Hi, I am a new diver, with 26 logged dives. I just completed my OW and AOW at a reef monitering program in Belize. My instructor is a tec diver and sidemount diver and I am considering learning sidemount.
When does it make sense to do so? Should I get more backmount dives under my belt or is it good to start early? I will definetly continue open water diving ( rescue diver, divemaster) and am also interested in cave and wreck diving. I am on my way to Tulum to do a day of private cavern dives with ProTec ( shop my instructor trained with ). But I am considering pushing my flight back to undertake some training, either sidemount or a cavern course.
It seems to me that sidemount would be a good option now, I would be able to use it for open water and if i continue onto cave diving. Also, because i don't own a bcd yet, i think it would make sense to train sidemount now and get my harness, if that is what i decide i want to dive instead of buying backmount bcd and then soon after getting into sidemount and having to buy a new expensive harness. I could do Protec's 4 day openwater sidemount course, $230 usd, then a day or two of cavern diving with them. What do you guys think about learning sidemount so early in my diving career, the instructors at ProTec, etc?
---------- Post added May 10th, 2013 at 08:49 PM ----------
Protec just made this offer. Still need to find out details and price but seems like it'd be a lot of fun..
"Give us 4-5 days and you will leave as a
- Nitrox diver
- Essentials
- Open water sidemount
- With a few cavern dives under your belt..."
When does it make sense to do so? Should I get more backmount dives under my belt or is it good to start early? I will definetly continue open water diving ( rescue diver, divemaster) and am also interested in cave and wreck diving. I am on my way to Tulum to do a day of private cavern dives with ProTec ( shop my instructor trained with ). But I am considering pushing my flight back to undertake some training, either sidemount or a cavern course.
It seems to me that sidemount would be a good option now, I would be able to use it for open water and if i continue onto cave diving. Also, because i don't own a bcd yet, i think it would make sense to train sidemount now and get my harness, if that is what i decide i want to dive instead of buying backmount bcd and then soon after getting into sidemount and having to buy a new expensive harness. I could do Protec's 4 day openwater sidemount course, $230 usd, then a day or two of cavern diving with them. What do you guys think about learning sidemount so early in my diving career, the instructors at ProTec, etc?
---------- Post added May 10th, 2013 at 08:49 PM ----------
Protec just made this offer. Still need to find out details and price but seems like it'd be a lot of fun..
"Give us 4-5 days and you will leave as a
- Nitrox diver
- Essentials
- Open water sidemount
- With a few cavern dives under your belt..."