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Seriously. Sidemount is a tool. It can be a tool to get through a restriction, it can be a tool to get weight off the lower back, but don't give me any crap about getting it off the knees, weight is weight as far as the knees are concerned. It can be a tool to allow easier no-mount diving, but it is not the end all-be all to diving.
I've seen 2 threads recently where one diver was told he had to have a card to sidemount dive at a resort in Roatan. Another diver was told that he couldn't take any extended range classes unless he had a sidemount cert. Horse Hockey! Sidemount isn't a certification, it's a diving style. It's a diving style to allow you to do things that back mount doesn't allow for. I've watched wreck divers on the Oriskany dive sidemount and not be able to get through doors because sidemount isn't the proper tool for getting through tall narrow openings. I've watched sidmount divers try to board the boat with their steel 104's on have to shimmey and shake because they don't fit between the rail openings (which are mandated by the Coast Guard). And I keep seeing sidemount divers smash their first stages into the bulkheads of my boat because sidemount may be easier on the back, but it's way harder to balance with on a rocking boat.
So, why the great emphasis on sidemount for tech divers. Sidemount is just another tool for the toolbag. It isn't the only way to dive, and can be downright dangerous in the wrong situation.
I've seen 2 threads recently where one diver was told he had to have a card to sidemount dive at a resort in Roatan. Another diver was told that he couldn't take any extended range classes unless he had a sidemount cert. Horse Hockey! Sidemount isn't a certification, it's a diving style. It's a diving style to allow you to do things that back mount doesn't allow for. I've watched wreck divers on the Oriskany dive sidemount and not be able to get through doors because sidemount isn't the proper tool for getting through tall narrow openings. I've watched sidmount divers try to board the boat with their steel 104's on have to shimmey and shake because they don't fit between the rail openings (which are mandated by the Coast Guard). And I keep seeing sidemount divers smash their first stages into the bulkheads of my boat because sidemount may be easier on the back, but it's way harder to balance with on a rocking boat.
So, why the great emphasis on sidemount for tech divers. Sidemount is just another tool for the toolbag. It isn't the only way to dive, and can be downright dangerous in the wrong situation.