Essentials of Tech Side Mount

UTD's Side Mount classes are a series of "port over" classes that give EVERY diver an opportunity to move into this new and exciting way to configure your equipment and dive in a way that is very "free."

Side Mount diving is becoming wildly popular among recreational open water divers, advanced technical divers, cave divers and wreck divers alike because it offers the best of all worlds...the advantages of side mount diving including a stable, streamlined platform to dive from, coupled with the ease of movement, mobility and lack of tanks on your back that free diving offers. The UTD Z-System offers a UTD/DIR-compatible equipment configuration, so that all levels of divers have consistency in team diving and gear.

For certified divers the path to training for side mount diving is to cross over at your current level by taking a class that suits your needs. We offer an Essentials of Recreational Side Mount (single tank), Essentials of Technical Side Mount (double tank), and Essentials of Overhead Side Mount (double tank). These workshop-style, personal skills classes prepare you to dive side mount at you current level of training and experience. Then after some experience using the side mount z-system at your current level of training you can continue your training to the next level, whether it be Rec 2/3, or Tech/Trimix or Cave/Wreck.

For example: If are ready to do a cave class on back-mount, but you want to do it on side-mount, then all you simply have to do is take an Essentials of Overhead Side Mount class, complete 25 dives practicing in your side mount configuration preparing for your cave class, and then you are ready to take Cave 1 and 2 in side mount.

For non-certified divers, the path is easy - UTD's Open Water and Rec 1 classes can both be taken in Side Mount. So from day one you can take advantage of side mount diving.