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Over the years, I’ve been following Steve (and now Vas) at sidemounting.com, and their tips are game-changers!

Steve and Vas provide invaluable insights that have not only saved me time but have significantly enhanced my underwater experience by helping me master the proper techniques.

Even now that I’m an instructor, I find myself heading back to their online training for professional perspectives and guidance.

Whether you are a recreational diver or a pro, their expertise is a benchmark in the sidemount niche.

Wow! I’ve just completed watching Daily Structure Introduction of the cave series and I’m already impressed with the info I could have found just before the start of my intro to cave course to be ready and be aware of the processes & skills we would be going through. It’s actually game changing to be able to go through the planned structure, technique & skills, to see some kind of potential mistakes/difficulties can be expected and to understand how to deal with some situations to solve them out.

And the most important to understand that you can find answers to this crucial “why” and “what’s behind” questions to calibrate and adjust your brain & mind frame even before you step into the training process.

This course is awesome, I can hardly imagine how efficient each day could be if all the divers involved in the course had the opportunity to watch in advance at least the part of the course (videos) that belongs to the certain day of training. Even though I did this course with Vas in November 2025 in Mexico, it’s like immersing myself again in the cavern & cave, recalling everything we’ve been through, brushing up & refreshing gained knowledge & skills; reconfirming & reprocessing them to make sure I am capable to take them out of the proper box stored in my subconscious mind storage & confidently apply them whenever I need it while cave diving.

Guys! Huge respect. That’s priceless. I would recommend these cave courses even and especially for the certified cave diver by any existing diving agencies so they can evaluate their level of previous training & fill any found gaps or uncertainties with the well meticulously explained knowledge and proved procedures techniques to increase the safety, awareness and enjoyment of cave diving worldwide.

I started with sidemounting.com courses before taking a TDI course. I still go back, watch, review and sign up for new courses when available. Worth every dollar!

The best sidemount learning material there is. Not only is the quality of the video good, but the depth of knowledge you get from Steve and team are the best out there. Steve has poured in his life’s work and experience to this, no holding back. It’s like learning to paint and being coached by Leonardo da Vinci. If you’re serious about taking your sidemount journey to a deeper level, this is your first step.

Well done Steve, keep them videos coming, they are fantastic for refreshing the old memory, and indispensable for new sidemount divers.

Hi Steve, I know you hear this all the time, but you are the best out there. I wish I had the time and money to take some in-water training from you in Malta. Your online training courses keep me sharp, as someone who only gets to dive one day a month. I will continue to tell everyone I can and support you for additional future content.

Your online training is by far the best investment I have made in my diving so far. I am not the fastest learner, with confidence or the lack of holding me back. I personally need to digest the content, practice and go through the cycle again. The result, a more confident diver with a certain skill set level in which to move forward. Steve and Vas. Thank you for the time and effort it takes to bring these online training videos to the masses. It is worth it, I swear by it!

Good morning Steve, here are my thoughts and experience with your online courses so far.

#1 - Credibility - didn't take long to research and find out that you are an accomplished sidemount diver and instructor. That went a long way for me in terms of feeling that you would be someone I can learn from.

#2 - Free content - Your online offering did a good job of offering up some free content to get me started and understand what the experience would be like.

#3 - Video details - Your in water and out of water videos are super detailed, and I enjoyed the back and forth sessions between you and Vas. As someone who has spent many hours in front of a video editor, I can appreciate the amount of effort these videos take.

#4 - Explanations - Your walkthroughs are super concise and to the point. Makes it very easy to follow along.

#5 - The Weight check - run my own private scuba instructor business.. it's not a day job :), just a way to give back.. And I have to say your weight check videos are the best I have seen. The weight check process is something so overlooked as a new diver. We don't tend to teach it at all for new divers, and it's something that drives me crazy. But the level of detail you go through is next level great.

#6 - Sidemount setup - The amount of coverage you go through in terms of different systems, setup, donning, diving etc. It was really helpful for me. Especially with all the measurements. While I was already a fairly accomplished diver, I was able to take a brand-new setup... harness, regs, BCD, tanks and set them all up and be ready to go and practice. It took about 10–15 dives to dial it all in... bungees, boltsnap lengths etc.. but I love the "dialling in" process...so your videos certainly helped.

