Side mount or Side mount? Which is a better option?

[Selachimorpha]

Also, I've been trying to find pics/videos of side mount with stages. What do you do? Just side mount everything?

YouTube - A Cave Diver Story

Another Steve Bogaerts video, this time in the Pit next to Dos Ojos in Mexico.

Also check out the videos on the Dive Rite website, they may have something in their Nomad instructional videos.

 

[chrisculina]

YouTube - A Cave Diver Story

Another Steve Bogaerts video, this time in the Pit next to Dos Ojos in Mexico.

Also check out the videos on the Dive Rite website, they may have something in their Nomad instructional videos.

Thanks, will do!

 

[WD8CDH]

I bet my side mounted 72s are cleaner than your triple 40s. Actually, I prefer smaller tanks in sidemount than larger tanks. Your last statement is absolutely incorrect.

I don't think so. I have used side mount quite extensivly, including with a pair of 72s. LP72s, even in a minimalist configuration, are bulkier than my triple back mounted 40s. A pair of Faber FX71DVB tanks (3442psi) might be close because they are such small tanks and are slimmer than vintage LP72s. But I still prefer my triple 40s, at least for single gas dives, because of gas management. My configuration is two of the tanks manifolded together with independent shutoffs for the regulators with a non-isolated crossover and the third tank is separate. Rule of thirds......1/3 in, 1/3 out, on the two manifolded tanks and the 1/3 for emergencies is totally independent (and removable underwater).

If I need more air, I usually go with my rebreather, but if I didn't have the RBs, I would probably side mount, especially with 8" tanks. I hate the bulk of 8" back mounted doubles.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Well, yeah, but you still have to remove the regs and remount & stove the long hose etc if you are doing>1 dive per day or if you are getting fills in the morning. So gear prep is about the same, but there is a definitive in-water delay for me.


I find it pretty hard to stretch the bungee under the regs and clip on, so I keep the bungees attached and just stretch them over the valves. And since I had the bungee come off SEVERAL times during the dive if I just had them under the valves, I need to get them under the SPGs as well and the whole thing takes some effort, especially with drygloves.

Why do you have to remove regs for a fill? Unscrew, pop a cap on the reg if you put your tanks in a water bath, and you are ready to fill.

Putting bungees around the neck is hard if the bungees are short. Mine are long so it's easier. I just let it drop around the neck then grab from the other side, I can just barely reach it as the boltsnap ends up hanging right around the neck, under the reg, but it's gotten easier after trying a few times. I find that running it around the neck makes it easier to swing tanks in front for tight restrictions.

With really short bungees, you can use a boltsnap around the neck, and you can always just stretch he bungee around. That's what is beautiful about sidemount, you can do wahtever you want. If I'm moving tanks on and often often to get through restrictions, I stretch bungees over the whole reg/neck and all instead of running around the neck...but my bungees are too long to allow me to use chokers/boltsnaps.

 

[wjefferis]

I find it pretty hard to stretch the bungee under the regs and clip on, so I keep the bungees attached and just stretch them over the valves. And since I had the bungee come off SEVERAL times during the dive if I just had them under the valves, I need to get them under the SPGs as well and the whole thing takes some effort, especially with drygloves.

Edd Sorenson of Cave Adventurers www.caveadventurers.com showed me a way to prevent that from happening when I bought my Nomad. He ties off a butterfly clip to the top of the valve on your tank. You then clip it off the your lower D ring and then loop your bungee over the valve to snug things up. This way if the bungee comes off the worse that will happen is your tank will move down from your body a couple inches. Give him a call for details.

 

[hudson]

He ties off a butterfly clip to the top of the valve on your tank.

Yeah, I have the clips (on a stage strap) they are good insurance.

FWIW, my tanks hang too low if I use any other bungee length: I used to climb out of the water with the tanks hanging from the bungees and not clipped in - bad idea. That stretched them a good inch and the tanks were visibly lower. Then I rigged some short bungees for use with chokers: problem is, the snapbolt on the choker ends up sliding across the bungee and ends up close to the chest D-ring, same result.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Tying knots in your bungees will close them up a bit when they start stretching.

Don't give up Hudson!





Dude, sorry... I couldn't help it.

 

[hudson]

Let's just switch to BM and call it even, ok? What are we talking about this for?

 

[Dive-aholic]

I've never seen side mount in person, and up until a few days ago, I thought it was 100% DIY, used by a social outcast of cave men.

It's positive sides and applications are clearly identified. Personal opinions on cleanliness and streamlining put aside, have some of you experienced negative sides (I'm thinking all kinds of applications)?

I kinda thought this one looked nice and tidy: Oxycheq RECON I Signature Series
Comments? Action photos?

I haven't been diving in a RECON, but I've seen it and I'm not overly impressed. I also know a couple of people that have been having issues with theirs.

I'm used to 2x12 l, and to using a v-weight and tail weight to offset buoyancy and trim. How do you sort out that with side mount? Any good patents? When you clip off the bottles and push them in front, won't your trim be severely affected?

In the Florida caves we don't wear thick enough undergarments to require more weight than what the tanks provide. I do, however, use 2lb trim weights on my shoulders. I have also seen some people that want more weight to keep them neutral with only 500psi left in their tanks put weights along the back of their rigs.

Also, I've been trying to find pics/videos of side mount with stages. What do you do? Just side mount everything?[/QUOTE

And since I had the bungee come off SEVERAL times during the dive if I just had them under the valves,

It sounds like you have the clips on your cam bands oriented the wrong way. I've only had my tank come off the bungee once in almost 300 sidemount dives.

 

[karstdvr]

IIn the Florida caves we don't wear thick enough undergarments to require more weight than what the tanks provide. I do, however, use 2lb trim weights on my shoulders. I have also seen some people that want more weight to keep them neutral with only 500psi left in their tanks put weights along the back of their rigs.

.

If people are diving sidemount configuration,then weighting like you would with doubles is fine. If someone is planning on sidemount diving (entering spaces that require tank removal etc),then weighting the rig vs tanks is critical because you don't want to become positive when dropping a tank,and the weight needs to be adequate for negative bouyancy with one partially empty tank. I use two pound trim weights each shoulder,plus I have specially made stainless steel plates that fit in the back area of the jacket,that are narrow enough so they don't interfere with my flexibility.