Recreational Sidemount Diver Program in Denver

Why take this course?

No longer a tool used only by cave diving explorers to squeeze through tiny restrictions, sidemount diving offers benefits and freedom to all divers alike!

With sidemount diving, the cylinders move from your back to your side. Transportation of cylinders topside is then much easier, which may be donned before or after entering the water, eliminating problems of carrying heavy loads in or out. Redundant gas supply increases bottom time and adds an extra level of safety to the dive, essentially doubling your dive time. Sidemount diving provides added stability with the cylinders on the side of the body, and it is an alternative way to streamline in the water, easier to “trim out,” and the diver has the ability to monitor all their equipment because it’s right in front of you. Additionally, sidemount is a great configuration for traveling divers, as the gear is often capable of fitting into a small backpack!

Use of a single sidemounted cylinder is also an option, which offers all of the advantages of easier transportation of cylinders, the ability to enter the water without having to carry a heavy cylinder, and equipment monitoring. Or, a diver could use two smaller cylinders for the advantages of increased bottom time, redundant gas supplies, and added trim and stability.
With a properly rigged sidemount system, your center of gravity is changed, and your cylinders almost feel as though they are not even there!

If you have plans to take your sidemount diving even further into technical decompression diving, overhead environments, or places where a twinset in not suitable, A-1 Scuba also offers Extended Range Sidemount, allowing you to carry up to six total cylinders at a time.

What You’ll Learn

Benefits of sidemount diving
How to properly assemble and configure sidemount equipment
Trim your weight system and gear to be perfectly balanced in the water
Dive planning and gas management skills, including gas switching
Options for entering and exiting the water with and without cylinders
Problem management in a sidemount configuration

Prerequisites

Must be Open Water Diver, or higher
Be at least 16 years of age
Complete XR Foundations recreational pass (single tank +/- 30 degrees)
IMPORTANT – When completing the Diver Medical/Participant Questionnaire If there is a YES response to questions 3, 5, or 10 on page 1 of the Diver Medical form or to ANY of the questions on page 2, the participant will need to sign and date the Participant’s Signature on page 1 AND take all three pages of the Participant Questionnaire to their physician for a medical evaluation. Their medical professional must approve, date, and sign page three, the Medical Examiner’s Evaluation Form, and include their medical credentials MD, DO, NP, RN, PA, etc., with their signature.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE PARTICIPANT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER THE WATER, FOR EITHER PROGRAM, UNTIL THE PROPER DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, SIGNED, AND REVIEWED FOR ACCURACY BY YOUR INSTRUCTOR.

Required Materials

Recreational Sidemount digital kit
Standard Scuba Equipment (Mask, fins, exposure suit)
Sidemount BCD (may be rented from A-1 Scuba)
Sidemount regulator set (may be rented from A-1 Scuba)

What’s Included

SSI online digital manual
Academics and Exam
(1) Classroom Session
(1) Pool Session
(3) Open Water Certification Dives
Sidemount DIN tanks with rigging for the course duration
One complimentary pool practice
Digital certification card

Course Fee $550

If you are already a Recreational Sidemount Diver and you wish to upgrade to Extended Range Sidemount Diver, the course fee to upgrade is $200. This can be done either as a stand-alone course or can be integrated with Extended Range courses for an additional fee.

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RECREATIONAL SIDEMOUNT DIVER