#7 - Use of video - Your vids convinced me to incorporate the GoPro into my own fine-tuning setup as well as when teaching.

#8 - Web UI - easy to navigate - Again being an IT guy by day I can appreciate the level of effort here

My background is the pretty typical diver, PADI online, TDI Online etc I am a PADI instructor, but also TDI Tec Diver, NSS-CDS Cave, Liberty CCR (Backmount) Mod 1, heading to TEC 60 CCR (Liberty) this spring. I had interest in learning Sidemount because I will be looking to buy the SM conversion kit for the Liberty to help with my cave diving. But being completely new to SM, wanted to learn on the OC side first before I headed into SM CCR. I still dive OC a fair bit and want to eventually teach SM when I get enough experience with it.

So your online training and experience it gave me is why I reached out. Every discipline of diving I have gotten good at is bc I found a guru to learn from and dive with.. Hence my message. My experience with Sidemount last season was awesome. It provided me the closest thing to feeling "free". So it really resonated with me.

Cheers, Dave | 613DIVE

I agree with what everyone else is saying. I have been a subscriber to these videos for years and these are without a doubt the best online learning available for diving, and not just side mount.

I have subscribed to these videos for a number of years. I keep going back to them for small tweaks every now and again. The annual renewal cost is low, which makes this a great investment and as they are constantly updated with new ideas and methods, it becomes a very easy to use knowledge base.

Has to be the best online learning ever, you can dip into it whenever you want, if only to keep knowledge up to date, Thanks Steve worth every penny you guys go that extra mile.

I can thoroughly recommend the new whiteboard training series from sidemounting.com to ALL divers, it is not just for the technical / advanced divers amongst us. Steve and Vas have clearly put in a lot of work on this and the final product reaps the benefits of this with clearly explained detailed concepts of all the ‘essentials’ of this amazing sport.

I have been using this resource for a few years now, and encouraging others too, I’ve also taken several in water courses with both of them and can honestly say the whiteboard series bolsters up both the old videos and the in person training perfectly with the knowledge we need to be safe, comfortable and efficient in the water which leads to a fun and enjoyable diving experience which is what we do it for!

I have previously trained with several agencies, PADI, IANTD and TDI and none of them come close to the detail and clarity of this series, the big players could learn a thing or two from these guys.

Just wish this had been around when I started out, and I’m looking forward to the rest of them.

This online courses allowed me to prepare for in-person training by showing me how to set up my gear most of the way to a good fit, and to understand the theory of what I was about to do. Then, when I attended in-person training with an instructor who was familiar with (and who was a fan of) the material, I was able to spend less time setting up gear, and more time on in-water execution of skills.

Later, I’ve used it as a reference, and to explore material well beyond the scope of an initial two-day course. I’ve sought out additional in-person training to improve myself further.

I bet that a student who has paid for one of these online courses is MORE likely to seek out professional help, and to put more money into the pocket of a great instructor. They’ve self-selected as someone who values the knowledge enough to pay for it, and the material will give them insight into what they need to work on.

Sidemounting.com online tutorials, can prepare you better than a lot of the instructors out there, especially for those of us that live in areas with little access to proper training, these training videos are priceless.

And the best part is you can always go back and review the material after you work with a qualified instructor to work on skills on your own with proper technique.

Your decompression series is the fourth online course I have bought that you've produced, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the previous content. After multiple shoulder/bicep surgeries, I felt doing the shutdown procedures with my twin tanks had become cumbersome, and the time to complete the task had increased.

Looking for a safer way to use a redundant system, I moved to diving sidemount and will never look back. Thanks for the guidance in all your online training, that has led to my skill development and equipment setup that would have taken much longer to obtain if not for the online Sidemount Essentials course. Thank you, Barry

I have been an avid follower of your YouTube channel for quite some time now, and I wanted to express my appreciation for the inspiring content you create. Your videos are not only thought-provoking, but also presented with a clear and logical structure. What I particularly admire about your channel is the abundance of real-world outdoor footage and the inclusion of student test videos.

This approach greatly aids in the understanding of techniques and equipment for your audience, especially aspiring learners like me. I look forward to each new video you release and the knowledge and motivation it brings. Keep up the fantastic work, and please continue to share your valuable insights with us. Thank you for your dedication to educating and inspiring your viewers.

