TDI Sidemount

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in sidemount diving activities without direct supervision so long as the following limits are adhered to:

• The diving activities approximate those of training
• The areas of activities approximate those of training
• Planned dives do not exceed diver’s current certification level

What you can expect to learn

What you can expect to learn:

The TDI Sidemount Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more!

• Gas matching procedures to include dissimilar volumes
• Gas management utilizing independent cylinders
• Psychological considerations of technical diving
• Equipment considerations including:
  • Cylinder options
  • Regulator options
  • Buoyancy compensator/harness options
  • Proper weighting
  • Equipment configurations
• Communication (light and hand signals)
• Problem solving in a sidemount configuration
• Diving in tight or confined spaces
• Conservation
• Water entries/exits
• S-drills specific to sidemount diving

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Demonstrate various propulsion techniques such as the frog kick, modified frog kick, modified flutter kick, backwards kick, helicopter turns, and hand pulling if appropriate for the environment.
• Demonstrate adequate buoyancy control; ability to hover at a fixed position in water column without moving hands or feet
• Demonstrate adequate trim; ability to maintain proper position during the descent, bottom, and ascent portion of the dive
• Demonstrate the ability to perform the following exercises while maintaining trim and buoyancy in the water column:
  • Unclipping and attaching sidemount cylinders
  • Perform gas switches with and without a mask
• Demonstrate the ability to safely manage gas in independent cylinders
• Demonstrate conservation, awareness, and back referencing techniques
• Deploy a lift bag
• Carry additional cylinders is optional in this course

Course prerequisites

(these requirements must be met prior to commencement of training):

• Minimum age 18
• Minimum certification of SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, or equivalent