Sidemount and helmets in open water

[bamafan]

Man I had no idea duck ponds were this dangerous. I sure am glad Razorista is not banned anymore as I really reading this for entertainment.

 

[Razorista]

As I said repeatatly, I do not use the helmet for protection myself.
But I have been glad to be wearing it once or twice already, the 10mm hood would probably already have been enough however.

 

[shoredivr]

Seadoos and Boats use SMBs as things to make turns around here in ontario also.

On the weekend I saw a kite boarder zipping into the shallows at Humber Bay, a popular dive training site. Zero appreciation of SMBs there too.

 

[Razorista]

So here is an example for the 'free hands' requirement:
Trash collection action in a local river.
Fantastic day, even had the chance to do a 'Ghostbusters' and 'crossed the streams' twice, zigzagging across two river beds and going more than a hundred meters upstream that way.
I was rewarded with some 10 minutes of drifting downstream afterwards.
One of the best dives this year and owned a lot of the fun I had to having both hands free and everything I look at well illuminated.
Even had the leisure of taking out the video light when needed or putting both down behind stones for a selfi or two.

 

[Razorista]

and btw:
They even had an under water survey cam on the boat, did not see me while going over me at 3 meters of depth.
The helmet would not have made a lot of difference anyway if something like that even went by close with its two high powered outboard motors.
But at least they saw me immediately when I surfaced later closer to the river banks, due to the highly visible helmet markings.

 

[Doby45]

But at least they saw me immediately when I surfaced later closer to the river banks, due to the highly visible helmet markings.

I would think it would have been FAR wiser for them to have seen you due to your SMB and not your helmet.

 

[PhatD1ver]

Only for wannabe cave divers and fanboys.

Ouch!!! I have a helmet, I made it up just for diving wrecks and cavern, with the light mounts, it works well on a night dive too. I haven't worn it on a daylight dive where I didn't intend to dive where there is no light (in a wreck, or a cavern).

It's a tool, if I'm not going in that environment, I'm not dragging it along.

But I don't like the tag here. I am a tec fanboy. I like the challenge, I like the extra work and planning. I like that it makes me a better diver. And taking the cavern course I don't think means someone is a wannabe cave diver. I mean, at some point, there are SOME caves I want to dive, but I have a long road of training ahead to accomplish that.

And for Razorista, have fun with your helmet, if you want to wear it, go ahead, I wear a skull cap with mickey mouse ears now and again when I'm fun diving.

But that light set up, I'm not a fan.

 

[Razorista]

I would think it would have been FAR wiser for them to have seen you due to your SMB and not your helmet.

And how do you do that in a river?
First of all, it would not work and pull you along sideways, second it touches the surface without using a line.

 

[Razorista]

...But that light set up, I'm not a fan.

It is not mandatory to like it.
Actually I hated the very idea of having a light cone that close to my face and put a soft goodman on it before first use that is still dangling from it.
The weight of the cable on the helmet seemed unbalanced to me the cable an entanglement hazard and uncomfortable.
Misrouted the cable constantly before developing the right routines.

Now... I like to be able to drop the helmet on entry and exit without loosing it, the weight distribution is very comfortable.
It blinds the buddy less than a hand mounted light, offers a greater range and runtime than most of my my previous cannister lights and a wider light cone without any perceived disadvantages paired with the obvious advantages.

Thinking about cave or cavern diving I do not need it but it might prove useful someday.

But in open water I almost forgot how much the cable light had been bugging me.
Hand mounted lights I repeatedly dropped on entries and exits and often enough had them clipped away so securely I was unable to have it ready when needing it unexpectedly.

 

[Doby45]

And how do you do that in a river?
First of all, it would not work and pull you along sideways, second it touches the surface without using a line.

So you are saying you can not use an SMB in a river or that you don't know how to use an SMB? Is there absolutely nothing you will not debate?