Youngest sidemount diver?

[DevonDiver]

...my instructor does a limited cave / wreck class on sidemount (unique specialty).... he said not to tell his name and/or agency. And I couldn't think of another word to use but legit...

The word "specialty" tends to mean an "agency endorsed" course, written by an individual instructor and approved by their agency.

Given the age limits/prerequisites applied by most, if not all, scuba agencies to existing sidemount and cavern/cave courses, I remain extremely cynical that this is an agency authorized course or certification.

I can't imagine any agency approving a "specialty" course, that deviated from a seeming 'industry consensus' not to take minors into technical/overhead conditions. Neither can I imagine an agency approving a 'specialty' sidemount course, where existing standardized ones already exist (which is true for the three agencies - PADI, IANTD and PSAI - that you mention on your diving bio), especially not where the prerequisite standards are below those that exist for the standardized offering.

If this thread isn't a work of complete fiction, then it seems that these are highly unlikely to be agency sanctioned courses - supplied in the knowledge that the prerequisites for the official/authorized courses would debar you from enrollment. That seems irresponsible on behalf of the instructor. Given that most cave instructors are highly responsible, it leads me to question whether the training provider in question is even certified to teach these subjects...

Being unable to mention that agency sanctioning these courses also tends to underline those suspicions. Agencies, or the instructors representing them, don't tend to have much need for secrecy. On the other hand, dubious, unsanctioned activities do tend to need to be kept quiet and out of the public realm.

For the record:

Definition: Legit - an abbreviation of 'legitimate'

Definition: Legitimate -

1. Being in compliance with the law; lawful: a legitimate business.
2. Being in accordance with established or accepted patterns and standards: legitimate advertising practices.
3. Based on logical reasoning; reasonable: a legitimate solution to the problem.
4. Authentic; genuine: a legitimate complaint.

So, no, using the word 'legit' seems likely to be very erroneous in this context.

Not so bothered about miflex HP hoses, but would love to know how your instructor configured his stetson, spurs and chaps...

 

[AaronRiot]

That's why I got the waiver from the Pres. Of the agency.

Why the secrecy if the president of this agency personally signed you off?

 

[Youngest sidemount di]

I will look into it as he said it may take a while to get my c card and he didn't have any slides or a book that I need to read like my Ow & AOW. I have the cavern / wreck cert from IANTD. I just listed random agencies on my bio as the rest of it. As for legit I couldnt think of another word at 2:30 in the morning. Thank you for clearing up the specialties for me I didnt know the exact wording but it is a course only my instructor does. Thank you for your thoughts

---------- Post Merged at 12:44 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:42 AM ----------

Why the secrecy if the president of this agency personally signed you off?

Because he usually doesn't usually grant people a waiver for this certain course

 

[lamont]

If your instructor doesn't want you to state his name or agency then he is most likely doing something wrong like violating his agency's own standards. I would think long and hard before putting myself into a class with an instructor that asks his name and agency not be shared.

He may also realize that the kid is simply about to get a lesson on internet arguments and dealing with grumpy old farts.

Probably be good to be able to wipe the slate clean in a few years and start over again with more added maturity.

I just use my real name now, but I started out when I was 14 on BBSes and used a pseudonym.

 

[Youngest sidemount di]

I need to go to sleep but, if anyone wants to ask any questions give me any advice or tell me that I'm too young and that you don't think that it's possible for me to dive sidemount, then pm me ill be diving tommorow between 10-2 central time but from 2-10 I'll check in around every 30 mins but the next 10 days after that I'll be on a dive trip

 

[nimoh]

your profile also lists you as an experienced diver with 10+ years of experience.

is the agency about to certify you in cave diving at 13 years of age the same agency that certified you as an open water diver at 3 years of age?

