DevonDiver
N/A
Personally, I don't see any need to add weight to a cylinder, or for trim, when using single-cylinder sidemount. That may be a product of experience, as there are probably a hundred little adjustments in trim and position that counter-act a couple of lbs differential in buoyancy across the torso. I can appreciate that novice sidemount divers might not have that experience to adapt unconsciously to these differences.
It's not really any different to the mechanics involved in a 3 cylinder dive really...and I do plenty of those.
If you do away with the trim weighting, you will intuitively learn those adaptions. If you don't, then any differentials will remain problematic.
Adding a suitable amount of weight to aluminium cylinders basically just allows you to replicate the properties of steel tanks. They'll now transition from negative to near-neutral, rather than positive.
I experimented a lot with different approaches and options; including counter- and cylinder weighting approaches. This included a strategy for weighting the diver based on their inherent buoyancy in kit (less cylinders), then weighting each cylinder individually based on published cylinder buoyancy characteristics. The diver's inherent weighting needs don't change in a given equipment set-up; so it's a convenient solution to have an 'on-board' weighting that doesn't change, then ballast cylinders 'off-board' individually, depending on what cylinders are used. However, I found that putting weights on tanks caused additional 'knock-on' problems for decompression and overhead diving. So, I didn't continue with this method beyond a few months experimentation.
For the open-water and/or recreational sidemount diver, there aren't many real draw-backs to doing this. However, if there is an intention to progress into overhead environment or technical diving, then there are drawbacks that will become more apparent. So, if that applies to you, then I'd suggest that counter-weighting is detrimental to a 'beginning with the end in mind' approach.
It's not really any different to the mechanics involved in a 3 cylinder dive really...and I do plenty of those.
If you do away with the trim weighting, you will intuitively learn those adaptions. If you don't, then any differentials will remain problematic.
Adding a suitable amount of weight to aluminium cylinders basically just allows you to replicate the properties of steel tanks. They'll now transition from negative to near-neutral, rather than positive.
I experimented a lot with different approaches and options; including counter- and cylinder weighting approaches. This included a strategy for weighting the diver based on their inherent buoyancy in kit (less cylinders), then weighting each cylinder individually based on published cylinder buoyancy characteristics. The diver's inherent weighting needs don't change in a given equipment set-up; so it's a convenient solution to have an 'on-board' weighting that doesn't change, then ballast cylinders 'off-board' individually, depending on what cylinders are used. However, I found that putting weights on tanks caused additional 'knock-on' problems for decompression and overhead diving. So, I didn't continue with this method beyond a few months experimentation.
For the open-water and/or recreational sidemount diver, there aren't many real draw-backs to doing this. However, if there is an intention to progress into overhead environment or technical diving, then there are drawbacks that will become more apparent. So, if that applies to you, then I'd suggest that counter-weighting is detrimental to a 'beginning with the end in mind' approach.
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