PADI SideMount

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I agree about having a quality instructor. The problem is either my standards are too high or most instructors standards are not high enough. Rob if your ever in Texas let me know.

What part of Texas? My in-laws are in the DFW area and I'm there at least once a year, sometimes more often.
 
Dive-aholic:6251180:
I agree about having a quality instructor. The problem is either my standards are too high or most instructors standards are not high enough. Rob if your ever in Texas let me know.

What part of Texas? My in-laws are in the DFW area and I'm there at least once a year, sometimes more often.

Im down in Killeen about 3 hours south of Dallas. I do most of my training with a guy in Dallas though so I am up there all the time. If your in the area and want to dive let me know. We could meet up at Clear Springs.
 
There's actually two PADI sidemount (non-tech) courses - the 'distinctive' that was written by Jeff and the new 'standardized' one.

I asked the same question to PADI recently... and they suggested I buy the 'outline' if I want to see what the new course requirements/skills/standards are. Ha ha.. Fook you very much Mr PADI... nice try! As you might guess.. I'm holding out from a decision at the moment... pending seeing the new course outline and deciding if it's better or worse than Jeff's or a distinctive I'd author.

Have you been able to buy the outlines? I want to buy them but they are as yet unavailable last time I checked.
 
I haven't yet. I didn't want to buy them, just to read them. If I can get more info from elsewhere, and decide to apply for the quals, then I'll get the outlines.

Here's what I got from one of the (tec) educational consultants:

Basically there are 2 courses: PADI Sidemount & PADI Tec Sidemount. They are separate applications so if you want to apply for both you’d make 2 applications. The PADI Sidemount can be applied for now using the Speciality Instructor application & entering the course title “PADI Sidemount Diver Speciality Instructor.” This is a standardised speciality so we will shortly have box you can tick but at this point you enter the title on the line I’ve highlighted under Distinctive.

PADI Tec Sidemount will be released in March & you can apply for that then. There is a dedicated application form for this which I’ve attached. I’ll drop you an email when the course is available so you can submit this application.

In terms of the application fee this is 126.50 incl GST. Please see below for the prerequisites for both levels.

The target students for PADI Sidemount diver:

• PADI Sidemount diver is focused on entry level divers which are interested in trying sidemount for the first time. The course dives qualify as an Adventure Dive towards PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

The prerequisites to apply for PADI Sidemount Instructor:

• To qualify to teach the PADI Sidemount Diver course, an individual must be a teaching status PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor or higher. PADI Instructors may apply for the Sidemount Diver Specialty Instructor rating after completing a Specialty Instructor Training course with a PADI Course Director, or by providing proof of experience and applying directly to PADI. Proof of experience requires evidence of training as a sidemount diver and at least 20 dives using a sidemountconfiguration, or proof of 50 dives using sidemount configuration.

The target students for PADI Tec Sidemount diver:

• PADI Tec Sidemount diver is focused on divers who have already received tec training and want to utilise sidemount for a technical application or divers interested in pursuing technical diving and want to use or are interested in using sidemountduring that training. The prerequisite certification for this course is PADI Advanced Open Water diver & 30 logged dives. PADISidemount diver certification can be used as a credit towards initial PADI Tec Sidemount dives at the Instructors discretion however it is not a prerequisite to enrol on the PADI Tec Sidemount course.

The prerequisites to apply directly for PADI Tec Sidemount Instructor are:

1. Be a PADI Tec Instructor (or TecRec Instructor with a higher rating).
2. Be a Tec 50 Diver (or have a qualifying certification from another training organization).
3. Have logged at least 50 technical sidemount dives including 30 with three or more cylinders (two mains and at least one stage/deco cylinder).
4. Be a PADI Tec Sidemount Diver (or have a qualifying certification from another training organization). Proof of significant experience beyond Item 3 may also meet this requirement; contact your PADI Office for more information.

You can teach the TecRec courses in Sidemount provided you hold a Sidemount Instructor qualification. Neither of the above courses are prerequisites for your students although as they are released we’d expect the Tec Sidemount to fit perfectly in with TecRec course preparation.
 
I was wondering if PADI has a training manual and video to go with their sidemount specialty course??:idk:

I have looked on PADI's website but can't seem to find information about it.:idk:

Thanks,

Ron

PADI's tec sidemount course isnt in mass circulation right now. The course they had up till now was just a distinctive speciality but our store has been told within the next month books and videos should come out for there full course. The reason its taking so long is becuase PADI is new to the sidemount world and are doing everything to death becuase they want it to be the best.
 
Personally I think it's a little high actually.

Sidemount should be an initial open water certification option. Which it actually is with PSAI

I took a look at the PADI site and was a little shocked by the low requirements to start sidemount DSAT training.

Be a PADI Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another organization)
Have a minimum of 10 logged dives
Be at least 18 years old
Have a medical statement signed by a physician
 
The recreational sidemount requirement is only 15 years old according to the 2012 instructor manual (page 26).
 
Ok.. got some more details to share...

SM quals.jpg

Recreational Sidemount - 1x Confined/4x Open Water Dives. The first dive only can be completed with single tank, the remainder must be 2 tanks.

Tec Sidemount - Adds 2 stage/deco tanks.
 
Actually if you read through the Rec Sidemount course, the single tank dive is essetially non-functional: Any skill done on the dive must be repeated with two tanks.

So It's 1 CW, 3 OW.

I will teach the single sidemount dive, but only because I am requiring more dives in general. Students are going to be coming to this course with (potentially) no stage handling experience, and no hose wrapping experience, so a dive to work with each of those is going to be part of the course.

My whole goal is to build a general tool kit for the diver: Sidemounting principles make stage/deco bottle handlng simpler for instance, so if a student of mine never does an actual sidemount dive, they will still get valuable experience and training. For instance, I am going to roll some or all of Self-Reliant into this course because properly taught Self-Reliant covers those two areas, and sidemount and self-reliant are parts that fit well together.
 
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