Having a tank on your back is optional.

Sidemount diving has been around for many years, the technique originated in cave diving where a diver may have to squeeze through restrictions. Despite its roots, sidemount has several benefits in open water!

Streamlining

Sidemount gear is configured to allow the least resistance when moving through the water. The cylinders are tucked close to the shoulders, accessories are stored behind on the lower back so nothing dangles. In caves, this reduced the risk of entanglement, in open water it means very little effort is needed to move through the water.

Ease of entry and exit

In sidemount you have the option of donning and doffing the cylinders in the water, which means you can carry your cylinders to the water in multiple trips instead of a single strenuous march. This is a very nice alternative to a twinset. When boat diving, you can wear your harness for a short boat ride leaving only the cylinder(s) to clip on and go. Then after the dive just pass them easily up to the boat.

Redundancy

The most popular sidemount configuration uses two independent cylinders and regulators. This means that there is always a completely separate air source to switch to in the event of a failure. This can supplement the PADI Self Reliant diver course as a way to minimise the risks of solo diving.

Extra gas supply

Because you usually take two cylinders you will have a large volume of gas to use during the dive. You may choose to make longer dives, no decompression limits permitting. Or end the dive with extra reserve gas for conservatism. If you’re making two dives on a single boat trip, you likely won't have to change cylinders during the surface interval.

Greater stability

In back mount SCUBA, the weight of the cylinder is above the buoyancy of the BCD, the heavy cylinder wants to be at the bottom and the light BCD wants to be at the top. This can cause us to be unstable in the water and feel like we want to roll onto our backs. In sidemount the cylinders are low and the BCD is high meaning we’re stable in almost any position while diving.

We’re proud to offer Discover Sidemount diving lasting 2 hrs where you can experience the feeling of sidemount diving.

You can also become a certified PADI Sidemount diver, where you’ll learn to manage your gas, fine tune your trim, assemble and configure your sidemount gear, and practice a range of entry and exit techniques.