Quote Originally Posted by cerich View Post
So...as I looked thru the thread on cave mentors, I noticed that Sidemount was listed as a specialty.

It is my belief tha SM is really not so much a specialty anymore, it is in fact the standard.

The last two years it's been obvious to anybody that has been diving in cave country that SM has become the most popular method of gear configuration. In the last year virtually all of my potential students have expressed the desire to do the course in SM versus BM.(not a large group but I don't teach for a living anymore)

Now, I am NOT saying that anybody who hasn't had formal training in SM won't benefit from it, they REALLY will...

But should we be considering SM as a specialty?
There are two differences. There is sidemounting and sidemount configuration. Most people who have shifted to sidemounting are basically back mounting but with their tanks on their side-this is sidemount configuration. Sidemounting,or the act of using this configuration in small,restricted situations,really does involve a specialty. A sidemount diver knows how to enter/exit restrictions with partial or complete gear removal,knows how to communicate to their buddy in tight conditions with zero visibility,knows team mechanics in very small cave,capable to self rescue/extrication etc etc. There is really a true knowledge base that comes with using sidemount in small cave,and people who don't understand how to sidemount,but assume a side mount configuration is enough to see themselves through tight conditions,may be putting their lives at risk. We have seen two fatalities from people who got over their head in sidemounting.