Sidemount- Specialty or the new normal?

[rddvet]

curious what agency are you finishing Cave 2 thru in sidemount?

I would assume Naui, as Naui allows provisions for instructors to instruct students in "nontraditional" tech setups as long as the instructor is approved to do so, which I hear is not difficult.

[cerich]

Really??? I wasn't aware of that... of course I am a NAUI TECH Course Director. In fact NAUI calls for Cave 1 to be taught in ntec and doubles with a isolator is in the equipment list. Thus you couldn't do it in SM...frankly I wish that had changed in the recent standards change...but it hasn't. Cave 2 calls for equipment in addition to that spelled out on Cave 1.

I would assume Naui, as Naui allows provisions for instructors to instruct students in "nontraditional" tech setups as long as the instructor is approved to do so, which I hear is not difficult.

[MichaelAngelo]

A few years ago before sidemount became the latest open water merit badge, I was diving Jug Hole with my friend Wayne Kinard. As we were setting on the steps some hikers came by and asked what we were doing. Wayne very politely explained to them that "Cave Diving is a highly specialized form of scuba diving requiring advance skills horned thru years of training and practice. And sidemount diving is a highly specialized form of cave diving". I still like that definition, even though sidemount is certainly more popular I don't think it's any less specialized. In the last couple of years I keep hearing in the Great Lakes area more then one newly minted OW sidemount diver telling me that they weren't going into tight places, that it was better trim less drag etc. In my opinion they are lying either to me or to themselves because that is what the sidemount system does and sooner or later you going to take that gear and do what it's designed to do. I should also note that these same "never going in tight places" sidemounters then follow me into the wreck.

[rddvet]

Really??? I wasn't aware of that... of course I am a NAUI TECH Course Director. In fact NAUI calls for Cave 1 to be taught in ntec and doubles with a isolator is in the equipment list. Thus you couldn't do it in SM...frankly I wish that had changed in the recent standards change...but it hasn't. Cave 2 calls for equipment in addition to that spelled out on Cave 1.

Then you'd know better than me. I was told that naui allows instructors to teach students in sm configuration but the instructor has to be allowed by naui to do so. I may have been told wrong or misunderstood. I took naui cave 1 bm. I was told I could take cave2 in sm by more than one naui instructor. If naui says I can't I will get the cert through a different agency because my proficiency and safety is improved in sm configuration.

[Sludge]

I keep hearing in the Great Lakes area more than one newly minted OW sidemount diver telling ... that it was better trim less drag etc. In my opinion they are lying either to me or to themselves

I believe it's been proven it's not less drag.

[MichaelAngelo]

Depends on the diver. For some it is some it isn't. It depends on alot of factors. The point is anyone who says they will never go in a tight space is wrong.

[Jack Hammer]

Depends on the diver. For some it is some it isn't. It depends on alot of factors. The point is anyone who says they will never go in a tight space is wrong.

Feel free to cite instances where your BM dive buddies who've reasoned that if you're less than svelte SM outline can fit through a tight space in a wreck then by reason their relatively thin outline should just "glide" through in BM...Then got themselves pretty much stuck... (also feel free to omit alleged dive buddies names...)...

[phillip1]

tight spaces are cool

[MichaelAngelo]

Feel free to cite instances where your BM dive buddies who've reasoned that if you're less than svelte SM outline can fit through a tight space in a wreck then by reason their relatively thin outline should just "glide" through in BM...Then got themselves pretty much stuck... (also feel free to omit alleged dive buddies names...)...

I don't know what your talking about?

[rddvet]

I don't know what your talking about?

That was clear as mud to me too.