Photo by Mikhail Vedyokhin · CC BY-SA 2.5
TDI Cave Sidemount
ERROR: Course not found in official TDI Part 2 diver or Part 3 instructor standards documents. While 'Cave Sidemount' is referenced in instructor profiles and equivalency charts, there is no published course standard with this exact name. This may refer to an advanced specialization combining Cave and Sidemount training, or an instructor-specific program taught outside the formal standards. Verify with TDI directly.
Centres that teach this course
3 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.
- $1,100total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- $300per day
- CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)MexicoSidemount Cave (crossover)1 student$300/day→ $1,500 for the 5-day minimum$300per day
- Under The JungleMexicoCave Sidemount Crossoverprivate$345/day→ $2,070 for the 6-day minimumper diver in a group$295/day→ $1,770 for the 6-day minimum each$345per day
Same training under a different agency
1 centre
A separate set of centres, teaching Cave Sidemount 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.
- $900total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- Advanced Diver MexicoMexicoAdvanced sidemount cave diving courseIANTD$300/day→ $900 for the 3-day minimum$300per day
Same tier, agency not stated
1 centre
These centres publish a price for Cave Sidemount, 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:
- Protec MexicoMexicoOverhead Sidemount1 student$420/day→ $2,100 for the 5-day minimum2+ students$370/day→ $1,850 for the 5-day minimum each$420per 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
UNVERIFIED
Standards
What a diver must demonstrate to pass this course — not always published by the certifying agency.
UNVERIFIED
Instructors Teaching This Course
Mexico
United States
Philippines
Dive Centres Offering This Course
Mexico
United States
Philippines
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 Cave Sidemount
How much does TDI Cave Sidemount cost?
One centre in the TecDiveTools directory publishes a whole-course price for TDI Cave Sidemount: Deep Dark Diving, at $1,100. 2 centres charge 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 Cave Sidemount take?
Between 2 and 6 days, based on the durations 4 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 Cave Sidemount?
TDI's standards require: UNVERIFIED.
What does TDI Cave Sidemount training involve?
According to TDI's published standards: UNVERIFIED.
What is the equivalent of TDI Cave Sidemount in other agencies?
At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: IANTD Adv. Cave - 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 Cave Sidemount?
28 dive centres and 35 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach TDI Cave Sidemount, in Mexico, the United States, Thailand and the Philippines. Each is listed further up this page.
Does the price of TDI 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.