Sidemount training in San Diego.. any suggestions?

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MLRS13m

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Arizona
Hello everyone, I am looking to get certified in sidemount. Does anyone have any suggestions or input on where I should go or know personally of a competent instructor in San Diego? Thank you for your help!
 
I don't know about San Diego but if you really want a good sidemount instructor, I would suggest some one who is a sidemount cave instructor as well. Some one who dives in a cave with sidemount will know that system inside and out. I would also suggest Steve Martin's training videos at www.sidemounting.com. He goes over a ton of information and breaks everything down into separate categories that covers extremely in depth. He also shows what will happen in the water if you set your gear up in different ways and how your equipment will respond. This alone was well worth it for me. My buddy I go cave diving with is also a sidemount instructor for cave diving that is friends with Steve Martin and teaches his curriculum here in Florida. My instructor friend Joe is excellent and thorough at a reasonable price. He has a full set of extra gear so you could test everything out during the course and learn about the equipment before you buy it. He teaches on the XDEEP system which I also dive and have been extremely happy with. If you're interested in coming to Florida to get certified and learn someone who is more passionate about sidemount than anyone else I've ever met you can send me a PM and I'll get you his contact info. I've also met many other sidemount instructors that are extremely competent as well. I would still recommend coming to Florida to learn from an experienced sidemount cave instructor. It doesn't mean you have to go in the caves but they will know more about the equipment and how to get the most out of it. Just stay away from the sidemount rigs like DiveRite's Nomad system. That thing is huge and was a pain compared to what I'm diving now.
 
Wow, thank you for your response. My goal is to actually do the cave course with Steve Martin, just way too busy right now with school and work. I live in Phoenix and San Diego is only a couple hours drive. I told myself the only way I’ll ever dive in a cave is if I am taught by him haha.
 
I've dove with Steve when he came to visit my buddy. I helped him with some photography and video lessons and he hooked me up with access to his training videos. My buddy that's friends with him will teach the exact same criteria as Steve and I believe is one of the only one who Steve backs to teach his criteria. The difference is Steve is always busy and all over the place while my buddy has a more open schedule and can do a one on one class for you which is much more personalized. Plus I do photography for my friend Joe some times so if you go to him I could get some professional photos of you taking the class. If you go to Steve Martin's website and go to in water training, then scroll to the bottom you'll see my buddy Joe. I've included a link to the web page. just scroll to the bottom and look for training in Gainesville Florida.

In-Water Training | sidemounting.com
 
I would absolutely not want to dive with that manifold. Just one more thing to get in the way and fail. It's not difficult at all to manage both tanks and if you can't do that you shouldn't be diving sidemount or maybe not at all. I'd also be weary about learning from some one who would suggest using it. I would be amazed to see someone in a cave with that isolater valve.
 
I like their manifold. To each their own.
 
I understand the appeal and I was looking at getting one also when I first started sidemount but now I would absolutely not want to use that thing. The only benefit from it would be so that your tanks even out and you can breathe off one regulator during the dive. It's just more points of failure and possible entanglements though. I'm assuming there must be a quick disconnect for your hoses and they aren't fixed connections. Even if you had a quick disconnect it could allow water in the line if you had to connect or disconnect anything.

I want to be able to remove my tank and hand it to my buddy if he needs it rather than sharing air to safety. I also want to be able to tank my tanks off at any time with out anything else making it more difficult. If you did have to switch tanks with someone and there's a quick disconnect then it will allow a small amount of water into the system that will then go through your second stage, which isn't a good thing.

Like I said, the initial thought of it sounded great until I started diving sidemount more. Now I don't even think about switching my regulators to keep things balanced and I just do it naturally and effortlessly.

I agree though, to each there own so if it works for you and you like it then go for it and I'm happy for you. Are you going into caves or wrecks using that manifold or open water?
 
I understand the appeal and I was looking at getting one also when I first started sidemount but now I would absolutely not want to use that thing. The only benefit from it would be so that your tanks even out and you can breathe off one regulator during the dive. It's just more points of failure and possible entanglements though. I'm assuming there must be a quick disconnect for your hoses and they aren't fixed connections. Even if you had a quick disconnect it could allow water in the line if you had to connect or disconnect anything.

I want to be able to remove my tank and hand it to my buddy if he needs it rather than sharing air to safety. I also want to be able to tank my tanks off at any time with out anything else making it more difficult. If you did have to switch tanks with someone and there's a quick disconnect then it will allow a small amount of water into the system that will then go through your second stage, which isn't a good thing.

Like I said, the initial thought of it sounded great until I started diving sidemount more. Now I don't even think about switching my regulators to keep things balanced and I just do it naturally and effortlessly.

I agree though, to each there own so if it works for you and you like it then go for it and I'm happy for you. Are you going into caves or wrecks using that manifold or open water?

I’m neither pro or anti “manifold” as I teach and dive both traditional SM and manifold. But, your info about the system (like many others) is incorrect and could mislead others about it. Heaven forbid false info gets on the interwebs......anyways, dive safe, Cheers.
 

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