PADI Sidemount Diver Instructor Course

Sidemount Instructor Course in Koh Tao

Take your diving to the next level with the PADI Sidemount Instructor Specialty course at IDC Koh Tao. Sidemount diving is one of the fastest-growing areas in recreational and technical diving, offering increased flexibility, comfort, and safety for divers of all levels.

With a sidemount configuration, divers carry two tanks mounted at their sides, providing greater gas redundancy, improved balance, and increased bottom time. This setup allows divers to stay underwater longer, manage their air more effectively, and dive with an added level of confidence and control.

As a PADI Sidemount Instructor, you will be qualified to teach divers how to configure, use, and optimise sidemount equipment while developing core diving skills such as buoyancy, trim, and propulsion.

Why Choose Sidemount Diving?

Sidemount diving offers a range of benefits that make it increasingly popular among modern divers:

• Extended dive time through improved gas management and redundancy
• Enhanced safety with independent air sources and backup systems
• Improved comfort, especially for divers with back or mobility issues
• Better trim and buoyancy control, leading to more efficient and controlled diving
• Increased problem-solving ability through independent equipment management

For many divers, sidemount is not just a different configuration—it is a completely new way of diving that improves both performance and confidence underwater.

Sidemount Diving Around Koh Tao

Koh Tao is one of the best locations in Thailand to teach sidemount diving. With over 25 dive sites available year-round, the island offers a wide range of environments ideal for training and skill development.

From shallow sites perfect for workshops and skill refinement to deeper pinnacles and even wreck diving opportunities, Koh Tao provides the perfect setting to develop and teach sidemount techniques.

As an instructor, you will have the flexibility to adapt each course to different conditions and student needs, ensuring every sidemount course is dynamic, engaging, and highly practical.

Who Can Enrol on the PADI Sidemount Instructor Course?

To enrol in this course, you must be:

• A renewed PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI)
• A certified PADI Sidemount Diver (or equivalent)

You must also have:

• A minimum of 10 logged sidemount dives

Note: IDC/OWSI candidates may complete the Sidemount Instructor training during their IDC but can only apply for certification after successfully passing the PADI Instructor Examination (IE).

The logged dives are a course exit requirement and may be completed either before or after the training course.

What Will You Learn?

This course is designed to give you the knowledge, skills, and teaching confidence to deliver sidemount training to a high professional standard.

During the program, you will:

• Review the PADI Sidemount Diver course purpose, goals, and structure
• Learn PADI standards and procedures, including prerequisites, ratios, and training requirements
• Understand equipment configuration and how to set up and adjust sidemount systems for different divers
• Learn how to organise and conduct the full Sidemount Diver Specialty course
• Complete open water training sessions where you will demonstrate, execute, and evaluate student-level sidemount skills

You will also develop advanced skills in buoyancy control, trim, finning techniques, and equipment handling—ensuring you can guide your students to become confident and efficient sidemount divers.

Upon completion, you will be certified to independently teach the PADI Sidemount Diver Specialty course.

PADI Materials

Please bring the following materials:

• PADI Specialty Instructor Manual (from your IDC Crew Pack)
• PADI Instructor Manual (available as a free download for renewed PADI Members via PADI Pro / MyPADI)

PADI Fees

• PADI Sidemount Instructor Application Fee: AUD $145

Why Add the Sidemount Instructor Specialty?

Sidemount diving is one of the most in-demand and progressive specialties in the dive industry. It not only improves your own diving skills but also positions you as a modern, adaptable instructor.

Adding this specialty increases your teaching versatility, enhances your professional profile, and contributes toward your PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) certification.