Sidemount diver in a cave, showing both cylinders clipped along the body

Photo by Pete Nawrocky · CC BY-SA 3.0

SidemountPADI TecRec

Tec Sidemount

Official course standards ↗Last updated September 7, 2026

Learn the sidemount equipment configuration, an increasingly popular setup that offers superior trim, streamlining, and maneuverability for technical wreck and cave diving. This course teaches tank mounting at the sides of the body, gas-switching procedures with side-mounted regulators, and sidemount-specific buoyancy and trim techniques. Sidemount configuration reduces drag, improves horizontal positioning, and allows easier tank swaps—advantages particularly valuable in wreck penetration and tight cave passages. Tec Sidemount certification qualifies you for advanced technical wreck and cave exploration where streamlining and maneuverability are critical safety factors.

Centres that teach this course

9 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.

€425 – €700across 4 centres pricing in Eurofrom ≈ $477
THB 23,900 – THB 35,000across 2 centres pricing in Thai Bahtfrom ≈ $713
One centre publishes a price in Mexican Peso.
One centre publishes a price in US Dollar.
One centre publishes a price in Philippine Peso.
  • Tech AsiaPhilippines
    PADI Tec Sidemount Diver
    ₱32,250
    total

Same training under a different agency

29 centres

A separate set of centres, teaching Technical 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.

$600 – $1,650across 3 centres pricing in US Dollar

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

  • Under The JungleMexico
    Sidemount ExpertTDI
    private$345/day→ $1,725 for the 5-day minimum
    per diver in a group$295/day→ $1,475 for the 5-day minimum each
    $345
    per day
  • CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)Mexico
    Sidemount (tech level)TDI
    1 student$300/day→ $1,200 for the 4-day minimum
    $300
    per day
  • Elite Divers InternationalMexico
    Sidemount DiverIANTD
    $275/day→ $1,100 for the 4-day minimum
    $275
    per day
  • Divers UnderGroundMexico
    TDI Sidemount DiverTDI
    1 diver$325/day
    2 or 3 divers$300/day
    $325
    per day
  • Third Dimension DivingMexico
    Sidemount DiverIANTD
    $295/day→ $885 for the 3-day minimum
    $295
    per day
  • Cave AdventurersUnited States
    SidemountTDI
    Private class$450/day→ $900 for the 2-day minimum
    Group class$350/day→ $700 for the 2-day minimum each
    $450
    per day
  • Go Dive MexicoMexico
    Sidemount DiverTDI
    private$330/day→ $990 for the 3-day minimum
    2+ divers$300/day→ $900 for the 3-day minimum each
    $330
    per day
  • CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)Mexico
    Advanced Sidemount (tech)TDI
    1 student$300/day→ $900 for the 3-day minimum
    $300
    per day
  • Under The JungleMexico
    Advanced SidemountTDI
    private$345/day→ $1,380 for the 4-day minimum
    per diver in a group$295/day→ $1,180 for the 4-day minimum each
    $345
    per day
€450 – €700across 10 centres pricing in Eurofrom ≈ $505

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

THB 17,000 – THB 20,000across 5 centres pricing in Thai Bahtfrom ≈ $507
IDR 6,500,000 – IDR 8,400,000across 3 centres pricing in Indonesian Rupiahfrom ≈ $362

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

  • Air Dive AlorIndonesia
    Technical SidemountTDI
    1 student, privateIDR 3,200,000/day→ IDR 12,800,000 for the 4-day minimum
    3 studentsIDR 2,400,000/day→ IDR 9,600,000 for the 4-day minimum each
    IDR 3,200,000
    per day
One centre publishes a price in Mexican Peso.

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

Same tier, agency not stated

15 centres

These centres publish a price for Technical 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.

$449 – $1,000across 5 centres pricing in US Dollar

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

  • Protec MexicoMexico
    Advanced Sidemount
    1 student$470/day→ $1,880 for the 4-day minimum
    2+ students$420/day→ $1,680 for the 4-day minimum each
    $470
    per day
THB 15,000 – THB 19,500across 3 centres pricing in Thai Bahtfrom ≈ $447
IDR 6,500,000across 2 centres pricing in Indonesian Rupiahfrom ≈ $362

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

  • Air Dive AlorIndonesia
    Sidemount Essentials
    1 student, privateIDR 3,200,000/day→ IDR 9,600,000 for the 3-day minimum
    3 studentsIDR 2,400,000/day→ IDR 7,200,000 for the 3-day minimum each
    IDR 3,200,000
    per day
One centre publishes a price in Euro.
  • SlyDiveEgypt
    TDI Sidemount
    €400
    total

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

One centre publishes a price in Philippine Peso.
  • Tech AsiaPhilippines
    TDI Sidemount
    ₱25,950
    total

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

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, 30 logged dives, 18 years old (PADI Enriched Air Diver recommended)

Standards

What a diver must demonstrate to pass this course — not always published by the certifying agency.

Assemble and configure sidemount tanks correctly; manage buoyancy and trim in sidemount configuration; execute gas-switching procedures at depth; navigate wreck and cave environments in sidemount gear; perform emergency procedures with side-mounted tanks

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 PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount

How much does PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount cost?

Published prices for PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount range across 9 centres in the TecDiveTools directory — roughly US$470 to US$1,050 at current exchange rates. In each centre's own currency: €425–€700 (4 centres), THB 23,900–35,000 (2 centres), MX$14,000 (1 centre), $620 (1 centre) and ₱32,250 (1 centre). 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 Tec Sidemount take?

Between 2 and 5 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.

What are the prerequisites for PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount?

PADI TecRec's standards require: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, 30 logged dives, 18 years old (PADI Enriched Air Diver recommended).

What is the minimum age for PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount?

PADI TecRec's standards state: 18 years old (PADI Enriched Air Diver recommended).

How many dives do I need before starting PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount?

PADI TecRec's standards state: 30 logged dives.

What does PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount training involve?

According to PADI TecRec's published standards: Assemble and configure sidemount tanks correctly; manage buoyancy and trim in sidemount configuration; execute gas-switching procedures at depth; navigate wreck and cave environments in sidemount gear; perform emergency procedures with side-mounted tanks.

What is the equivalent of PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount in other agencies?

At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: SSI XR Extended Range Sidemount, RAID Sidemount, TDI Advanced Sidemount and IANTD Tek 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.

SSI XR Extended Range SidemountRAID SidemountTDI Advanced SidemountIANTD Tek Sidemount Diver

Where can I take PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount?

4 dive centres and 4 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach PADI TecRec Tec Sidemount, in Indonesia and Thailand. Each is listed further up this page.

Does the price of PADI TecRec Tec 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.

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