videos, keep in mind that he assumes you have "all the right gear", cambands, regulators, hoses etc. You won't learn there how to use a regulator that isn't "SM dedicated" (ie 5th port and swivel).

Ken T · Sep 15, 2014

I have the sidemount profiles book and video. As well as one from an instructor in New Brunswick, Canada.

They are all fairly generalized. There being a larger range of sidemount harness systems to choose from.

None of them go into great detail about technique.

I'll mail them out to you if you like.

bada3003 · Sep 19, 2014

Yea, someone gave the book (and video) to me but was disappointed as well. I have high regard for Jill Heinerth as a diver but the book didn't contain much information. But that's what, in part, second and third editions are for.

TSandM:
I bought Jill and Brian's book, and I was pretty disappointed, and gave it away (which is very rare for me to do). The book read like an expanded outline of Jill's sidemount curriculum, without the content -- just a description of the structure. The only really useful part of the book to me was the last section, where various people outlined the sidemount setups that they used, and described how they were configured and what they liked about them.

---------- Post added September 19th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ----------

Forgot to mention. Some web sites such as Rob Neto's (free) contain very useful information about cylinder trimming which is a basic component of SM rigging. I don't think he has a book though.

Looking for a good sidemount book or two

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Oldbear

Teaching Neutral Diving

DevonDiver

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Patoux01

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mk706

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Oldbear

Teaching Neutral Diving

decompression

Instructor...seriously...

TSandM

Missed and loved by many.

Patoux01

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Ken T

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bada3003

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