Sidemount diver with cylinders under both arms gliding through a decorated cave

Tec Sidemount Diver

Name: Tec Sidemount Diver
Brand: PADI
SKU: TSM001
Price: 6500.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock

SKU TSM001

R 6,500.00

Product variants

Two cylinders, both where you can see them. There's a reason this configuration took over.

Sidemount started as a solution to a specific problem: getting through cave restrictions that backmounted doubles simply wouldn't fit. It stuck around for a much broader reason. With a cylinder on each side, both valves are in front of you, where you can see them and reach them without a shoulder like a gymnast's.

The PADI Tec Sidemount Diver course teaches you to configure and dive multiple cylinders in a sidemount rig properly. That means weighting and trim, cylinder handling in and out of the water, gas management across genuinely independent cylinders, and the failure drills that make that independence an advantage rather than a complication.

It's also considerably easier on your back on the walk to the water, which sounds trivial right up until you've carried a twinset across a car park. Equipment isn't included in the course fee: technical gear is hired separately.

Where Tec Sidemount Fits

This isn't a depth qualification, it's an equipment one, so it slots in wherever suits you. Some divers take it before Tec 40 so they arrive already sorted on configuration. Others integrate it directly with Tec 40, Tec 45 or Tec 50, which PADI explicitly allows and which is usually the most efficient route.

The entry requirements are modest for a technical course: Advanced Open Water, 30 logged dives, and a minimum age of 18, with Enriched Air Diver recommended. You don't need to be a technical diver already to learn this.

Ready to try the other configuration? Book your Tec Sidemount course below, or get in touch with our team if you'd like to work out how it fits your plans.

What This Course Entails

The course starts with the theory of sidemount configuration: why cylinders are rigged the way they are, how to balance and trim a system that changes shape as gas is consumed, and how gas management works when your cylinders are genuinely independent rather than manifolded together.

In-water sessions cover rigging and de-rigging, entries and exits with cylinders, adjusting your harness until the trim is right, switching between independent cylinders on a strict schedule, and the failure drills that keep the configuration safe.

Training dives then consolidate all of it, run at Bass Lake or Miracle Waters. Equipment isn't included in the course fee: technical gear is hired separately. The course can be integrated with Tec 40, Tec 45 or Tec 50 if you'd rather cover both at once. Gas, site entry and any boat or charter fees are quoted separately.

Prerequisites

Certified PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, or a qualifying certification from another training organisation.
A minimum of 30 logged dives.
Minimum age is 18 years old.
PADI Enriched Air Diver is recommended.
Medical clearance signed by a physician within the last 12 months. Start with the health screening questionnaire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be a technical diver to do Tec Sidemount?

No. You need PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, 30 logged dives and a minimum age of 18. Enriched Air Diver is recommended. Plenty of divers take this course before starting the Tec pathway proper, precisely so they arrive at Tec 40 already sorted on configuration.

Can Tec Sidemount be combined with Tec 40, 45 or 50?

Yes, and it often is. PADI allows Tec Sidemount to be integrated with the Tec 40, Tec 45 or Tec 50 courses, which is usually the most efficient route if you already know sidemount is the configuration you want to dive. Talk to us before booking and we will structure it accordingly.

Why choose sidemount over backmount doubles?

Sidemount puts both cylinders where you can see and reach them, which makes valve management straightforward rather than a contortion. It is also easier on your back out of the water, and it suits divers who travel or dive sites with awkward entries. It is not better than backmount, it is different, and this course is where you find out which one suits you.

Do I need to own sidemount gear for the course?

No. Sidemount gear can be hired separately for the course; hire isn't included in the course fee. Given that a sidemount system is a significant purchase, doing the course first and buying afterwards is very much the sensible order.

Where are the training dives run?

We run these training dives at Bass Lake or Miracle Waters. If you combine Tec Sidemount with Tec 40, 45 or 50, the dives follow that course's site. Gas is quoted separately from the course fee, along with site entry fees, so you only pay for the gas you actually use.