Sidemount Certifications Requirements

[CWSWine]

I have dove single sidemount off boats and haven't had a bit of problems. I use a clip on the neck of the tank and clip on the bottom and just clip them both, route the hoses and giant stride. After I'm in the water and adjust the hoses and hookup the bungee. Dual tanks are a little harder to deal with, either I just sideways though the door or just hookup one tank and have the crew member hand my other tank down to me. This is using AL80 not steel tanks.

I was a little concerned about back rolling off smaller boats but after doing several times in single and dual tanks it isn't really a problem. The last thing I do before rolling is lean forward and make sure the bottoms of my tanks are handing over the edge of the boat then lean back and roll off the boat.

My last trip down to Playa Car I was told I had to check out dive with DM because I did not have a sidemount cert.

[BertP]

I just received an email from the resort telling me that if i don't have a side mount cert, I can't dive SM. <sigh>

Bert

[CWSWine]

I just received an email from the resort telling me that if i don't have a side mount cert, I can't dive SM. <sigh>

Bert

Lot of these resorts don't understand sidemount and/or think it is for tech diving only. They only enforce some of the Padi certs, it is their boat so they make the rules.

[BertP]

This is getting frustrating, though. I understand their desire to enforce certification but I just went through the entire PADI website and found absolutely nothing on SM. I tried searching for "side mount", "sidemount" and "sm" but got zero hits. I have no problem getting the cert to satisfy the resort's requirements but it sure would be nice if I could find someone who offered the cert.

Bert

[Dive-aholic]

IANTD was the first agency to offer a sidemount class. I've been teaching it for a few years. PADI jumped on board a couple of years ago with the distinctive specialty and made a big push of it. They had several "instructor weekends" in which instructors would learn to sidemount and get their sidemount instructor rating in a 4 day weekend. Other agencies have jumped on that bandwagon and are doing the same thing now. So when choosing an instructor watch out for those.

TDI/SDI just introduced its sidemount program at DEMA. They require either proof of extensive experience in sidemount or an internship to become a sidemount instructor.

You would more than likely be fine to take a sidemount course from an IANTD or TDI instructor. I would be careful with any other agency at this point. I'm not saying all PADI sidemount instructors give bad classes but with the push a couple years ago, you will more likely find one of those than otherwise.

Try a search on IANTD and TDI's websites.

[BertP]

Thanks, Rob. I sent an email to the only SDI/TDI outlet I could find on Roatan but they didn't respond. One PADI outlet (Coconut Tree) did respond and said that they do offer the PADI side mount course. It is too late in the year to do anything like this at home (we're up to our butts in snow) so I was hoping to get it done while on holidays in Roatan.

I also wanted to complete my AN/DP courses but it appears that the PADI equivalent is fairly expensive. We'll seee how it goes.

Bert

[h2ojoe]

Do they require an underwater photography c card to use a camera also?

[Brewone0to]

No, I think those are just a PADI thing.

[beanojones]

IANTD was the first agency to offer a sidemount class. I've been teaching it for a few years. PADI jumped on board a couple of years ago with the distinctive specialty and made a big push of it. They had several "instructor weekends" in which instructors would learn to sidemount and get their sidemount instructor rating in a 4 day weekend. Other agencies have jumped on that bandwagon and are doing the same thing now. So when choosing an instructor watch out for those.

TDI/SDI just introduced its sidemount program at DEMA. They require either proof of extensive experience in sidemount or an internship to become a sidemount instructor.

You would more than likely be fine to take a sidemount course from an IANTD or TDI instructor. I would be careful with any other agency at this point. I'm not saying all PADI sidemount instructors give bad classes but with the push a couple years ago, you will more likely find one of those than otherwise.

Try a search on IANTD and TDI's websites.

Even though I am a PADI sidemount instructor, I agree with what he said, except that I would even be stricter and say IANTD if one is being picky. Both PADI and TDI are eager to get instructors into the field, so the bar is kind of low for getting the instructor rating for them.

Here's the current awareness of sidemount with the PADI instructors around me (who are not SM certified): they think that using stage bottles counts as sidemount experience. Wikipedia even shows a bunch of pictures of slung stage/deco bottles on a diver with dual tanks in BM and labels them as sidemount tanks.

Sidemount - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Note: They are no actual pictures of sidemount confuguration on the Wikipedia Sidemount page.

[DevonDiver]

There are no PADI rules regarding this. In fact, in the PADI standards every course prerequisite I can think of at the moment states "or equivalent". 18 months of experience diving that configuration should be more than equivalent. Contact PADI - 1-800-729-7234 - and ask them about this. I'm sure you will get a completely different response. I'd also ask them for an e-mail clarifying this so you can forward it to the dive center.

I think it may (if enforced) be a misinterpretation of the following PADI IRRA membership standard:

Regarding recreational scuba diving/snorkeling activities:

17. Require proof of recreational scuba certification by all divers participating in non-instructional recreational scuba dives.

I'd interpret 'recreational scuba certification' as entry-level. I don't see any agency requirement beyond that, other than to adhere to the principle of safe diving practices; "dive within the limits of your training and experience". Note: it says "and", not "or".