My venture into Sidemount.
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I have to add my praise to Rob(Dive-aholic) as an outstanding instructor. This past weekend I took a mixed gas decompression class in sidemount. This was my first class in sidemount and a drysuit. I went through full cave in backmount and a wetsuit.
The drills that Rob put us through were challenging and demonstrated the need to be thoroughly familiar with your sidemount rig and your ability to handle the rig, the situation and the multi-tasking that goes along with any technical diving.
I won't spoil all the fun for someone who may be about to undertake a class but it was quite a confidence boost to be able to handle the skills that we did in OW and then be able to carry them out during our advanced class in an over head environment.
We enjoyed the thrill of donning and doffing our entire rig on the surface, in the cavern and then taking it off, leaving it in the basin, surfacing and then going back down, retrieving it, donning it and then resurfacing.
We also enjoyed no mask, OOA, line contact 100ft to get to your buddy for air, numerous OOA drills on the line, our lights mysteriously going off, some nice OOA single file restrictions and almost my favorite,
buddy breathing an 02 bottle at your 20ft deco stop in OW while deploying a SMB and tracking your dive plan from your slate and not your dive computer.
Now my very favorite one I will keep a secret. You will have to take the class to see what happens at 160ffw.
The drills that Rob put us through were challenging and demonstrated the need to be thoroughly familiar with your sidemount rig and your ability to handle the rig, the situation and the multi-tasking that goes along with any technical diving.
I won't spoil all the fun for someone who may be about to undertake a class but it was quite a confidence boost to be able to handle the skills that we did in OW and then be able to carry them out during our advanced class in an over head environment.
We enjoyed the thrill of donning and doffing our entire rig on the surface, in the cavern and then taking it off, leaving it in the basin, surfacing and then going back down, retrieving it, donning it and then resurfacing.
We also enjoyed no mask, OOA, line contact 100ft to get to your buddy for air, numerous OOA drills on the line, our lights mysteriously going off, some nice OOA single file restrictions and almost my favorite,
buddy breathing an 02 bottle at your 20ft deco stop in OW while deploying a SMB and tracking your dive plan from your slate and not your dive computer. Now my very favorite one I will keep a secret. You will have to take the class to see what happens at 160ffw.
Excellent, Denise! 
I have to add kudos for Rob, too. Frankly, he showed me what a class should be - high standards, but fun; work, but not stressed.
Also, he looked as excellent as our Fundies instructors, and he held his trim with both his sidemount tanks held in front of him!
Wish I'd had that on video.
I have to add kudos for Rob, too. Frankly, he showed me what a class should be - high standards, but fun; work, but not stressed.
Also, he looked as excellent as our Fundies instructors, and he held his trim with both his sidemount tanks held in front of him!
Wish I'd had that on video.
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I finished full cave October 2009. I had my drysuit but I took the class in my wetsuit because I needed to do the class in what I was familiar with. I started diving the drysuit after my class. I tried sidemount at a free clinic hosted by the owner of Cave Adventurers in Marianna, Edd Sorenson. Edd even let me use his rig. It was love at first try. I bought my own rig and started diving it in January 2010. I have a Dive Rite Nomad Exp. Edd is great with customizing the rig to suit the diver and is very patient with my constant questions and revisions.
And no, I have no intention of going back and forth. The only backmount I will be doing now is single tank ocean diving.
And no, I have no intention of going back and forth. The only backmount I will be doing now is single tank ocean diving.
Excellent, Denise!
I have to add kudos for Rob, too. Frankly, he showed me what a class should be - high standards, but fun; work, but not stressed.
Also, he looked even better than our Fundies instructors, and he held his trim with both his sidemount tanks held in front of him!
Why is this necessary, Jax? You could have complimented Rob without slamming others. Bob is the first to always say he is never in perfect trim 100% of the time.
Don't let your recent Fundies class cloud judgment in the manner which you post.
hitch
Contributor
Excellent, Denise!
I have to add kudos for Rob, too. Frankly, he showed me what a class should be - high standards, but fun; work, but not stressed.
Also, he looked even better than our Fundies instructors, and he held his trim with both his sidemount tanks held in front of him!
It has always been my understanding that trim is a tool. No one is perfect whether sidemount or not. IMO classes are what you make of them. I personally can laugh at my mistakes and learn from them. I find that it makes for a more positive experience for me as well as those around me.
Excellent, Denise!
I have to add kudos for Rob, too. Frankly, he showed me what a class should be - high standards, but fun; work, but not stressed.
Also, he looked as excellent as our Fundies instructors, and he held his trim with both his sidemount tanks held in front of him!
I do not see this comparison as "slamming" anyone. I compared Rob Neto's abilities more favorably with my Fundies class instructors. I watch Rob do everything in perfect trim, manipulating sidemount bottles first from one side, then the other, then both in front. He also mounted a stage bottle behind a sidemount bottle. Everything without varying trim or buoyancy more than a couple of inches.
I do not see anyone slammed here. I am simply more impressed with what Rob showed me. You are thoroughly mistaken if you think I have any judgment 'clouded'.
Kevin Carlisle
Contributor
Sam I dont see her judgement being clouded. Clouded judgement is the ones you normally see from new GUE people and its not what she is showing. Like some classes are fun and you learn a lot as in Robs classes. Some are fun and the people suck after and some lose perspective on why they are even diving because the instructor takes all the fun out of it.
I dont see her doing any bashing, just reinforcing a positive in her dive instructions. If you want biased, come to JB when GUE or the DIR crowd show up. Luckily they dont represent the group as a whole.
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