A stone’s throw from our shoreline, you can experience being surrounded by miles of our BEAUTIFUL BARRIER REEF system in less than 15 feet of water. Classes and private guides are available to provide your once in a lifetime moment.
Sidemount PCB Stage: This is the place where the diver sets up cylinders by attaching tank straps or bungee to clips and using special valves (left- and/or right-handed). Sidemount configuration: This is the practice of using bungee loops/or buttplate rails as a way to store stage/decocylinders in an organized manner against your sides, while diving in back-mounted doubles/CCR.
I have never tried sidemount before but from studying his online video training, I knew that Steve was the perfect man to teach me and be confident about it. ...And I wasn't wrong! It was truly a life experience week!!! The Sidemount PCB Essentials course has far exceeded my expectations. Steve is a great teacher, has a lot of patience and puts a lot of time... read moreI have never tried sidemount before but from studying his online video training, I knew that Steve was the perfect man to teach me and be confident about it. ...And I wasn't wrong! It was truly a life experience week!!! The Sidemount PCB Essentials course has far exceeded my expectations. Steve is a great teacher, has a lot of patience and puts a lot of time and effort in everything he does with his students. Everything is planned and worked with great detail. I found it a memorable and a rewarding experience. The Sidemount PCB Essentials Course transformed my diving. My awareness and skills level under water raised where I never expected in such a short period of time. Everything is in the right place... the harness set up, the weight amount and position, the cylinder trim and your balance in the water. This makes you feel very relaxed, confident and experience the true sidemount set up... and no back pain!!! ?? The course was very demanding yet very enjoyable. Every day starts with a theoretical and planning session and ends with a video review about our drills in the water where everything is discussed in great detail. We drained our cylinders every time we went into the water and that's why our learning curve is so high! Everything was done in a relaxed and secure atmosphere yet with extraordinary professionalism. Don't think twice about taking this course with Steve. If you are truly engaged in Sidemount PCB and want to be a great diver, Steve will help you to achieve more than you ever expected! read less
Steve met me a little more than 10 years ago, when he visited Portugal to teach Sidemount PCB to our staff (at that time it was very early days of Sidemount PCB). I immediately noticed his passion, technical skill, and professionalism. This has all changed with the launch of his website and online training. The contents are so extensive... read on Steve met me a little more than 10 years back when he visited Portugal to teach Sidemount PCB. (At the time, it was early days of Sidemount PCB). His passion, technical skill, and professionalism was evident immediately. This was made possible by his website and online training. It is easy to use the contents, whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver. We appreciate your efforts to make sidemount diving a simple and accessible option. read less
Hi Steve, I really enjoyed your Sidemount PCB Essentials course in Gozo! Have probably never spend my money on anything better. It made so much fun and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Seeing your dedication and experience is simply amazing. You pay attention to the smallest details and you are always striving to improve things even further. I also... read moreHi Steve, I really enjoyed your Sidemount PCB Essentials course in Gozo! Have probably never spend my money on anything better. It made so much fun and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Seeing your dedication and experience is simply amazing. You pay attention to the smallest details and you are always striving to improve things even further. I also love your enthusiasm to capture all those details, new equipment, new methods, hints etc. with the camera to be able to include them in upcoming videos to the benefit of everyone. Speaking of your online training videos I must say that they are a class of its own. They definitely get you well-prepared for the things you need to know during the in-water training and I think that exactly this concept is the key to the steep learning curve because the time underwater can be used efficiently. Thank you so much for everything Steve! Cheers, Nils read less
International Training is the parent organization of Technical Diving International and Scuba Diving International. They offer both TDI and SDI versions of their Sidemount PCB Diver courses. Both courses are similar. Both courses use the same learning materials (which we also wrote). What's the difference between them?
It is easy to transport, lightweight, flexible, no steel/allum back plates, easy to adjust, get in and out of water easily, great for disabled divers, divers who have back problems, and female divers who are small but need extra time. You can also carry two cylinders simultaneously, making it safer and more convenient.
