About the TDI Sidemount Dive Course

I did my SSI Divemaster course on Gili Trawangan at Manta Dive and it was the best experience of my South East asian trip. First of all, when starting your SSI Divemaster at Manta Dive, you are not just treated like a customer but you feel like you are one of the crew. As soon as you arrive everyone makes you feel welcome and at home.

One great aspect of doing my Divemaster Training was that Manta Dive introduced the opportunity to do some Technical diving courses, beginning with a TDI Sidemount Course.

For those who don’t know, Sidemount diving is a scuba diving configuration where divers wear their tanks mounted at their sides, rather than on their back like in traditional back-mounted configurations. In sidemount diving, the cylinders are attached alongside the diver's torso, usually below the shoulders and along the hips. This setup offers several advantages, including increased flexibility, streamlined profile, and easier access to valves and equipment. 

Sidemount Course Prerequisites

In order to participate in the TDI Sidemount course you need to be 18 years old and have already done the Open Water Dive Course, however I would also recommend doing the Advanced Dive Course as well.

Starting the Sidemount course

The sidemount course takes 3 days.  The first day is spent mainly in the pool, but you will do 2 dives a day on the second and third day.

The pool session is really important as you get familiarized with the new equipment set-up. As a recreational scuba diver, the sidemount set-up might seem uncomfortable at first, but for me it is actually more comfortable than a single tank.

First, the instructor shows and describes how to set up your equipment and explains the differences and advantages compared to a single tank set up.

The first Sidemount dive in the sea!

Finally! On your second day you are able to take your new sidemount diving set up and try it in the sea. In general, it takes about 1 or 2 dives to get used to this new equipment and become more comfortable as the sidemount gear is really flexible.

After 20-25 minutes of swimming and getting used to this new way of diving you’ll start practicing skills and getting even more confident in the water. Skills like out of air situations, knowing how to feather in case of a free flowing regulator, or changing your tanks’ position to keep an overall good diving position. As you are working on new skills and new diving techniques, the TDI Sidemount Course will help make you a better scuba diver: You keep improving your trim, finning techniques, diving position, buoyancy, shooting SMBs etc.

The last day is for improvement and fun!

In general, by the last day you will feel more confident and find it easier to navigate through the sidemount gear compared to the first day. You will keep repeating skills such as dropping an retrieving a tank and all the skills that have been practiced during the pool session on the first day. Depending on your confidence and skill level the instructor may mix a few skills together at once, this might sound like a lot, but this will help you will gain confidence in your diving skills.

To conclude, the TDI Sidemount Course at Manta Dive Gili Trawangan was an excellent introduction to my future tech diving path and it opened many possibilities for me in terms of diving. When I want to go for a deep dive, I don’t have to rely on one tank anymore.