Okay, the other side

[nwbrewer]

Okay, guys, I'm now feeling as though I ought to go sit in the corner for being interested in doing this . . . I've actually been thinking about SM for quite a while, simply because I need so much help getting in and out of the water at some of the cenotes, or climbing the goat tracks back to the car. Taking a SM class was on my (now very short) list of classes I still wanted to do. I'm not quite sure why I should feel at all guilty about looking into a gear configuration that solves problems for me . . . Can any of you who are suggesting that explain WHY?

Too much assimilation. Too much belief in the way you do things now.

"DIR" (whatever that means now) training is all about a holistic system that's been very well thought out and designed to maximize the chances of returning to 0' safely.

There is a reason for why everything is done a certain way within that system. You get to the point where changing ANYTHING about that system leads to thinking about all the reasons why it was done the way it was, and what kind of danger doing it another way exposes you to. That's not to say there's anything wrong with doing it differently, you just have to wrap your brain around a new set of + and - issues with your new setup.

Will you feel better once UTD rolls out their SM curriculum?

Jake

 

[DwayneJ]

Will you feel better once UTD rolls out their SM curriculum?

Jake

I don't believe there is going to be an easy transition to accept a specific SM hardware solution whereas all other aspects of standardization continue to apply - team diving, dive planning, gear skills etc.

I'm sure there is going to be some years of active discussion on equipment location.

Likely SM courses by "agency's" will teach to the gear they sell.

When I grow up I want to have Steve B's skills (and helmet)!

Dwayne

 

[The Chairman]

"DIR" (whatever that means now) training is all about a holistic system

Unfortunately, there were a few assholistic peeps who gave it a bad rep. Even GUE seems to have abandoned the term.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Unfortunately, there were a few assholistic peeps who gave it a bad rep. Even GUE seems to have abandoned the term.

... but ScubaPro's taking it mainstream ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[tangfish]

I've been loving the sidemount setup on CCR (for bailout). Gets the valves out of the way of the camera and off the bottom too. Only thing thats harder now is reaching my can light switch at times, and I had to relearn my boom drill but not a huge adjustment give the tradeoff. Also, the tanks just seem much more secure.

Sorry if some or all of this doesn't apply to your setup Lynne!

 

[DwayneJ]

Deleted.

Dwayne

 

[karstdvr]

One down side is the lack of standards... The basic side mount system comprising of bungy/rear clips/ low profile BC seem to be resolved but I have observed various manufacturers taking small digs at their competitors side mound solutions or the way additional equipment is mounted...

That is the part of the marketing explosion that has occured with sidemounting. So many "people" have entered this market,as not be left behind,that they really don't understand the concept. For example,I remember when the rear clip made its emergence,and the person who made this modification. You saw this being captured by one manufacturer,as an addition to a model that was loosely being marketed. Then all of a sudden,this has been copied by everyone,and has become the accepted norm,the pity IMHO is the side clip with carrbiners is a far better means,but it has become forgotten or more precisely the leap into the sidemount market has left it ignored. I am fortunate enough to know the innovators and people who have evolved the American sidemount rig,and they would say standardization is great for marketing and sales,but not the original intent.

 

[TSandM]

Will you feel better once UTD rolls out their SM curriculum?

I think I was misunderstood. My post was addressing the folks who seemed to be implying that I was leaping into sidemount because it was "cool". So far, none of my DIR friends has said much to me about this. I don't expect them to like it, but that doesn't matter. I WAS surprised to see resistance from the non-DIR people, though . . .

 

[The Chairman]

I WAS surprised to see resistance from the non-DIR people, though . . .

That's what caught me off guard. I was told I was not allowed to do side mount for my NAUI Cave 1 class and so I did it backmount. Later, I was shadowing a NAUI Cave 1 class and had to dive backmount. I mentioned this to a NAUI rep at a dive shop one day, intimating that the instructors needed to lighten up. WHOA. He was blistering in his condemnation of sidemount and how it would NEVER be a part of NAUI's curriculum. What if he's right?

 

[Jax]

I think I was misunderstood. My post was addressing the folks who seemed to be implying that I was leaping into sidemount because it was "cool". So far, none of my DIR friends has said much to me about this. I don't expect them to like it, but that doesn't matter. I WAS surprised to see resistance from the non-DIR people, though . . .

Someone thought you were "leaping" into sidemount because it was cool? I don't really know you, and I cannot imagine you "leaping" into anything without a great deal of thought and weighing of alternatives.


When I tagged along in noreastDIVER84's "My venture into sidemount" thread, I got a lot of PMs from people asking about "is it really less stress on your back / knees?" "How do you get off a boat?" (Haven't tried it yet but have lots of input and a process to do it.), and a myriad of other thoughts from people that just don't want to [further] damage their body with 100 lbs of gear.

Especially for smaller people - 100 lbs is 5/6's of my body weight - It's 1/3 of a 150 lb person. That is a LOT of weight to stress your bones.

I hope that the DIR years of tradition will not remain unhampered by progress . . . just sayin' . . .