I just completed the Whiteboard Nitrox Series, I have to say it is extremely well done! Vas does an excellent job explaining the material in great detail. The content flows in a logical progression, making it easy to follow and understand basic concepts.

Would not hesitate to recommend this series to anyone. Whether you’re thinking about getting Nitrox certified, already certified and want a better understanding or an instructor who wants to give a better class, I highly recommend taking the time to watch this course.

You won’t be disappointed.

I just bought your Instructor series and Sidemount and Technical courses. I registered to your page a couple of weeks ago and have seen some of your videos from the free training already. You have been doing incredible work. The level and your way of teaching is just stunning.

I exactly know how much hard work, time, passion, patience, belief and determination it needs to create this online video training program. Not to mention the experience you have gained over the years… When I think about it, just taking the video shots and editing afterwards must have been a nightmare (in a positive way) taking so much time and effort…

Now, you really can be proud of it, because the result and outcome is unbelievable and outstanding. There’s nothing like this out there, and you’re absolutely right by saying you challenge the big diving organizations to improve their diving education system and standards…. I’ve been diving for a long time (wetsuit + dry suit), been an Instructor since 2007, but I am new to the sidemount configuration. I wanted to try this out long time ago already, but never had the chance to do so…

Either I was teaching recreational courses, or I was diving, teaching, guiding, making videos on a liveaboard trips… and then not to mention my “usual” work (profession) … Now it’s time for me to dive sidemount and want to learn it from the beginning on and see every single detail which makes such a big difference. Even if I’ve been diving for so long, right now I consider myself as a sidemount-beginner (hahaha), but that will change quickly, I hope.

It’s never too late to learn something, and it’s not a shame to not know something. I just want, and I need, someone to show and teach me properly and correctly. I am pretty convinced you are the right people to learn from. Cheers from Germany, Chris

Steve and Vas do an excellent job breaking down every aspect of diving, sidemount or otherwise, in their new Essential Series.

They truly bring the “technical” to technical diving with detailed explanations, whiteboard representations and video demonstrations of the “why” behind the “what” in this incredible sport.

Students and instructors can both take something great from this incredible online training platform. If you’re ready to take your understanding of diving to the next level, hit “Buy Online” and open your mind! I did…

As a long-time user of Steve’s training material, I’ve always found his resources invaluable, and I regularly return to them for reference and continued learning. The anticipation for the Whiteboard Essentials series was well worth the wait!

Diving concepts can often be challenging to grasp, especially when demonstrated in the water where there's a lot of equipment and movement. Steve’s Whiteboard Essentials series breaks down these complex concepts to their very basics, providing a clear and uncluttered visual representation. This approach makes it much easier to understand and retain the core principles of diving.

Steve and Vas, as industry leaders, clearly know their stuff. Their depth of knowledge and experience shines through in every lesson. The way they explain and illustrate each concept is both engaging and incredibly informative.

I would highly recommend the Whiteboard Essentials series to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of diving. It’s a fantastic educational resource that enhances comprehension and application of diving techniques. I’m already looking forward to diving into the next series!

Thank you, Steve and Vas, for creating such a top-notch learning tool!

Steve and Vas have done a sterling job of explaining the fundamentals and complexities of diving, but in a user friendly way.

If you are a back mount diver, twinsets or sidemount, there is something for everyone.

So you may think, I know what I need to know from my training, be that open water to dive master, think back and then think of the issues that you may be having now, Steve and Vas have looked at all of these issues and created a solution, if its not on their site, just ask, they will gladly create a video for you.

Their feed back is warm and helpful, this is reference to their other online whiteboard series, these cover the thinking part of diving, and we know that knowledge in regard to an alien environment is key, that said practice is crucial as there are some things you can and should improve as you dive.

In the whiteboard essentials series there is 8 hours of content and if you really want to up your game in regard to knowledge then this is were you will get a better understanding of buoyancy, trim, position, what actions to take and diving strategies, in short you become a better diver, if you think this is not possible then maybe this site with its content is not for you?

But if you are interested in knowing how to be a better diver then this site and its content is for you.