Sidemount PCB Diving originated in cave diving's early days. Lamar Hires was the first to make use of multiple tanks in such a compact way that they could reach places that back-mounted divers couldn't. This technique has been gaining popularity and is now one of our fastest-growing areas.
You may be eligible for certifications from other diving organizations - check with your Tec Sidemount PCB Instructor.
Steve, your Sidemount PCB Essentials course was great! I have probably never spent my money on anything more. It was so much fun, and I loved every minute of it. Your dedication and experience are amazing. Your attention to detail is amazing and you always strive to improve the situation. I enjoyed the Sidemount PCB Essentials course at Gozo. I have probably never spent my money on anything more. It was so much fun, and I loved every minute of it. Your dedication and experience are amazing. Your attention to detail is amazing and you're always trying to improve. Your enthusiasm to capture every detail, whether it be new equipment or hints, is what I love. These details can be captured with the camera so that they can be included in future videos. Your online training videos are an excellent resource. These videos will prepare you for in-water training. I believe that this is the key to the steep learning curve. Because you can use your time underwater efficiently, it's possible to be well-prepared. Steve, thank you so much! Nils, Cheers!
Steve, just saw the new chapters to your online course. These are really great. They're especially helpful when you are reviewing videos or searching for specific parts of a movie. As soon as I saw them, I was able to start using them. Timo, cheers!
I just have this enlightening experience with your online course. I had few experiences with other instructors in my scuba 'career', but I can honestly say that I never saw such a useful, deep, and practical explanations about how to become a better scuba diver. When I did my PADI AOW training, I was struggling with buoyancy control as I tried to shoot my SMB.... read moreI just have this enlightening experience with your online course. I had few experiences with other instructors in my scuba 'career', but I can honestly say that I never saw such a useful, deep, and practical explanations about how to become a better scuba diver. When I did my PADI AOW training, I was struggling with buoyancy control as I tried to shoot my SMB. I asked my instructor how to improve my buoyancy. He said just practice. He had a good buoyancy control surely, but didn't explain to me about the importance of proper weighting, breath control, etc. Your videos were eye opener. Not to mention that every one of my dive buddy didn't really understand why I wanted to dive sidemount. Even now highly recommended instructors ask me why I dive sm. What is the use of it? Mostly cave divers do it. I am very happy that I did choose sm. It is a different world. Nobody really taught me or checked how I do SM, but many times I dive with others, they mention how good my trim is. I learned everything from your videos, how to setup my equipment, enter or exit water, or solve problems, etc. I hope we can meet sometimes and can have a training together, because I want to improve and help others to become much better, quality divers. I am sure that there many excellent divers and instructors out there, but I am sure that your contribution to the scuba diving society is huge and very important. Thank you for that! Regards, Csaba read less
Steve was a Portuguese teacher who came to Portugal 10 years ago to teach us Sidemount PCB. His enthusiasm, technical abilities, and professionalism were immediately evident to me. His new website and online training have taken this to a whole new level. These contents are perfect for anyone starting or someone who is... read moreI first met Steve 10 years ago, when he visited Portugal to teach Sidemount PCB to our staff (at that time it was early days of Sidemount PCB). His enthusiasm, technical abilities, and professionalism were immediately evident to me. His new website and online training have taken this to a whole new level. These contents are perfect for beginners, experienced divers, and instructors. Sidemount is now a well-known and simple way to dive. read less
These cards are only issued to those who have earned them. Participating in a course is not a guarantee of certification. Certification cards may be offered by multiple agencies for cave courses. C-cards cost $30 to $30 per card, depending on the agency. Ask your instructor for more information.
You must be a PADI Open Water Diver to enroll in the PADI Advanced Rebreather Diver course, but you must also be a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver to become a PADI Advanced Rebreather Diver. Have at least 30 dives under your belt.
A typical diver, at a typical depth, with a typical tank
Based on personal experience, an average open-water certified diver on a 40-foot dive with a standard aluminum 80-cubic-foot tank will be able to stay down for 45 to 60 minutes before surfacing with a safe reserve of air still in the tank.