Question for cave instructors

[fixxervi6]

can one take full cave class in a side mount rig? Or does it have to be back mounted doubles.

[RN]

I'm not a cave instructor, but I can tell you it depends on the agency. I believe one agency just changed standards to allow this. Another agency's standards are vague enough that it is allowed. I would guess it also depends on the instructor. I think with the ever growing popularity of sidemount that this will be something that gets changed over the next several years.

[FW]

I can't speak for all agencies, but the NSS-CDS will allow you to take the whole course in sidemount, but the instructor has to be a sidemount instructor. There is a list of instructors, and their specialties on the NSS-CDS website. Contact one, and be sure he/she is willing to do it first.
http://www.nsscds.org/training_new/instructorlist.htm

[Line Squirrel]

But you won't be issued a sidemount card, you'll be issued a full cave diver card. Sidemount is a specialty with many different skills to learn that aren't covered in cavern through full cave.

[fixxervi6]

But you won't be issued a sidemount card, you'll be issued a full cave diver card. Sidemount is a specialty with many different skills to learn that aren't covered in cavern through full cave.

I didn't even realize there was a sidemount card, I know there are classes but didn't realize you could actually get carded for sde mount.

[fixxervi6]

I can't speak for all agencies, but the NSS-CDS will allow you to take the whole course in sidemount, but the instructor has to be a sidemount instructor. There is a list of instructors, and their specialties on the NSS-CDS website. Contact one, and be sure he/she is willing to do it first.
http://www.nsscds.org/training_new/instructorlist.htm

Thanks!

[dgschott]

Can one take a dpv class on CCR without having thier CCR Cave card, or ?

can one take full cave class in a side mount rig? Or does it have to be back mounted doubles.

[sskasser]

I didn't even realize there was a sidemount card, I know there are classes but didn't realize you could actually get carded for sde mount.

Are there caves where you'd have to show a SM card?

[Line Squirrel]

Are there caves where you'd have to show a SM card?

Sorry Shirley, I didn't meant to *edit* your post, hit the wrong button.

Only one I know of and there may be another in the near future [don't ask on a public forum] and even at that they want to know how much sm experience you have.

My point was that there are a lot of valuable skills that are sm specific that aren't taught in any of the cavern through full cave classes

[JDostal]

The sidemount class is actually pretty interesting. I went through the IANTD course down in FL awhile ago (one of the people in our group is an instructor) and there were some fun things that you do. If you are diving sidemount for comfort/because you want to there isn't a huge reason to do it, but if you are doing sidemount caves it is nice to have the practice.