Evading the Discomforts of a Sherpa
Throughout your dive training you’ve been told to strap your tank into your BCD and wear it on your back. You’ve seen images of hardcore technical divers wearing doubles on their backs and slinging tanks on their sides. Maybe, you’ve said this is something you’ll never do. You’re happy just heaving that cylinder around like a loaded hiking pack and checking out some fish! Did you know you can dive without the tank on your back and not be a technical diver? The Sidemount Diver course explains in detail why many divers over the years switched to carrying tanks on their sides. Not only does diving sidemount reduce the strain on your back, it makes you more streamlined. And we all know that being more streamlined reduces drag and air consumption!
How Your Sidemount Diver Course Works
Your PADI Sidemount Diver course involves learning how to assemble and properly configure your equipment for sidemount diving. Next, you will learn how to trim your weight and equipment to achieve perfect balance in the water. Then, in one pool session and three open water dives you will practice with a trained Sidemount Instructor. Your Instructor will teach you the correct ways to enter and exit the water in sidemount. Finally, you’ll learn how to switch between second stages on two cylinders for gas management. In the end, you will find you never want to play the Sherpa with your scuba tank again!
But What If I Want To Dive Technical Sidemount?
Tec Sidemount is in addition to your Sidemount Diver course. In Tec Sidemount you will expand on your sidemount skills and learn how to use them in technical diving. You will cover diving with more than two tanks and removing and replacing tanks underwater. You will also learn how to work with gas supply emergencies while diving sidemount. After this class is over you can take all your combined skills and utlize them in your PADI Tec courses.
If you want to dive a little deeper into the world of sidemount diving before you take your course, DAN has a really great article: Sidemount - Not Just For Cave Divers Anymore that can show you some more great benefits of sidemount diving.
