No activities match your filters
Try adjusting your filters or
All three agencies teach the same core outcome: perform staged decompression dives while diving sidemount, with disciplined gas management and failure handling. Exact depth limits, minimum dives, and allowed gas mixes can differ by region, instructor, and whether the programme is a standalone “sidemount decompression” course or a crossover from backmount.
You can expect progressive dives that start with equipment and shutdown drills, then add DSMB deployment and mid-water stops, and finally integrate full run-time dives with one or more gas switches. Instructors generally require stable buoyancy (holding stops within about 0.5–1 m / 2–3 ft), clean team communication, and consistent switch verification. Local conditions and instructor standards may add additional dives until performance is repeatable and calm.
After certification, you can conduct planned decompression dives in a sidemount configuration within your training limits, using appropriate decompression gases (often up to 100% oxygen, depending on agency standards and local regulations). You’ll be able to plan run-times, set and follow ascent schedules, and execute accurate gas switches while maintaining stable buoyancy and team positioning. The course also prepares you to dive more efficiently in environments where sidemount is advantageous—tight entries, long surface carries, or when you prefer independent cylinder management and redundancy.
This certification often supports progression to deeper technical training (including helium-based trimix where required), technical wreck penetration, and cave programmes—provided you meet each agency’s prerequisites. It does not make dives “safer by default”; it gives you procedures and problem-solving tools that must be kept current through practice, conservative planning, and diving with appropriately trained teammates.
Most programmes run over 2–4 days, depending on whether you are doing a sidemount decompression crossover or starting from scratch in sidemount. Expect a mix of theory, detailed equipment workshops, and typically 4–6 training dives. Centres may add extra time for gas-switch mastery, mid-water drills, or local conditions such as current, cold water, or limited visibility.
Sidemount Decompression Procedures is assessed through continuous instructor evaluation rather than a single exam. Across classroom/briefings and open-water dives, you must demonstrate safe sidemount equipment setup, accurate gas planning, disciplined buoyancy and trim, and stable decompression stops while managing two independent cylinders. Instructors typically assess: pre-dive checks (including valve drills and regulator switches), propulsion and positioning, situational awareness, team communication, and problem-solving (for example, lost gas, free-flow, or delayed SMB deployment). You are also assessed on following a written plan, tracking runtime, and maintaining appropriate ascent rates and stop depths. Standards and exact dive counts can vary by agency and training centre, but the outcome is the same: you leave able to conduct planned staged decompression dives in sidemount within the course limits. You can browse adventuro’s extensive pages to compare centres and book.
Quick answers about this qualification. For anything else, use live chat or browse bookable activities below.
Find activitiesAcross TDI, RAID, and IANTD, this course is designed to train you to conduct planned staged decompression dives using a sidemount configuration (two independent cylinders worn at the sides). You learn to plan the dive, carry and manage appropriate gases, and complete decompression stops safely. Exact depth limits, gas choices, and required dive numbers depend on the agency’s standards and your instructor, but the qualification is generally aimed at no-stop-to-decompression progression for technical divers in sidemount.
Typically it’s a mix. You’ll complete academic learning (theory, planning, and procedures) and then demonstrate the skills in open water. Instructors look for consistent control: stable trim and buoyancy, clean gas switches, accurate stop depths, controlled ascents, and strong situational awareness. Many programmes include a written exam or knowledge reviews plus practical performance requirements. If a skill isn’t consistent, it’s normal to add training time—technical diving is proficiency-based, not rushed.
Most centres expect you to already be comfortable in sidemount (or to take a sidemount course first) and to have a foundation in advanced nitrox/decompression concepts. You should be able to hold depth precisely, manage task loading, and deploy a DSMB (delayed surface marker buoy) reliably. Agencies differ in exact prerequisites (minimum dives, prior certifications, and minimum age), so your instructor will verify you meet the relevant TDI, RAID, or IANTD requirements before training begins.
Expect a sidemount harness/BCD, two cylinders with independent regulators (often with long hose/necklace setup), a minimum of one cutting device, and appropriate exposure protection for longer run-times. You’ll also typically need a DSMB and spool/reel, at least one timing device, and a decompression-capable dive computer (many divers carry a backup). Some programmes include stage/deco cylinders and additional regulators depending on the planned gases. Centres may provide rentals, but using familiar kit helps.
Decompression procedures commonly involve nitrox and/or oxygen for accelerated decompression, with gas choices matched to depth and agency limits. Trimix is usually a separate qualification (or an optional extension) rather than assumed. Your instructor will teach you to analyse and label cylinders, calculate maximum operating depth (MOD), and follow strict gas-switch protocols to prevent breathing the wrong gas at depth. Because standards vary, confirm with your chosen centre which gases are included in your course package.
Most programmes combine theory sessions with multiple open-water dives focused on planning, drills, and staged decompression. The exact minimum number of dives and total hours can differ between TDI, RAID, and IANTD, and instructors often add dives if conditions are challenging or if you need more repetition. As a rough expectation, many divers complete training over a long weekend to a week, depending on logistics, weather, and gas availability.
Common in-water skills include: precise buoyancy/trim while task-loaded, valve drills and regulator switches on independent sidemount cylinders, DSMB deployment mid-water, controlled ascents with stop discipline, and simulated failures (for example, loss of a decompression gas, regulator free-flow, or teammate issues). You’ll also practice run-time tracking and team procedures. The goal is calm, repeatable execution—technical decompression is about consistency, not speed.
Yes, and many divers choose sidemount specifically for hose routing, redundancy, and access to valves—useful in demanding environments. That said, cold water, thick gloves, currents, and low visibility increase task loading and can make skills (like gas switches and DSMB deployment) harder. A good centre will adapt the progression, choose suitable sites, and add time if needed. Safety is non-negotiable: if conditions exceed training value, postponing is the right call.
The overall outcomes are similar—planned staged decompression in sidemount—but agencies can differ in course structure, minimum dives/hours, depth limits, and how they combine or separate related training (for example, sidemount, advanced nitrox, decompression procedures, or trimix). Training centres also vary in teaching style and local procedures. When comparing options on adventuro, look at what’s included (gases, boat fees, extra dives), the instructor’s experience in sidemount, and the typical conditions you’ll train in.