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Lamar SMTECHDIVER TRAINING COURSE OUTLINE AND PREREQUISITES (Student Copy)

Open-Circuit Sidemount Diver Specialty™
(Taught as a two-day clinic and workshop)

This program is intended as a fun and informative two-day workshop designed to provide the training and experience required to conduct sidemount open-circuit dives in conditions similar to those encountered during training.  Depth limits, gas choices and scope of dives conducted during this workshop will reflect the certification and experience of students.
The objective of this sidemount clinic and workshop is to introduce divers to the basic techniques, equipment requirements, advantages and potential hazards of the standard two-cylinder sidemount equipment configuration. This is the perfect way to for a diver to discover the benefits of SM diving or for an existing SM diver to fine-tune his/her technique.
Graduates from this course will earn an SDI sidemount specialty card. They will also be ready to enroll in a TDI overhead environment or decompression, trimix, advanced trimix course.

Student Pre-Requisites

The student must:

  1. Be certified as a TDI Nitrox Diver or equivalent.
  2. Have a minimum of 40 logged dives
  3. MUST MEET PREREQUISITES FOR ANY TDI COURSE TAUGHT IN COMBINATION WITH THIS SIDEMOUNT SPECIALTY PROGRAM

Structure and Duration

This two-day program consists of three main components: academic, fieldwork, in-water experience.
Day One: classroom portion out of the way, the focus is on hands-on experience rigging, modifying and fitting a standard SM harness system, primary bottles or cylinders and regulators for each participant. Then it’s off to try things out. The first in-water sessions are conducted in shallow conditions such as a quarry or sheltered open water area.  Modifications are made to fine-tune each person’s rig and weighting.
Day Two: Usually consists of an early morning recap of the previous day’s events, tank fills and two “proper” dives with local charters. Most dive sites are wrecks and we will be diving SM from a boat! All in-water exposures will be limited to comply with experience and certifications of participants. Typically, the total in-water time for this workshop is in excess of four hours. The day wraps up with individual progress assessment and “graduation.”

Required Equipment

The following equipment is required for each student (please note that we can supply up to five students with sidemount harnesses from DiveRite, Hollis, and Oxycheq free of charge; however, we are unable to guarantee perfect fit for very large or very small people. Cylinders, valves and some other required equipment can be supplied with prior notice and for a small rental fee.)
Bottom Mix Cylinders (two matching)

    1. Working volume appropriate for planned dives
    2. Length appropriate for size of student
    3. Contents analyzed and labeled according to TDI standards
    4. Preferred that one be fitted with a left-hand DIN valve, the other  with a right-hand DIN valve
    5. Both fitted with neck and adjustable tail bolt snaps (Cam bands or SS clamps)
    6. Appropriate cylinders for decompression gas(es) where appropriate
  1. Regulators
    1. Two Primary High-Performance Regulators (first and second stages matched)
    2. Each first stage fitted with SPG
    3. One second-stage hose to be long enough to facilitate gas sharing at depth with donor and recipient in single file
  2. Sidemount harness and BC (provided free to course participants as stock allows)
    1. BC must provide adequate lift for kit configuration
  3. Redundant depth and timing devices
  4. DSMB (preferred) or liftbag attached to spool or reel loaded with knotted line
    1. Adequate line for maximum planned depth
    2. Minimum 11 kg / 25 lb lift
  5. Minimum of two cutting devices
  6. Primary Light and two backups where appropriate
  7. Exposure suit appropriate for open water conditions
  8. Underwater slate or notebook for communications and ascent schedule

Required Subject Areas

The following topics will be covered during this course:

  1. History of Sidemount Diving
  2. Comparison of Back-mounted Doubles and Sidemount systems and the benefits and deficiencies of each
  3. The Components of the System
    1. Primary Cylinders: volume, mass, buoyancy, balance
    2. Regulators and Hoses: length, function, routing, SPGs
    3. Harness: fit, comfort, attachment points
    4. Buoyancy Compensator: volume, dump/inflation
    5. Weighting Systems: balance, trim
    6. Accessories: primary light, backup lights, liftbag and spools
    7. Assembly, Fit and Comfort: putting it all together
    8. Dealing with additional cylinders: options, methods, protocols

 

  1. Application of and Environments for Sidemount Diving
  2. Sport
      1. Open Water
  3. Technical
      1. Decompression
      2. Cave
      3. Wreck Penetration
  4. Gas Management
  5. Volume Control
      1. Filling/Starting Pressures
      2. Balancing Consumption
      3. Fault Tree Analysis: Cylinders / Regulators / Hoses
      4. Contingency Planning: avoiding OOA
      5. Gas Sharing Techniques
  6. Propulsion Techniques
  7. Fin Strokes
      1. Frog Kick
      2. Flutter Kick
      3. Modified Frog Kick
      4. Modified Flutter Kick
      5. Helicopter Turn
      6. Reverse Kick
  8. Pull and Glide
  9. Scooter
  10. Cylinder Management
    1. Kitting Up
      1. Entry
      2. Exit
  11. In-water
      1. Cylinder Removal
      2. Cylinder Retrieval
      3. Working with Additional Cylinders

DRYLAND DRILLS

  1. Kit Assembly and Trouble Shooting
  2. Demonstrate Correct Pre-Dive Planning
    1. Limits Based on Personal/Team Consumption Rates
    2. Exposure Limits (based on actual oxygen percentage(s) in analyzed mix(es))
    3. Nitrogen management (narcosis and decompression status)
  3. Dry-land Drill for Regulator Switching

PRE-DIVE CHECKS

  1. Use START before every dive
  2. Stress Analysis and Mitigation
  3. Gas Matching Among Buddy Team

IN-WATER SKILLS

  1. Demonstrate Control of Buoyancy (hover, make staged stops)
  2. Demonstrate Appropriate Trim at all times
  3. Demonstrate Situational Awareness of Self, Kit, Team, Environment
  4. Complete Regulator (second stage) Switches Throughout Dive to Balance Gas Consumption
  5. Demonstrate Cylinder Management (partial removal, forward swing, adjustment of bungee, cylinder swop with buddy)
  6. Complete Air-Sharing Swim with Buddy
  7. Complete Air-Sharing Ascent with Buddy (no decompression)
  8. Deploy Liftbag and Drifting / Hanging Safety Stop (unless course is conducted as part of TDI Cavern/Cave Program)
  9. Demonstrate Appropriate Finning / Propulsion Technique for Environment
  10. Complete Unaided Barrel-Roll While Maintaining Forward Motion and Position in Water Column

 

In order to complete this course, students must:

  1. Demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution.
  2. Satisfactorily complete TDI Sidemount Knowledge Quest.
  3. Complete all open water requirements safely and efficiently.

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