Sidemount instructor recommendations

[ORsolodiver]

Hey,

I'm looking to get into tech diving in the next few months and am currently researching my options and saving up $$$ to make the jump.

I think it is a good idea to at least explore the side mount option to see if it might be a good fit for me. I've had some low back issues in the past. While it isn't a problem for me now, I can see where strapping on and lugging around a heavy set of doubles may be an issue as I get older. I see a few other advantages to sidemount and not an abundance of negatives. Plus, it just looks fun!

Can anyone recommend an instructor here in the pnw so I can try it out and get some initial training? I'm in Portland but have no problem getting up to the Seattle area for training.

Thanks!

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I’m in Seattle. No one here. If you are going to use the Razor, then John Nunes in Vancouver BC

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Honestly I hope to go to Poland to get trained by Tomasz Michura of Sidemount Silesia to get my SM tec training in cold water before I head off to the Philippines for advanced wreck with Andy Davis.

 

[ORsolodiver]

I’m in Seattle. No one here. If you are going to use the Razor, then John Nunes in Vancouver BC

I will look him up. Thanks for the info, it is much appreciated! Good luck on your trip, it sounds awesome!

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I will look him up. Thanks for the info, it is much appreciated! Good luck on your trip, it sounds awesome!

His business name is Deep Into Diving

 

[Caveeagle]

Please seek out an instructor that knows what they are doing. There are some agencies where it doesn't take much to earn the card for SM Istructor.

I know you want to find someone in the NW, but you might at least consider the benefits if traveling. There are quite a few options in N.Fla for instructor to practically live, eat and sleep in sidemount. A day or two here with the right person could save you months of trial and error. Not to mention cost of bad gear choices.

 

[JohnnyC]

I'll second caveeagle and say traveling for training is a solid option.

James Draker or Marissa Eckert are xDeep dealers in N. Fla. and know how to set them up and dive, or go to Protec in Playa del Carmen as well, Patrick Widmann, one of the owners, invented the thing. I dive with Protec anyway so it was an easy choice for me. Same for Steve Bogaerts with the Razor, also in Mexico.

Edd Sorensen for Hollis rigs, he'll do his Edd mods. Although personally I don't think a rig that needs that much modification right out of the box is worth looking at. Even with the mods I don't think it's as good as the xDeep, or even the Razor. I don't know anyone that personally dives the Dive Rite rig so I can't make a recommendation.

 

[ORsolodiver]

Please seek out an instructor that knows what they are doing. There are some agencies where it doesn't take much to earn the card for SM Istructor.

This is what I am finding locally. I have come across a few shops that "teach sidemount" but none of their instructors really actually dive sidemount. Thanks for your suggestion!

 

[toby43]

I recommend Tom Steiner at Gozo Technical Diving in Malta for sidemount tech and cave. In
Mexico in the winter. He is at Tek Dive USA right now if you get a chance to meet him.

 

[joe10540]

I can vouch for Marissa as top shelf instruction. She was very patient and informative while getting me situated and didn’t have the this is the way I do it so this is the only right way approach. She also explained why we were making the adjustments that we were making so that in the future I’ll be able to make appropriate adjustments when they are needed.

Find someone who dives sidemount when they don’t need to but because they like to. Find someone who does the kinds of dives you anticipate making down the road. If you have to travel to Florida or Mexico to find that then I’d say it is a trip worth making.

If you do decide to travel for your class let the board know. You never know who might have a spare room available or know of a great low budget place to crash during your trip.