Photo by Mikhail Vedyokhin · CC BY-SA 2.5
Advanced Sidemount Diver
Advanced sidemount specialty training for experienced cave divers, focusing on stage cylinder integration, DPV operation in sidemount configuration, restriction negotiation, and advanced gas management. This course takes certified cave divers who have DPV experience and develops their ability to manage multiple cylinders in complex cave systems using sidemount harnesses. Students work within the constraints of tight passages and remote cave locations where sidemount configuration provides advantages over backmount.
What it costs
No centre in the directory publishes a price for this exact certification yet. What follows is what the same training costs elsewhere.
Same training under a different agency
2 centres
A separate set of centres, teaching Advanced Cave Sidemount / No-Mount under a different agency. These are not the same certification — the standards and the card differ — but they cover the same depth and scope, which is why centres price them alike. Every row here names whose rating it is, and none of them is counted above.
- $1,375total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)MexicoAdvanced Sidemount CaveTDI1 student$300/day→ $1,500 for the 5-day minimum$300per day
Same tier, agency not stated
1 centre
These centres publish a price for Advanced Cave Sidemount / No-Mount, but their own wording does not say which agency's certification it buys — many teach several and name the card only once you enquire, and some price one course for either agency. The figure is comparable; the certification is not identified, so we do not guess at one.
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- $295per day
These prices are not like-for-like. Two centres can charge very differently for the same certification because they include different things. One price may cover twinsets, stages, deco gas and cylinder rental for every training dive, a dedicated classroom for the theory, boat or transport to the site, and the agency's registration and materials; another may be tuition only, with all of that charged separately — or the other way round, with a centre bundling in extras the first leaves out. Class size, whether the course is one-to-one, and how many days are allowed for it move the figure too. Check what each centre's price includes before comparing them, and confirm with the centre before booking.
Consumables are usually extra. Sorb, helium, O₂ and other fills, park and cenote fees, certification fees and rental are commonly charged on top.
Packages combining several certifications, upgrades from an existing one, and open-ended day rates are excluded — none of them is the standalone price of this course, and including them would move the figures away from what a new student can actually book.
Prerequisites
NSS-CDS Cave Diver certification (or equivalent), DPV Pilot Sidemount experience (prior sidemount training and DPV training required). Minimum 18 years old.
Standards
What a diver must demonstrate to pass this course — not always published by the certifying agency.
Demonstrate mastery of stage cylinder use in sidemount configuration, DPV operation in sidemount, restriction negotiation, advanced gas balancing and management techniques in challenging conditions, proper equipment configuration and rigging for sidemount operations, and all foundational cave skills at advanced proficiency levels. Minimum three cave dives required over 2+ days.
Instructors Teaching This Course
Mexico
Dive Centres Offering This Course
Mexico
We're still building out the directory country by country, so this list isn't every instructor or dive centre teaching it in the world — more locations are coming soon.
Common questions about NSS-CDS Advanced Sidemount Diver
What are the prerequisites for NSS-CDS Advanced Sidemount Diver?
NSS-CDS's standards require: NSS-CDS Cave Diver certification (or equivalent), DPV Pilot Sidemount experience (prior sidemount training and DPV training required). Minimum 18 years old.
What is the minimum age for NSS-CDS Advanced Sidemount Diver?
NSS-CDS's standards state: Minimum 18 years old.
What does NSS-CDS Advanced Sidemount Diver training involve?
According to NSS-CDS's published standards: Demonstrate mastery of stage cylinder use in sidemount configuration, DPV operation in sidemount, restriction negotiation, advanced gas balancing and management techniques in challenging conditions, proper equipment configuration and rigging for sidemount operations, and all foundational cave skills at advanced proficiency levels. Minimum three cave dives required over 2+ days.
What is the equivalent of NSS-CDS Advanced Sidemount Diver in other agencies?
At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: IANTD Adv. Cave - No Mount Diver and TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount. They cover comparable training, but each agency sets its own standards, depth limits and certification card, so they are comparable rather than interchangeable — check which one your next course accepts.
Where can I take NSS-CDS Advanced Sidemount Diver?
1 dive centre and 1 instructor in the TecDiveTools directory teach NSS-CDS Advanced Sidemount Diver, in Mexico. Each is listed further up this page.