Hello all!! I got certed a year ago, have 17 dives under my belt. And wanted to know what all was involved in getting ready for sidemount diving. I know there’s a class through ssi, but is it just ow to sidemount? Are there prereqs? I’m currently working on saving for a perdix ai so I can monitor 2 tanks (almost there
and I’ve been looking into hog d3 regs and nomad bcd. The whole purpose of sidemount for me is to lengthen bottom time, but mostly to work towards cave diving certs. And I read about the comfort under water. I’m already pretty comfy with a al80 on my back. So sidemount should be awesome
So if anyone knows any classes I should take before sidemount or have any suggestions for gear. I don’t have anyone to ask so I google and read this site. Lol.
in answer to your question about the ssi rec sm course.....yes, you can take this course as an ow diver without any other prerequisites.
as someone said above however, be sure to have solid buoyancy, trim, and propulsion skills before you consider taking the next step.
if you choose to save for a sheawater that is your decision of course, but if it was me, i would save your money (at least for now) and stick to using a basic computer with standard analog pressure gauges.
it is not difficult to learn how to manage using the gauges, and doing so will help build your skill set and familiarity with your rig etc.
as far as the brands of gear......i had hog regs at one time. i loved them. i have also used dive rite, apeks, scuba pro etc. as long as you buy good quality sm regs that you can get serviced in your area you will be fine.
when it comes to the bc, there are a lot of options out there. some are designed for warm water use with allum tanks, some for colder waters with heavy steel tanks. what type of diving will you be doing in the next couple of years?
i have not used a nomad but the current LS and XT models look like they may be best suited for colder water with heavy steel tanks (florida style cave diving for example).
seeing as you are from michigan, if you plan on doing a lot of great lakes diving, this type of rig may be suitable for you.
if it was me, i would try to find a used rig to start. that way if you decide to try others, you can most likely sell the first one for what you paid for it, or at least very close to it.
others may suggest you wait until you know who you will be training with. that way, you can use a rig the instructor is the most familiar with in order to help you get the most out of it.
i have an xdeep stealth. it is well suited for warm and cold water diving and can be used with allum or steel tanks. it also has a great integrated weight system which many other bc's do not.
i have a hollis sms50 for warm water travel and diving single tank sm. it is not the most adjustable bc but it works great for me.
it all depends on your needs. the trouble is that many new divers (whether sm or bm) do not really know yet what their needs will be. thats why many of us end up with so much gear haha.
your reasons for trying sm are your own. whether it is a physical limitation, a desire for a redundant gas supply, wanting to cave dive, or just simply to try something different, i see nothing wrong with what you are trying to do.
but again, as someone said above, sm is not always the best choice for all types of divng. for you, if you will be doing great lakes diving from shore or from a boat using heavy double steels, there is a fairly steep learning curve when it comes to diving sm in those environments. bm doubles or single bm with a pony bottle may be a better choice in this case.
if you choose to train in your area, hopefully your instructor can not only help you dial in your rig and teach you all the basic "in water" skills you need, but also show you the most efficient ways to enter the water, and to don and doff your gear in these situations.
for me, i do not dive sm anymore at home in the great lakes. but i do enjoy diving double allum's in the cenote of mexico, and i much prefer diving single tank allum when ocean diving vs. using a bm bcd.
good luck with whatever you choose to do. dive safe and try to have fun while you are at it.
