RAID Sidemount Diver Course

It teaches you how to control your buoyancy resulting in a more streamlined profile that reduces drag while making finning and moving through the water more accessible and more efficient, improving your air consumption.

Attain a greater comfort level as sidemount equipment and harness can be custom fit to each individual, accommodating divers of all shapes and sizes.

Learn how to take advantage of many skills, including learning how to help any divers with any disabilities, as you carry the cylinder(s) separate from your harness to the water. Whilst within the water you would then attach your cylinders, making the entries and exits to dive sites much easier.

Learn safer options in terms of air management as you have easier access to your cylinder valves, first stages, and alternate regulator should a problem arise.

Learning to configure equipment and learn that one harness and BCD do it all. The same sidemount equipment you use can be used for more advanced types of diving i.e wreck, technical and cave diving.

What do I need to start?

All Sidemount kits would be provided for the course if you don’t have your own.

The equipment for twin cylinder course

• Mask, Fins & Suitable Exposure Protection (snorkel optional)
• 2 Single Tanks
• 2 Primary Regulators and 1st Stages
• 2m long regulator hose (recommend Miflex)
• Sidemount Harness & BCD (approved by instructor prior to the course)
• Dive Tables, Depth Guage & Dive Timer (or Dive Computer)
• Dive knife
• Slate with Pencil
• Two Surface Signaling Devices (whistle & SMB or signal mirror)
• Reel & SMB (if required by local regulations)
• Compass
• Multi Pouch Or Pocket
• Redundancy Equipment (spare bungee, double ended bolt snap, cable ties and mouthpiece)

What will I do?

• Various entry techniques with/without cylinders.
• Don and doff the sidemount cylinders whilst in the water.
• Conduct a buoyancy check at the surface.
• S drills and bubble checks.
• Donor and receiver to an out of air diver.
• Switch regulators to keep gas balanced in their independent cylinders
• Neutral buoyancy swimming using various finning techniques and turns.
• Reverse fin kicks.
• Valve roll off drills
• Single and twin partial cylinder removal and swim neutrally buoyant.
• Neutral swim with a single cylinder.
• Simulate a regulator free flow and efficiently breathe from regulator using valve fluttering.
• Maintain the correct trim of the sidemount cylinders (especially when buoyant).
• Sidemount bungee failure, replace with spare.
• Cylinder boltsnap failure.
• Finally … ‘Dive 4’ Scenarios

Course Duration

The course is conducted over one full day of theory, workshop practise and dry skills in the classroom.

Then two days with a minimum of 4 training dives (average 1hr -1.5hr each depending on water temp) followed by practice skill sessions ( ‘Dive 4’ scenarios)

What qualifications do I need?

Go Diving!

The next step is to practice your skills and become comfortable using the equipment and the configurations you have learned.

A lot of divers use this as an intermediate step into learning wreck penetration.

The course itself integrates well with penetrating wrecks and caves and allows you to explore places you have only read and dreamed about.

What about diving deeper or for longer? You already have a safe redundant gas supply. This is perfect for the Deco 40 course. Staging cylinders is an art that requires proper training too if you want all your cylinders to look perfectly streamlined.

Register for FREE at www.diveraid.com

To find out more about this course, just contact us here

Be unafRAID and get started today!