AN/DP Instructor with Sidemount Background in Washington State

[MrBlenny]

In February I went to Protec and completed both Sidemount and Intro to Cave, but before I return next January for Full Cave I would like to get through AN/DP. Does anyone here have recommendations for a solid instructor here in Washington State who knows sidemount and can teach at a tech level? I'm PADI/PSAI certified, so GUE probably is a no-go for me as I don't believe they do crossovers without base level retraining.

Thanks in advance!

-Michael

 

[JBFG]

If you feel like making the trip to British Columbia, you can learn from Jay @decompression

 

[formernuke]

GUE requires base level retraining??? First I've heard this so I'm curious.

 

[JBFG]

I’m pretty sure you need a GUE Tec pass to take the GUE Tec course. I don’t think you can just show up and take GUE Tec without their training. And I also think you cannot do the course is sidemount.

 

[MrBlenny]

If you feel like making the trip to British Columbia, you can learn from Jay @decompression

Thanks, I will look him up. Sadly I won't be doing any diving in Canada (or anywhere) until the present pandemic clears up.

 

[MrBlenny]

I’m pretty sure you need a GUE Tec pass to take the GUE Tec course. I don’t think you can just show up and take GUE Tec without their training. And I also think you cannot do the course is sidemount.

Correct,Tech pass is required for advanced training, regrettably. However, I have heard that Fundies can be taken in sidemount now, but I haven't gotten that directly from GUE, so don't quote me on that one.

 

[rjack321]

Correct,Tech pass is required for advanced training, regrettably. However, I have heard that Fundies can be taken in sidemount now, but I haven't gotten that directly from GUE, so don't quote me on that one.

No no no. GUE-F (a tech1 prerequisite) can't be taken in SM. Cave sidemount is only for cave2 divers with 50+ cave 2 level dives.
https://www.gue.com/files/Standards_and_Procedures/GUE-Standards-v9.1.pdf

There are no qualified instructors offering AN/DP in Washington State. Anyone who claims to be able to teach AN/DP in sidemount here is 1) inexperienced and 2) full of bull. Sorry to say an experienced competent SM instructor for AN/DP just doesnt exist here.

There are some options in BC but the border is closed anyway so

 

[rjack321]

GUE requires base level retraining??? First I've heard this so I'm curious.

GUE-F with a tech pass is required before taking tech1 and cave1

 

[ChuckP]

You can always stay an extra week and do AN/DP with them - I'd be willing to bet that doing that will give you a little bit more knowledge base, more time to get familiar with each other. I don't know if this is the right way to think about it or not but the theory, yes a great instructor is important, but the bottle handling and rigging in side mount is way more difficult.

The whole side mount cluster frick - oh how I wish I went over there for base training. Tomorrow starts round four in altering setups with deco bottles in side mount - quarantine time in the pool - round three was good but not good enough if we had problems good.

 

[MrBlenny]

No no no. GUE-F (a tech1 prerequisite) can't be taken in SM. Cave sidemount is only for cave2 divers with 50+ cave 2 level dives.
https://www.gue.com/files/Standards_and_Procedures/GUE-Standards-v9.1.pdf

There are no qualified instructors offering AN/DP in Washington State. Anyone who claims to be able to teach AN/DP in sidemount here is 1) inexperienced and 2) full of bull. Sorry to say an experienced competent SM instructor for AN/DP just doesnt exist here.

There are some options in BC but the border is closed anyway so

Thanks for clarifying on Fundies with SM. I know GUE has been more accepting of SM as of late, and whoever told me that must have been taking it too far...