Steve, we are grateful for your support and guidance. Do not hesitate to ask questions and to explore all possibilities. It can make it difficult to progress in safety and increase your diving skills. I have been studying the online lessons for 2 years. I have practiced and honed my muscle memory, but the most important thing is that I never kept my mouth closed when others ask me questions... Read moreThanks Steve for all of your help and Vas. Doing so can hinder your safety and growth. I have been following your online instruction for over two years. I have practiced and trained my muscle memory, but I also never kept my mouth shut when other divers ask. Amazing results as they now see a better path. You were also kind enough to give me suggestions or explanations during my 2 year learning experience. There is always an opportunity for you to ask, teach and discuss. There shouldn't be stupid questions in diving. I'm sure that I will be able to ask another question in the future. Lol
Sidemount has never been something I tried before. However, from watching his online video training, it became clear that Steve was the ideal man to show me how and give me confidence about sidemount. It was an amazing experience, and I didn't regret it! It was truly life-altering! Sidemountpcb Essentials exceeded my expectations. Steve is a great teacher, has patience, and... I was absolutely right! It was truly life-changing! Sidemount PCB Essentials was beyond my expectations. Steve is an excellent teacher. He's patient, hardworking and puts in a lot to every lesson he gives. Everything is planned and done with great attention to detail. It was an unforgettable and enjoyable experience. Sidemount PCB Essentials Course completely transformed my diving. In such a short amount of time, my awareness level and skills were higher than I could have ever imagined. Everything is in place, including the harness setup, the weight amount, position, the cylinder trim, as well as your balance in and out of water. This will make you feel calm, confident, and allow you to experience sidemount setups that are truly comfortable. The course was difficult but enjoyable. Every day started with a planning session. Each day ends with a video review and discussion about the drills we performed in the water. The learning curve is high because we had a tendency to drain our cylinders whenever we were in the water. Everything was done in a relaxed atmosphere, with great professionalism. Steve will make this course easy for you. Steve will help to make you a better diver! read less
Sidemount PCB can provide a number of benefits for any diver, but is especially well suited for cave diving. (It was, after all, cave divers who invented sidemount.) Among these benefits:
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're always trying to improve. Your enthusiasm for capturing... read moreHi Steve! I enjoyed your Sidemount PCB Essentials course at Gozo! I have 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!
You can rent items like primary lights and cylinders, which may be difficult to carry. Please let us know if you need these.
This course will teach you how to set up and operate the equipment that you will use in your training as a cave diver or tech diver. This includes:
Technical Sidemount Scuba Dive Training Manual
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
Sidemount PCB gear configuration offers an alternative to the traditional back mounted scuba cylinder(s) configuration. The NAUI Sidemount PCB Diver course provides you with the skills and knowledge needed to conduct open water dives utilizing this particular gear configuration. Upon successful completion divers will be competent to use sidemount gear configuration in additional training and diving opportunities.
Steve/Vas your instructor series are amazing. I will be the first to admit that you are right in everything you have said. Watching the videos can help anyone learn SM. I had to sacrifice my learning curve and compromise without a SM essentials instructor. It took me almost a year to become proficient with AL80s. I was then able to... read mehrSteve/Vas. Your series of instructors is simply amazing. I am sure you are right. Watching the videos can help anyone learn SM. Without you, my learning curve was compromised/sacrificed. It took me almost a year to become proficient in AL80s. My tech instructor told me that I was doing tech diving in SM configuration. I had to admit that I was a certified instructor. He replied by saying "You most likely will have a SM workshop with us depending on my performance on dive one". After my first dive, he told me that there was no reason not to take a class. Although your online training is great, I would still go to Joe Seda for the class if it were over. I will take his course in the future so that I can be my best. Regards Tony read less
We offer the TDI course as an option, although we can also teach the SDI course if asked. This course can be taken on its own, or with our Apprentice Cave Diver course.
Certification cards: We issue these only when earned. Simply taking part in a course does not guarantee certification. For cave courses, certification cards from multiple training agencies may be available. C-cards generally cost around $30 each, depending on agency. Your instructor can tell you more.
Steve, I just wanted to say thank you for all of the sections in the online course. It was well worth it. I learned so much more online than I realized. Your videos are so clear and easy to understand. I will be reciting the most important lessons prior to the water course. Regards Rafal
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
Sidemount PCB Harness. This is a special Harness that looks like a BCD. It is very lightweight and extremely minimal. The harness comes with several D rings on the shoulder straps, as well as a Butt plate that has sliders or rings.
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.
Tec divers can visit reefs and wrecks at depths well below the recreational limit of 40 meters/130 feet. They can explore underwater caves and other locations far beyond the reach of mainstream sport diving with specialized training.
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.