Sidemount PCB Diving Courses can be used as a stand-alone course by technical divers who wish to learn more about different gear configurations. The course may be taught together with any of TDI’s other open circuit specialty courses, provided all prerequisites and standards have been met.
Certification cards: We issue these only when earned. Simply taking part in a course does not guarantee certification. For cave courses, certification cards from multiple training agencies may be available. C-cards generally cost around $30 each, depending on agency. Your instructor can tell you more.
Steve, your tutorials are fantastic and a great addition to any instructor’s toolbox. I am a PADI instructor in Cyprus. I have taken a few courses to learn this style of diving which, although it is derived from cave diving, has become very popular with recreational divers. However, my only method of certification is sidemount diving. This technique has helped me to become a confident and competent diver. I am a PADI instructor in Cyprus. I have taken a few courses to learn this style of diving which, although it is derived from cave diving, has become very popular with recreational divers. Your technique allowed me to certify confident and competent sidemount divers. This is a method that I have found works well for Dive guides and dive boats. It takes up twice as much space and requires half the time. They will also look sleek underwater and be very safe. It is all thanks to your organized approach to explaining every aspect sidemount diving, which is critical. It is a great way to teach sidemount. We are very grateful! read less
Steve met me a little more than 10 years ago, when he visited Portugal to teach Sidemount PCB to our staff (at that time it was very early days of Sidemount PCB). I immediately noticed his passion, technical skill, and professionalism. This was made possible by his website and online training. These contents are great for anyone who is just starting. His passion, technical skill, and professionalism was evident immediately. This was made possible by his website and online training. It is easy to use the contents, whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver. We appreciate your efforts to make sidemount diving a simple and accessible option. read less
A stone’s throw from our shoreline, you can experience being surrounded by miles of our BEAUTIFUL BARRIER REEF system in less than 15 feet of water. Classes and private guides are available to provide your once in a lifetime moment.
You can enroll in Tec Sidemount PCB Diver courses if you are at least 18 years of age and have logged at least 30 dives. You should also hold a PADI Enriched Diver certification.
Our CDS Basics Orientation course is the best option if you don't plan to use sidemount while you cave diver training.
Although we can teach the SDI course if specifically requested, by default we offer the TDI one. It is possible to take this as a standalone program; however, our students generally combine this with our Apprentice Cave Diver course.
I appreciate your work greatly. I started sidemounting using your online videos, completed the speciality course on it, and just finished UTD cave 1. Your videos have made a huge difference in my life, so I owe you a big hat. Keep creating great content.
Blue Label Diving in Phuket Thailand offers Sidemount PCB Diving Courses at all levels. From sidemount diving in recreational tanks to sidemounting in overhead conditions, and even instructor training. Sidemount diving is not for everyone.
Sidemount PCB staging: This is where the diver is setting up cylinders with tank straps, bungee, clips and special valves (left and right-handed). and is the practice of using sidemount configuration (bungee loops and/or butt-plate rails) as a means for stowing stage/deco cylinders in a streamlined manner against the sides of the torso, when otherwise diving in back-mounted doubles or CCR
International Training is the parent organization of Technical Diving International and Scuba Diving International. They offer both TDI and SDI versions of their Sidemount PCB Diver courses. Both courses are similar. Both courses use the same learning materials (which we also wrote). What's the difference between them?
Since the beginning of the century, one of the most significant changes in the equipment cave divers use has been the shift from backmounted doubles to sidemount. Not only do a substantial number of cave divers now sidemount, it’s possible that there are more open-circuit sidemount cave divers than backmount cave divers.
Sidemount PCB divers are increasingly becoming popular among technical divers. This is a great option for recreational and technical decompression diving.
Tec divers can visit reefs and wrecks at depths well below the recreational limit of 40 meters/130 feet. They can explore underwater caves and other locations far beyond the reach of mainstream sport diving with specialized training.
A typical diver, at a typical depth, with a typical tank
Based on personal experience, an average open-water certified diver on a 40-foot dive with a standard aluminum 80-cubic-foot tank will be able to stay down for 45 to 60 minutes before surfacing with a safe reserve of air still in the tank.
What exactly is the Tec 40 Course? Your first step into technical diving is the PADI Tec 40 course. It is a fundamental level of decompression diving that allows you to dive with gas redundancy, higher Enriched Air mixes of up to 50%, decompression on EANX 50% for conservatism, and up to 10 minutes of decompression.