Sidemount instructor recommendations

[ORsolodiver]

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.

Thanks for the specific recommendations. Looks like I need to do a lot more research.

 

[Caveeagle]

I don't know anyone that personally dives the Dive Rite rig so I can't make a recommendation.

I dive a Dive Rite LS, and it's a very nice system. "Out of the box" I got dialed in within just a couple dives.

Thanks for the specific recommendations. Looks like I need to do a lot more research.

I benefit from living very close to the center of most US based cave diving. I see lots of different set ups and dive with buddies using various options. I can tweak my set up and do a test dive three or four times a week if I want to. For most people that is just not possible. That's why the right instructor (and situation) could really help you out.

I have personally witnessed more than one "trained SM" divers show up for cavern/cave training that were an f'ing mess in the water. You are really cheating yourself if you show up for tech training and still haven't got your dive configuration sorted out. *as well as screwing any classmates by requiring disproportionate amount of time from your instructor.

It also might help if you specified type of diving and conditions you expect.

Steel? Aluminum tanks? Both?
Salt or fresh water?
Expect air travel?
Reg type you prefer?
What kind of "tech" are you interested in? Caves, wrecks, deep?

There are some rigs that seem to be highly specialized, and some that are more adaptable.

...this also might help narrow down instructor options..

 

[Johanan]

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.

James Draker and Marissa Eckert are excellent instructors. To put forward a slice of my experience, Garry Dallas undoubtedly is one of the best SM instructors on the planet, and a very pleasand man to do business with. Most of the time he teaches in Europe or Mexico though.

 

[ORsolodiver]

I dive a Dive Rite LS, and it's a very nice system. "Out of the box" I got dialed in within just a couple dives.


I benefit from living very close to the center of most US based cave diving. I see lots of different set ups and dive with buddies using various options. I can tweak my set up and do a test dive three or four times a week if I want to. For most people that is just not possible. That's why the right instructor (and situation) could really help you out.

I have personally witnessed more than one "trained SM" divers show up for cavern/cave training that were an f'ing mess in the water. You are really cheating yourself if you show up for tech training and still haven't got your dive configuration sorted out. *as well as screwing any classmates by requiring disproportionate amount of time from your instructor.

It also might help if you specified type of diving and conditions you expect.

Steel? Aluminum tanks? Both?
Salt or fresh water?
Expect air travel?
Reg type you prefer?
What kind of "tech" are you interested in? Caves, wrecks, deep?

There are some rigs that seem to be highly specialized, and some that are more adaptable.

...this also might help narrow down instructor options..

90% of my diving is going to be in the pnw: cold water, drysuits, steel tanks, and generally terrible viz As far as tech goes right now I'm just looking to go a slight bit deeper and stay down longer. When I get to a point in my life when I can start traveling more I'm really interested in wreck diving.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

90% of my diving is going to be in the pnw: cold water, drysuits, steel tanks, and generally terrible viz As far as tech goes right now I'm just looking to go a slight bit deeper and stay down longer. When I get to a point in my life when I can start traveling more I'm really interested in wreck diving.

If I am not mistaken, a lot (most) of the Vancouver BC sm folks dive aluminum cylinders, whether they are diving in Mexico (most were trained by Natalie Gibb of Under the Jungle), in the open water, or exploring caves on Vancouver Island.

Due to the weight limitations of the Razor for steels (according to a conversation I had with Tom Steiner), I went with the Xdeep Stealth. That is why I recommend John only if you are going to dive the Razor as he knows that system very well.

If you are not going to dive the Razor, then you have to travel, as while there are many sm instructors around here, few are cave trained and none afaik are proficient with different harnesses.

All the good SM divers in the PNW I know travelled for their training.

 

[ORsolodiver]

If I am not mistaken, a lot (most) of the Vancouver BC sm folks dive aluminum cylinders, whether they are diving in Mexico (most were trained by Natalie Gibb of Under the Jungle), in the open water, or exploring caves on Vancouver Island.

Due to the weight limitations of the Razor for steels (according to a conversation I had with Tom Steiner), I went with the Xdeep Stealth. That is why I recommend John only if you are going to dive the Razor as he knows that system very well.

If you are not going to dive the Razor, then you have to travel, as while there are many sm instructors around here, few are cave trained and none afaik are proficient with different harnesses.

All the good SM divers in the PNW I know travelled for their training.

I am really looking at the xdeep. Looks like a very nice rig. How do you like it?

 

[JohnnyC]

I'm not Kosta, but I really like my xDeep and believe it's the best SM system on the market. I say that because with the classic wing it works great for AL80's with a couple stages. It will dive steels with no stages without issue, but steels and stages I think the Tec wing is the way to go.

It travels well, is simple, I find it's the best weight system on the market, it's easy to repair if you need to replace the webbing. I haven't found a situation where it doesn't do well.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I am really looking at the xdeep. Looks like a very nice rig. How do you like it?

I’m still getting it configured though I also have one of my sm regs that I need to work on. All that is on the back burner right now. But I believe it will meet my needs no matter where I dive

 

[joe10540]

Right out of the box I was able to hold perfectly still and not tip forward or backwards and with a few adjustments everything is easily reached. Wish I would have gone that way first. Of course having a person that is familiar with the rig help set it up probably helped a lot.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Right out of the box I was able to hold perfectly still and not tip forward or backwards and with a few adjustments everything is easily reached. Wish I would have gone that way first. Of course having a person that is familiar with the rig help set it up probably helped a lot.

What exposure protection? What Kosta nd of tanks? If steels what bungee thickness and length did you use for the loops?