Ok, so how has this site helped me, well I trained as a sidemount diver, this was via PADI, and yes some would say its not that good, but with the help of the video’s I have upped my diving professionalism, for one I ignore the people that say it’s a Faf, as there is at least 26 hours of videos that will help you to configure all of your kit, you will not get this on any other course that I know of to date.

I was told as a child you get the test first, get pulled apart by whoever is training or teaching you then the lesson, and sometimes it’s a hard lesson, well Steve’s online content gives you the lessons first and if you decide not to do the in water training with Steve and or Vas, you will still be miles ahead of most divers for sure.

I have dived side mount for over 4 years and now for the most dive sidemount, that said the site is for all diving styles and kit configuration, so far in the last year have dived in Thailand twice, off the Coast of Harris, Scotland, Lanzarote twice, Egypt, and will be going to Croatia, then to Malysia for 3 weeks diving, so what you may think.

well I know I do not need to worry about my kit and how it is configured and even when I travel without my kit, I know how to configure any rental kit as if it was my own, this is what Steve and Vas have placed online, then its up to you to practice and refine your skills after all its your life, and on any good dive boat they get you to fill in the form that says basically if you die its your fault, so with that in mind, the more you know the more you can reduce the risk, well in my eyes anyway, after all we are going into inner space.

would I recommend www.Sidemounting.com yep, do I still view the videos four years later yes, and this is because they are constantly updating the site with new content, ie transmitters, harness, Regs, dry suits use, heating systems.

they use the kit, make it work for them and lead the way as divers, and so six years in as a diver and dive master who is profoundly dyslexic, I would say their site has been instrumental in my education as I learn by seeing and doing as a professional diver.

To date I have pointed several divers to this site as it saves me explaining how they can up their game if they want, its their choice at the end of the day, that said two have subscribed to the site due to frustration having completed courses that were rushed, and their kit was all over the place, I dive clean.

Thanks Steve and Vas.

I have been a long-term subscriber to Sidemounting.com, the ‘Whiteboard The Essentials Series’ is the most comprehensive yet, with all the essential skills shown in an engaging, progressive, logical manner which would greatly aid divers during or immediately after their initial training.

Unlike other training agency’s use of textbooks/ e-books, I believe the teaching format of explanation, whiteboard sketches and short videos will greatly increase understanding and the retention of information from this course.

I was particularly impressed with the level of detail regarding buoyancy and trim which is a vital component of SCUBA diving and picked up many tips from Vas and Steve all the way through ‘Whiteboard The Essentials Series’ course.

I’m off now to try and put all this into practice, thanks once again Sidemounting.com for this great online course.

The Essential whiteboard series continues Steve Martin and colleagues tradition of excellent, well-thought-out and practical instruction.

It is a welcome departure from the (typically) tedious didactic of other agency instruction.

A helpful combination of whiteboard didactic and video example, it really assists in driving home the points.

An excellent start to what’s promises to be a stellar instructive series.

I have subscribed to all of Steve Martin's video courses and have found them to be invaluable to me as an SSI instructor. I recommend at least the Free Training series to all of my students; and for those who really want to hone their skill level, I recommend they buy some of the other videos.

I have personally viewed and studied all of the videos available so far, and found that they augment the usual printed and online material available from the various agencies.

The videos have certainly contributed to my progress as an Advanced Open Water instructor.

However, this review is about the new Essential Whiteboard Series. I was privileged to view this series early on. I found it to be a very novel way of presenting detailed information on a variety of subjects of importance to beginning and advanced divers.

In the buoyancy module, I particularly enjoyed Vas' lectures on correct weighting and it's importance, and on buoyant force. Even though every beginning diver has heard of Archimedes' Principle, Vas does a great job of dissecting it mathematically.

I found that I really liked this attention to detail, and found that the math(s) drilled home the point to be made quite clearly. For my style of learning, I found the Whiteboard Series more to my liking than the video series.

If a diver is interested in perfecting their trim, or learning about the intricacies of dry suit diving, or their position in a team dive, or in vastly improving their overall diving prowess, I highly recommend this Essentials Whiteboard Course.

I look forward to purchasing the Gas Series and the Nitrox Series.

Thank you, Steve and Vas for this learning experience!