Steve, Your Sidemount PCB Essentials class in Gozo was a great experience! I doubt that I will ever spend more money on something else. It was so much fun. Your passion and knowledge are truly amazing. You pay attention even to the smallest details, and you always strive to improve them. I love your passion for capturing... moreHi Steve! I thoroughly enjoyed your Sidemount PCB Essentials Course in Gozo! I've never spent more money on anything. It was so much fun. It's amazing to see the dedication and your experience. You pay attention even to the smallest details, and are constantly striving for improvement. I love your passion for capturing all the details, new equipment, and tips. You will be able include them in future videos. Your online training videos, I have to say they are exceptional. They prepare you for all the necessary information during in-water training. And I think this is what makes the steep learning curve so manageable underwater. Steve, I am so grateful for your efforts! Nils, cheers!
Thank you for this wonderful online course. I have had only a handful of experiences with other instructors in my diving 'career'. However, I can honestly state that I have never seen such an informative, detailed and practical explanation about how to become better scuba divers. As I was trying to get my SMB .... photo, my buoyancy control was very poor. This is why I found your online course so helpful. I had only a handful of experiences with other instructors over my scuba diving 'career'. However, I can honestly state that I have never received such practical, useful, and thorough explanations about how I could become a better scuba diver. I had difficulty controlling my buoyancy when I tried to shoot the SMB. My instructor advised me on how to increase my buoyancy. He simply suggested practicing. He seemed to have good buoyancy control. However, he didn’t explain how weighting and breathing are important. Your videos were very eye-opening. And, of course, every single one of my dive buddies didn’t understand why I wanted the sidemount. Even though I am a highly recommended instructor, they still question me about why I would dive sm. What is its purpose? Most cave divers use it. I am glad I chose to sm. It's an entirely new world. It is a different world. Although no one really taught or tested me on SM, there are many times that I dive with friends and they compliment my trim. Your videos helped me learn everything. I learned how to set up my equipment, enter and exit water, and solve any problems. I hope that we can meet and do a training together. I want other divers to improve their skills and be more competent. I'm sure there are many other excellent instructors and divers, but I believe that your contribution is vital and essential to the success of the scuba diving profession. I appreciate your kindness! Regards, Csaba read less
Be aware of what you're paying: All prices include instruction and eLearning. The cost of eLearning by itself can range from $140 to $280. A $640 course purchased from us may cost you the same as $500 purchased from someone else, if you need to pay for elearning separately.
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One of the most important changes in equipment cave divers have made since the start of the century was the switch from sidemount to backmounted doubles. Sidemount is a popular choice for cave divers. It's also possible that sidemount cave divers are more common than backmount cave divers.
Also, the SDI Sidemount PCB Diver certification counts towards a single specialty rating to achieve the SDI Advanced Diver Development program.
Steve, thanks for the section on the online course. I found that I learned more online then I had expected. Your videos are very well made and help me to grasp a lot more quickly than I could from books or other materials. I intend to recite the most important lessons before going on the water course. Regards Rafal
If the course is successfully completed, graduates may participate in sidemount diving activities under supervision as long as they follow these rules:
Steve/Vas, Your instructor series has been amazing. Please allow me to be the first person to state that I agree with everything you said. One can learn SM simply by watching the videos. I was able to sacrifice my learning without the help of SM Essentials Instructor. It took me nearly one year to get good at AL80s. I then read moreSteve/Vas. The instructor series you have created is truly amazing. Let me just say that I agree with everything you have to say. As I have shown, anyone can learn SM from watching videos. I was able to sacrifice my learning curve, but not without the help of SM essentials instructor. It took me almost one full year to get used to AL80s. I completed the tech dive level one year later and informed my tech instructor that I was diving in SM configuration. I had to explain to him that I taught it myself. His response was "you most likely need to take a SM class with me depending upon how I do on dive 1". After my first dive he said, "There is no reason why you should take a class alongside me." Your online training is perfect, but I would go back to Joe Seda if I had to. I plan to continue the course with him in the future. Regards Tony read less
You should not use sidemount in your cave diver training. Our CDS Basics Orientation class is what you need.
Steve, I just discovered the new chapters you've added to your online training courses. These chapters are very nice. They're particularly helpful for searching for parts in videos and reviewing them. I used them from the moment I first saw them. Timo!
This course provides you with the theory, methods, and procedures of planned staged decompression diving while using optimal breathing gas mixtures. Participants will learn how to plan and conduct a standard staged decompression dive to depths not exceeding 130 fsw (40 msw).
Steve came to Portugal in the early days for Sidemount PCB, and I was there to meet him. I was immediately impressed by his enthusiasm, technical skills, and professionalism. With his new website, and online training, this has been elevated to a completely different level. It has so many great contents... read moreI first met Steve in Portugal 10 years ago, when he was visiting to teach Sidemount PCB to his staff. I was immediately impressed by his enthusiasm, technical skills, and professionalism. With his new website, and online training, this has been elevated to a completely different level. This website is perfect for both beginners and experienced divers. Thank you for making sidemount an easy and familiar way to learn to dive. read less
Your videos are great! I just finished UTD cave 1 and started sidemounting. Your videos were a huge help. Keep the great content coming
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.
2-3 hours
Even with small cylinders, you can usually dive for 2-3 hours (rebreathers typically have two 2/3l cylinders or one 3/5l cylinder).
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.