I don't get side mount?

[tbone1004]

Agreed, before SM went mainstream, diving ID was tech diving. Eventually, we started using an isolatable manifold on the doubles which solved many issues and made it more accessible. I have mixed feelings about ID but now that Sidemount has gone rec it's a skillset that has found a revival. Of course, now there is a manifold for sidemount.


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and the manifold is completely useless and instead of switching a second stage, you have to shut the tank off which runs the risk of depressurizing the first stage and a whole slew of other irritating things, so it doesn't work anything like the manifold in twinsets.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Well, reading through all of this, I can say that side mount does seem kind of cool as a novelty but for me I don't see it as usefull for the type of diving I do.
First, I hunt, and as a hunter I need to have my arms and frontside as clear as possible for dispatching and taking care of game.
Second, I have no problems with using a large single tank for my adventures slinking around the rocks and house size boulders that make up Norcal, looking for delicious tidbits of scallops and rockfish.
I suppose if I wanted redundancy I could either strap my little 13 CF pony to the side of my tank or just keep doing what I'm doing and just use my single tank at a depth above 60' when I solo dive and keep my gear in good shape and not worry about it. I think constantly and repeatedly tripping out over safety concerns the whole dive may be a self fullfilling prophecy, no?

The one thing I like about the concept of sidemount is that there is no standard protocol as of yet.
I seems that it is still in the morphing stage and nobody has hijacked it yet and declared that "Their way is the best!!"
There is room for improvement, growth, and personalization, and I like that.
The only thing I don't like is that the new Kraken can't be used with it.

If all I was was an observer type diver I think I would like sidemount. Just cruise and look and stay down for the duration of what two tanks would allow, I think it would be great. In fact I have several old steel 72's that would probably work well for that style of configuration.
And knowing me I would have to design and come up with my own version of a SM rig.

However, until I am done killing things then preparing them in white wine, olive oil, butter, and garlic with a quirt of fresh Meyers lemon and then eating them I'm afraid I must stay with a BM single tank.

 

[tbone1004]

sidemount 50's slung properly work well for that type of diving, and any size cylinder slung properly will keep your arms just as free as backmunt, though for hunting it is much easier for the "set it and forget it" type of diving that backmount offers, and yes the Kraken is truly fantastic, just wish they'd machine a DIN screw so I wouldn't have to buy some 200bar valves.

I use it as a tool, it may be my primary tool, but there are others in the box that come out regularly....

 

[decompression]

and the manifold is completely useless and instead of switching a second stage, you have to shut the tank off which runs the risk of depressurizing the first stage and a whole slew of other irritating things, so it doesn't work anything like the manifold in twinsets.

I'm familiar with the manifold, I wouldn't say it's useless but that debate has been played out several times. I think it's going to take some time before the system becomes mentioned more often in discussions. Kinda like the ISO manifold for BM doubles is now.


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[Nemrod]

A serious question, I generally carry a camera, a real camera (sorta), with fisheye dome lens and two Inon strobes on a tray system. So, I need my hands free but more than that, I go to great effort to not touch anything and yet still maneuver close to the reef to do the close focus wide angle (CFWA) photography that I prefer. How do I maneuver with my belly button inches from the reef with a side mount rig? Wouldn't the tanks hang down and clang into the reef and limit how close I can get compared to a standard back mount rig?

N

 

[victorzamora]

A serious question, I generally carry a camera, a real camera (sorta), with fisheye dome lens and two Inon strobes on a tray system. So, I need my hands free but more than that, I go to great effort to not touch anything and yet still maneuver close to the reef to do the close focus wide angle (CFWA) photography that I prefer. How do I maneuver with my belly button inches from the reef with a side mount rig? Wouldn't the tanks hang down and clang into the reef and limit how close I can get compared to a standard back mount rig?

N

No, if you do that your tanks are hanging too low. In sidemount, your body should be the first thing to hit the bottom. It should also be the first thing to hit the top. Properly routed and trimmed, your tanks sit under your arms, parallel to your body, and centered on your body.

Eric: As for hunting, I know plenty of SM spearos. It's not impossible or even impractical. However, I'm not sure if I'd stick to my sidemount-only philosophy if I were a big spearo.

 

[ozzydamo]

what's the big deal? more versatility is always a good thing!

Some people just don't get it, but for those with a reasonable level intelligence; diversity is a very special part of reality!

Ps. Ostriches don't really stick their heads in sand!

 

[AfterDark]

Thanks.

The reason I asked was this. A few years back I was in a thread about diving doubles and someone asked about rigging up doubles as separate systems instead of having the typical manifold where the two tanks were tied together. The guy was thinking of doing it that way. Along came post after post after post why that was a bad idea and dangerous and why it should never be done. Now comes along sidemount and it seems it's the only practical way of doing it and I have seen various threads why rigging up the two tanks as single entities is a better way to dive.

That's because people that like to hear themselves talk or read what they wrote talk/write a lot of BS. I've been diving ID's since 1982 I looked it up in my logs. That was with no training in ID's just my knowledge, experience and common sense. All those years since not one of those horribles of ID configuration has besieged me. I dive with LP50 LP72 and LP94 IDs each has its own use, different buoyance quirks and weight requirements and even at my advanced aged I'm able to keep track of it all and dive each safely, the proof is I'm posting here.

SM at least for OW is just a new twist on an old idea. I can see where 7' hoses and ISM's and SM have their places in cave diving and even deep penetration wreck diving but for OW the diver(s) is in no danger if these items are not used nor is the diving experience lacking in any way, IMO.

 

[BDSC]

That's because people that like to hear themselves talk or read what they wrote talk/write a lot of BS.

Agreed. At some point I may go back and see if I can find that thread and list all the reasons why a person should never dive ID's.

 

[AfterDark]

Can't access all the air if one side fails. (The most posted fatal flaw!)

another, cave it matters; OW come up on the other tank. ooww that was close

regulator changes. Some think there is a skill attached to this. I don't see it. Take one out put the other in..skill?

I once had a DM caution me post dive about the number of times I took the regulator out of my mouth! Apparently in some circles this is considered dangerous. Who knew?! LOL

Multiple failure points.

I don't get this one but then like I posted none of this stuff ever happened to me.
Don't ISMs have 2 regs and doesn't the ISM have O rings and mechanical connections?


Just a couple off the top of my head.