 

[lamont]

learning sidemount in OW is fine, i guess, but i seriously hope that the president of the agency isn't giving you any waivers for overhead training until you're at least old enough to drive...

and the defensiveness, immaturity and egocentrism that you are clearly displaying on all your posts is making everyone seriously question the wisdom of anyone giving you a waiver to dive (and really it shouldn't matter what your calendar age is -- i'd be cautious about diving with anyone acting like you, especially if they were 50+ and going on 13...).

or else you're just a troll (and i'm waiting for my cellphone to take a backup so i can flash it with a new ROM, so i've got nothing better to do right now...)

 

[DA Aquamaster]

If you have an instructor who is treating a "limited" cave and wreck side mount course, you need to run away very fast.

And if he also does not want you to mention his name or agency, it's just another one of nature's danger signs.

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Miflex hoses have some issues in side mount. One of them is simply the fact hey stay limp under pressure, So whether you route them back down the tank or angle them up across your chest, they just don't work as they will hang away from the tank or away from your chest.

In terms of failures, miflex boxes were failing right at the crimp mostly due to the hose being bent back over the edge of the crimp. This was a particular problem in the short 6" hoses where the bends were often tight in stage applications where the SPG was bent back and tied to the first stage.

Miflex has however added little rubber hose boots to each end and that will probably result the problem. However is also means a 6" hose does not bend around far enough any more, so they need an 8" or 9" hose for diver who might want to tie the SPG back to the first stage on a backmount stage reg. For a side mount diver, it works a lot better to just run the SPG back down the stage and then flex it forward when you need to read it.

In terms of reliability, they are probably no worse than rubber hoses but tend to fail suddenly, while for the most part, rubber hoses give you some warning they are about to fail with either some air stone type bubbling effects or weather checking of the cover well in advance of the failure.

However on my last cave trip I had both SPG hoses fail on my side mount regs and they more or less violated those rules. Both failed on pressurization at the pre-dive gear check phase. One hose had a weather checked cover that I had noticed earlier in the week and it was on the list to get replaced, but failed much quicker than I anticipated. The other was showing no indications of wear at all and failed when prepping for the very next dive. Both had done time as back mount stage reg SPG hoses in the distant past, but about a year ago I went to 6" hoses rather than 9" for my side mount regs and swapped the hoses with a couple I had used 3-4 years ago on on back mount stage regs, so they were both old and abused for a portion of their lives.

 

[NE_SSI_Diver]

I too am a Junior diver (just turned 14) and I have received and invaluable amount of experience from the older, more experienced divers at my LDS. I would not have improved as much as I have in one year without all of their help. I will also note that I was never given crap for being a young diver. In fact, I was embraced when I started diving locally and now have a nickname. The majority of the staff know me by name and my LDS is my second home.

If any of you have taken notice he has changed is profile overnight. Yesterday it said he had been certified for under a year and had between about 50 doves. However, he considered himself a technical diver... Any agency should not certify a junior diver in sidemount, and cavern/wreck diving. Plus, I imagine there is a minimum depth that needs to be achieved on a dive in order for in order for it to be considered 'technical.' And it is to my understanding that a Junior diver should not exceed 60 feet, but I may be wrong. I'm not saying that follow this rule strictly, but I have not done more than a handful of dives beneath this depth.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I too am a Junior diver (just turned 14) and I have received and invaluable amount of experience from the older, more experienced divers at my LDS. I would not have improved as much as I have in one year with all of their help. I will also note that I was never given crap for being a young diver. In fact, I was embraced when I started diving locally and now have a nickname. The majority of the staff know me by name and my LDS is my second home.

If any of you have taken notice he has changed is profile overnight. Yesterday it said he had been certified for under a year and had between about 50 doves. However, he considered himself a technical diver... Any agency should not certify a junior diver in sidemount, and cavern/wreck diving. Plus, I imagine there is a minimum depth that needs to be achieved on a dive in order for in order for it to be considered 'technical.' And it is to my understanding that a Junior diver should not exceed 60 feet, but I may be wrong. I'm not saying that follow this rule strictly, but I have not done more than a handful of dives beneath this depth.

You express a degree of reasonableness and maturity for your age that would not make me question the wisdom of diving with you.