Advanced Cave Sidemount / No-Mount course: 3 days, 3 cave dives

Why take the Advanced Cave Sidemount / No-Mount course?

The sidemount cave course helps experienced Technical Cave divers get familiar with the sidemount equipment configuration in restrictive cave passages. A sidemount configuration lets divers experience, enjoy and explore areas too small for standard backmount and sidemount configurations. The class builds a specific skill set and knowledge base. With it, divers safely plan and execute dives in small and restrictive passages.

Who is it for?

Divers planning to take the Advanced Cave Sidemount / No-Mount class need a high level of fundamentals and cave diving skills. They also need a high comfort level in an overhead environment and a reasonable amount of cave diving experience.

What will I learn?

• Techniques needed to safely navigate confined cave passageways
• Advantages and disadvantages of a sidemount equipment configuration, including no-mount mode

How the sidemount cave course runs

• 3 days, at least 3 cave dives, 180 minutes of in-water work. Classroom lectures, land drills and in-water work. Playa del Carmen or Puerto Aventuras area, transfer from Playa del Carmen included.
• Rate: $348 per training day in a group of two or more, $398 individually.

Included: professional Advanced Technical Dual CCR Cave Diving instructor, hotel pickup and drop-off in Playa del Carmen, doubles or sidemount tanks with EAN32, weights, and the final examination

Not included: Students must bring their own tech/cave level diving gear (requirements will be provided) or rent it, Additional sets of Doubles or Sidemount tanks with EAN32, Stages, Drysuit tanks, Sofnolime, Oxygen, Trimix or Argon fills for both students and Instructor / DPV rental for students and Instructor / Cenote entry fee / Any Rental equipment will be charged accordingly, Foto/Video service, Diving insurance, Camera fee (depend on Cenote policy), Fuel or boat surcharges for remote locations out of Playa del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras areas (as per student request), eLearning materials or/and printed manuals, Certification fee ($60 per card), Tips for instructor

Training sites follow the rules on cave training sites of CREER, the regional cave diving committee of Quintana Roo (Comité Regional de Espeleobuceo, Ecología y Regulación).

• A personalized set of Cave Ha Diving Markers is a gift to every diver who completes the course.

Applicants must

• Be qualified in Technical Cave Diver or equivalent
• Be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Be physically and mentally fit. Obtain a physician’s prior written authorization for prescription drugs or any medical condition that may pose a risk while diving
• Have a minimum of 50 logged cave dives

Equipment

All equipment is the student’s responsibility: bring your own or rent what is missing from Cave Ha, charged on actual usage. Sidemount AL80 DIN cylinders with technical regulators or backmount doubles AL80 DIN with technical regulators; in addition each diver needs 3 stage cylinders: 2 AL80 and 1 AL40, each with its own stage regulator. Planned gases: bottom gas EAN32, bottom stage gas EAN32, deco gas O2 in AL40. Students cover the cost of all gases and/or scrubber used by the instructor (above EAN32), cenote entrance fees or boat fees, certification card fees at $60 per card.

Required personal equipment

• 1 well-fitted drysuit with front-entry zipper, 2 pockets and 1 P-valve, plus 1 undergarment (Thinsulate 100-150 or equivalent), or 1 well-fitted wetsuit thick enough for 3-4 hours in the 25 C water daily (5-7 mm preferred) plus tech shorts with 2 pockets
• 1 thin neoprene hood; 1 pair of neoprene gloves of at least 1 mm
• 1 backmount doubles wing or sidemount BCD suitable for carrying 5 tanks
• 1 technical regulator set for backgas (2 first stages, 2 second stages, long hose, SPG, inflator hoses)
• 3 stage regulator sets; 2 stage rigging sets for AL80; 1 stage rigging set for AL40; 1 sidemount rigging set if using sidemount
• 1 primary light, canister type; 2 backup lights
• 1 bottom timer or deco computer; 1 wrist-mounted compass
• 1 pair of Jet fins; 1 primary mask plus 1 backup mask
• 1 small cutting device (for webbing harness)
• 1 penetration reel (120 m) per team; 3 to 4 safety/jump spools per person
• 1 pigtail with at least 3 arrows and 8 cookies
• 1 wetnotes with pencil

Doubles or sidemount tanks with EAN32 are included in the course price. Rental: Tech SCUBA set $50 per day, stage AL80 with EAN32 $9, AL40 with oxygen $24, stage regulator $10 per day. Rental.

In sidemount configuration with sidemount rigging for the AL80 cylinders. Rental: Tech BCD for sidemount with harness $20 per day, technical regulators $20 per day. Rental.

Rules of the course

• Medical: every participant completes and signs the standard Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire before the activity. A YES answer to any question in its final section requires written approval from a physician before diving. Without it the guest does not dive.
• Liability: every participant signs the standard diving General Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk before the activity. Without the signed form the guest does not dive.

Next step

• Guided cave diving days in the Riviera Maya.
• Advanced Cave Survey, 2 days.