Sidemount diving in North East waters?

[Krg9011]

Hello all. New member and it is my first post. I have 200 dives so far. Almost all in the Carribean. (10 off NY coast (13 years ago.))
Very comfortable in the water. I mostly dive without wetsuit with 3kg/7Lbs weight.
My November trip in DR I saw quite a few diving sidemount configuration (mostly certification dives.)
I am interested in taking a sidemount class. I understand all pro and cons of sidemount.
Also, I would like to start boat diving again in NY/NJ area.
My question:
Do people dive sidemount here?
If so, are there difficulties getting on/off the boat?
I am also not sure sidemount is usefull in the resort area diving, as you are/bottom time always limited by your instructor/group.
Basically, before I spend money on certification/new gear, I would like to know if sidemount makes sense int these waters.
Thanks.

 

[oly5050user]

Hello all. New member and it is my first post. I have 200 dives so far. Almost all in the Carribean. (10 off NY coast (13 years ago.))
Very comfortable in the water. I mostly dive without wetsuit with 3kg/7Lbs weight.
My November trip in DR I saw quite a few diving sidemount configuration (mostly certification dives.)
I am interested in taking a sidemount class. I understand all pro and cons of sidemount.
Also, I would like to start boat diving again in NY/NJ area.
My question:

Do people dive sidemount here?

Yes they do.

If so, are there difficulties getting on/off the boat?

Not usually

I am also not sure sidemount is usefull in the resort area diving, as you are/bottom time always limited by your instructor/group.

Depends where you are and the boat/resort operators policy.A place like Buddy dive on Bonaire there is no problem with it.

Basically, before I spend money on certification/new gear, I would like to know if sidemount makes sense int these waters.

Maybe..depends on what you want to use it for. We teach a sidemount class here in NY, located in Yonkers just outside the city.
Thanks.

 

[Krg9011]

All right. Pretty quick response.
I will take the class in Yonkers.
Thank you.

 

[oly5050user]

All right. Pretty quick response.
I will take the class in Yonkers.
Thank you.

Give the store - Scuba New York- a call at 914 779 2966..John is our sidemount instructor there..we have our own in house heated pool.Available 24/7

 

[victorzamora]

I'm not sure about NE, but you asked about SM in resort area diving? It's not hard to SM a single AL80. It's what I do for all my tropical charters. One my 2-tank charters, I normally dive both tanks twice. As for SM instructor, a good instructor is CRUCIAL. Most SM instructors have a few dives and have taken a course that lasted a few hours. You may want to contact Steve Lewis (Doppler on the forum) for advice. He's a well-known SM instructor not far from you (I don't think, but the whole North East is mushed together in my Southern-bred head).

 

[ffdiver]

Sidemount is definitely becoming more and more popular up here, not as quickly as in a lot of other areas. There are a bunch of new instructors and programs popping up too. If you have any questions you can shoot me a pm too and I'll help you get squared away.

 

[Doppler]

Thanks for the endorsement, Victor.

I teach SM (it's the only open-circuit stuff I do). In the winter, I tend to run classes in the south or overseas, and start "local" diving in the spring... when students have an easier time putting in the hours to get things squared away.

I will be running a couple of one-day pool and classroom workshops in the winter... but not that close to NY City. Nearest to the OP would likely be Dutch Springs, which is an excellent training venue, but not until the weather warms up a little.

I don't have a shop but have taught as an independent IT for technical programs for a while... and although SM is flexible enough to be useful in much more than the context of just technical, I've found that a background in technical applications (specifically cave and technical wreck) makes for a well-rounded program... even for those punters who really just want to stay shallow and warm.

 

[AfterDark]

I don't know about NY, NJ but here in RI where I'm an active diver, I've yet to see a SM diver. Our LDS had a SM day with a Rep one Sunday last summer counting me 4 people showed up. I wasn't overly impressed with the SM experience. There are definite advantages to SM and its understandable why people like it; but for me, I can't find enough reasons to spend money on a SM rig having just bought a B/P wing 3 years ago. When purchasing it, it was with the thought it was probably going to be the last BC device I'll ever buy, that hasn't changed.

 

[victorzamora]

Thanks for the endorsement, Victor.

I know an endorsement from me doesn't mean much, but as long as you keep teaching good classes I'll be happy to keep pointing people your way. As for your teaching schedule, not teaching locally until the Spring, let me just say I truly believe it to be a bigger waste of time to take a class now with a bad/mediocre instructor than to wait a few months and go with a good one. I think it's also a bigger waste of money to pay a bad/mediocre instructor than it is to drive to FL and pay you or another good SM instructor (Edd, for example). Sidemount is one of those things that takes a LOT of time and energy, and you can put in all of that on your own, or you can borrow it from an awesome instructor. Going to a bad one will set you up with bad habits and poor knowledge. It took me as long to unlearn bad habits as it did to relearn good ones.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Not being a smart ass but the BPW being the last bc I'll ever buy comment is so.funny because that's what I said when I bought my first one. Then the second, then the Zeagle Express Tech, then the third BPW, then the Freedom Contour plate, and then the extra wings.

So when I bought my sidemount rig I did it knowing that I was going to buy another one. And will as soon as the HOG SM rigs come in. I did my sidemount class with Steve. Got a few dives in with it, then taught an UW Nav class and SDI wreck class in it. And had a blast. Student had no problem when we did air shares and frankly didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

Plan now is to get enough dives in to get the SDI open water sidemount instructor cert. As well as the Solo Instructor cert. In the meantime I'll.continue to.dive SM and to teach classes in it. It meets all the standards and I want to expose more.students to it.

I have to wonder just how good a job the rep did in demoing the SM unit that no one saw serious benefits in it though.

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