Photo by Mikhail Vedyokhin · CC BY-SA 2.5
TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount
This course teaches advanced cave diving using sidemount configuration for complex guide line management and extended penetrations. Combines sidemount equipment efficiency with advanced overhead cave navigation. Requires full cave and sidemount prerequisites before enrollment.
Centres that teach this course
2 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.
- $1,375total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)MexicoAdvanced Sidemount Cave1 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
Minimum age 18; TDI Full Cave Diver certification; TDI Sidemount Diver certification; minimum 100 logged dives.
Standards
What a diver must demonstrate to pass this course — not always published by the certifying agency.
Advanced cave sidemount diving skills including complex guide line work, extended penetrations, and sidemount-specific cave procedures. Proficiency in sidemount trim and buoyancy in overhead environments required.
Instructors Teaching This Course
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 TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount
How much does TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount cost?
One centre in the TecDiveTools directory publishes a whole-course price for TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount: Deep Dark Diving, at $1,375. 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 TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount take?
5 days, based on the durations 2 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.
What are the prerequisites for TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount?
TDI's standards require: Minimum age 18; TDI Full Cave Diver certification; TDI Sidemount Diver certification; minimum 100 logged dives.
What is the minimum age for TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount?
TDI's standards state: Minimum age 18.
How many dives do I need before starting TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount?
TDI's standards state: Minimum 100 logged dives.
What does TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount training involve?
According to TDI's published standards: Advanced cave sidemount diving skills including complex guide line work, extended penetrations, and sidemount-specific cave procedures. Proficiency in sidemount trim and buoyancy in overhead environments required.
What is the equivalent of TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount in other agencies?
At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: IANTD Adv. Cave - No Mount Diver and NSS-CDS Advanced Sidemount Diver. 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 TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount?
6 dive centres and 7 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach TDI Advanced Cave Sidemount, in Mexico and the United States. Each is listed further up this page.
Does the price of TDI Advanced Cave 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.