Photo by Pete Nawrocky · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sidemount
PADI's recreational sidemount specialty: diving with cylinders mounted at the diver's sides rather than on the back. Covers rigging and balancing the harness, cylinder handling in and out of the water, valve and regulator management across two independent cylinders, and trim and propulsion in the configuration. It is the recreational entry point to sidemount — the technical progression is the separate Tec Sidemount course.
Centres that teach this course
5 dive centres in the directory publish a price for this exact certification, checked Sep 2026. Each centre's own wording is shown beneath its name. Ranges cover whole-course prices only — where a centre charges per day or per dive, its rate is listed separately below, since a daily figure is not comparable with a course total.
- THB 20,000total
- THB 16,900total
- ₱25,950total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- €300per day
- MX$8,500total
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.
Instructors Teaching This Course
Thailand
Dive Centres Offering This Course
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 PADI TecRec Sidemount
How much does PADI TecRec Sidemount cost?
Published prices for PADI TecRec Sidemount range across 4 centres in the TecDiveTools directory — roughly US$410 to US$600 at current exchange rates. In each centre's own currency: THB 16,900–20,000 (2 centres), ₱25,950 (1 centre) and MX$8,500 (1 centre). 1 centre charges by the day instead, which is not comparable with a course total. Prices differ mainly in what they include, so compare the inclusions before comparing the numbers. Prices were last checked in September 2026.
How long does PADI TecRec Sidemount take?
Between 2 and 3 days, based on the durations 5 centres publish for it. The time depends on the centre's schedule, weather, and how quickly the required skills are demonstrated — agencies set a minimum number of dives, not a fixed number of days.
Where can I take PADI TecRec Sidemount?
2 dive centres and 2 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach PADI TecRec Sidemount, in Thailand. Each is listed further up this page.
Does the price of PADI TecRec Sidemount include gas and equipment?
Not always — it varies by centre. Certification fees, equipment rental and boat or site fees are commonly charged on top of the course price. Each centre's price list on TecDiveTools shows what it notes as included.