Requirements for OW Sidemount Training

[adam0321]

well if you are diving OW off a boat and anything other then a single al the dive master hates you..

[jj1987]

I think that because we've had massive push dives done on BM, there's a standard configuration that works for 99% of back mount dives. It's well tested, there's books that focus on it, and it's easy to meet team members who match up well.

With side mount, I've found it's much harder to find someone who has all the answers up front. It's much more of an adjustment dive by dive, with very little symmetry between various divers. I've also noticed that many SM caves are much more dangerous than the BM caves, and when it comes to complete silt outs, sometimes new divers don't have the experience it takes to see them coming. I know i had 10ft viz at telford on exit and was baffled at how bad it was, and after gaining some experience in places like that, I've learned that 10ft viz is actually really good for a lot of caves.

I think there's a huge value in allowing a diver to learn a skill in a gear configuration that is essentially standard. I know that trying to do things "my own way" convoluted my backmount setup and once I adopted a more standard backmount configuration things became instantly easier and allowed me to focus on diving rather than gear.

By learning BM and SM, you can match what the dive requires, and not have to deal with diving mixed teams.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

...how/where would SM be more beneficial that a single AL tank ??????

Its still a redundant airsource, overhead or not doesn't change that.

It could be the diver has aspirations ot get into technical diving and wanted experience in the configuration previous to class, don't read as diving beyond his current skillset.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

well if you are diving OW off a boat and anything other then a single al the dive master hates you..

If he's open about it, he'll hate my tip too.

[adam0321]

this is why I dont buy into the idea of once I start side mounting I will break up and sell all my BM stuff

[SuPrBuGmAn]

You don't HAVE to sidemount at all, thats the beauty of freedom.

[cavediver256]

Its still a redundant airsource, overhead or not doesn't change that.

It could be the diver has aspirations ot get into technical diving and wanted experience in the configuration previous to class, don't read as diving beyond his current skillset.

Matt I agree it is still a redundant airsource, so is a spareair, so is keeping in OW where the surface is a viable option for a redundant airsource.........we are talking NON-technical diving here.....no cave, no cavern, no deco, no wreck penetration.

My question "how/where would SM be more beneficial than a single AL tank?????" was a question of medical benefit....Personally, if a single AL 80 is whipping someone's ass, maybe trying to dive two of them (in any configuration) is a bad idea.

[NWGratefulDiver]

I am waiting to hear just one good reason for an OW Sidemount course........just one !!!! MSTUEVEN hit the nail on the head !!!!! Task loading, gas management, etc all add to the complexity diving SM. If a student isn't willing to do the dives and put in the required time to gain the appropriate skills, experience and prerequisite courses, then why the hell are they diving anyway??? Just so they can look cool in front of all their friends???? Why would anyone even consider teaching someone with that attitude?????

Now lets get the health issue topic on the table..... I am dying to hear just one good reason for OW SM from a health issue. Give me one example of where taking two tanks to the water is easier than making the trip once with AL tank.

OK now the traveling issue......dive a single tank....if you require more than a single tank, you should already have technical training, and the necessary skills to dive SM.

If you want to dive doubles, in ANY configuration, then get the training.....I would think at a minimum of a Deco Procedures Course and all the courses that precede it.

You appear to be making some assumptions here.

I'm interested in learning sidemount diving for OW. At present I have over 2,600 dives, several hundred in BM doubles (I own two sets of HP119's), am full trimix certified, have done dives down to 240 fsw, penetrated wrecks (certified NAUI wreck penetration), am Full Cave certified, dive regularly in cold, low-vis, often high-current conditions.

I have one good reason for an OW Sidemount course ... because I want to. It's as much about the experience as anything else.

Why should I need to give you ... or anybody else ... any reason other than that.

Why would you assume that just because someone wants to learn Sidemount that are somehow trying to get out of being properly trained ... or that if I want to learn sidemount that I should have to restrict myself to using it in a cave?

Maybe you should get out of the cave every once in a while ... you might discover that there are other environments that people dive in ... and many of those people are every bit as skilled and knowledgeable in their environment as you are in yours ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[adam0321]

in a pure ow enviorment I cant think of one.

[NWGratefulDiver]

well if you are diving OW off a boat and anything other then a single al the dive master hates you..

... in my neck of the pond, when you dive off a boat there IS NO divemaster ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)