TDI’s Sidemount Diver Specialty is a useful stand-alone course for the technical diver who wants to become more skilled and proficient with different gear

Who this TDI course is for:

• The SDI or TDI diver looking to expand their in-water skills and techniques
• The certified diver who has interest in moving forward with technical diving education and expanding their equipment configuration options

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

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

What’s in it for you?

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

TDI Sidemount Diver minimum certification requirements:

• Perform all land drills and dive requirements safely and efficiently
• Demonstrate mature, sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution
• Maintain an appropriate level of awareness and respect for the environment
• Log all training dives