GUE and Sidemount position ?

[Darghu]

Hello.

I would like to know GUE positions about Sidemount diving.
I was looking for some Halcyon products and noticed Halcyon Contour for sidemount diver.

GUE Standards v8 released, I wonder if in future GUE will create a new course / primer / or something about Sidemount diving.

Thanks.

 

[KevinNM]

I think the position stated in Quest some time ago remains current. Which was, paraphrasing: Sidemount is a good tool for certain situations. It's not currently possibly to intelligently standardize sidemount so they won't. If you are at a point where sidemount is needed to do the dives you want to do then you are probably knowledgeable enough to find well qualified instructors to help you learn how to do it safely and effectively, and you should. And if you don't need to be diving sidemount to do the dives you want to do then don't dive sidemount "just because".

 

[Darghu]

Thank you Sir.

Well, everything is about then "to find well qualified instructors" and according to some other divers not many SM instructors are expert.

 

[Jarzi]

And if you don't need to be diving sidemount to do the dives you want to do then don't dive sidemount "just because".

I am curious about why not? Granted, I don't dive sidemount myself but for the life of me I can't figure out why backmounted cylinder would be superior for "normal" dives.

 

[Darghu]

This is a good point.

 

[Patoux01]

I am curious about why not? Granted, I don't dive sidemount myself but for the life of me I can't figure out why backmounted cylinder would be superior for "normal" dives.

Because GUE is about standardization, which is not clearly done in sidemount.


edit: Just so we're clear, that doesn't mean that no GUE diver ever uses sidemount or a rebreather out of the scopes where they are required.

 

[Darghu]

Alright. I do understand, even if GUE is highly standardized, this is between not only GUE divers right ? 'Cause I saw some divers well-geared (surely not full- Halcyon gear) but not recreational at all and compliant with Tec DIR philosophy.

This is why I am asking if going Sidemount can lead to something like ' I'm doing Sidemount but let's not say to any other GUE divers 'cause it's not a standardized gear and not officially in Standards/Training. I have no ideas about it but what's the feeling when a GUE diver do use Sidemount (and/or Soloing) without other GUE divers.

In any other cases which Instructors are expert and DIR compliant in Sidemount training ?
Let's hope there are some talented SM instructors around Europe but I'm totally open for any other country.

 

[Patoux01]

You don't need Halcyon to be "DIR", nor to dive GUE.

If you're gonna be on the GUE-linked expeditions, I doubt you can do them in sidemount if it's not needed, simply because you're causing a hassle in logistics, let alone considering procedures. I'm no expert though.

Outside of their scope, divers are free to dive how they want. If you are GUE tech 2 certified and want to go for a 60m dive on air with a 6l tank, by all means do, they're not the one to blame, and they're not the ones in charge of stopping you (nor recovering your body). In others words, there's no police. The fact you hold a cert from them does not make you a puppet.

No one that I know of in sidemount cares about "DIR", except UTD. That does not mean these instructors are bad, at all.


You seem very confused with what "DIR" is and what GUE is...

 

[Darghu]

Yes I would like a little more infos about what "DIR" is and what "GUE" is.. cause they are all linked to me with higher positions in Standardized gear/gas/training than any other popular worldwide agency (PADI, SDI/TDI, SSI, IANTD)

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

I am curious about why not? Granted, I don't dive sidemount myself but for the life of me I can't figure out why backmounted cylinder would be superior for "normal" dives.

Because side mount is a complete and utter cluster **** for standard open water diving, it is a PITA on boats.