Skip twinsets, go sidemount

[Johanan]

Hi, friends!

I don't know whether this observation is correct, but divers seem to switch to sidemount configuration from backmount twinsets. Good for them, because they have mastered both. However, I feel tempted to skip backmount doubles and go straigt to sidemount. I have several reasons:

a. I'd like to dive in caves some day;
b. I'm not exactly young. My diver's "life expectancy" is not as long I would wish. I should avoid making detours;
c. Haven't tried, but I can hardly imagine myself walking around with two big steel tanks on my back. Sidemount offers a solution for that;
d. I could save some money for a manifold, a doubles' wing and other equipment I don't necessarely need and invest it in a better sidemount rig;

How prudent would it be to skip the backmount doubles? Will it cause any limitations in dives I can perform, in courses I can take or perhaps in finding buddies?

If you know a thread where this is already discussed, please drop a link. Thanks!

 

[knfmn]

I think the answer is, "it depends". It depends a lot on what kind of diving you're currently doing.
I know from conversations with people who work on dive boats that it can prove to be very frustrating when they have a side mount diver on board. It takes a while to get them ready and into the water. That needn't shape your decision, but its a factor.
If you intend to get into the caves eventually, (or even if you don't) I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't go sidemount from the beginning if that's what you want. It's somewhat easier on the back and knees and equipment failures are easier to deal with when they happen essentially right under your hands, instead of somewhere behind your back. You are a little more self-sufficient in an emergency in sidemount.
I say go for it if that's the direction you'd like to go. I would recommend seeking an instructor who can offer a good sidemount course, though. It seems that they can often fix issues in just a couple of sessions that might take you months to figure out on your own. Not sure what your location is, but if you intend to head into the caves, you could always find a good cave instructor who also teaches sidemount. You could start working with he or she and then do your cave training with them later.

Hope this helps the decision a little,

Kristopher

 

[Mike2Fst]

Sidemounting is great. Become proficient with your set up and purchase quality components. As knfmn indicated and as I've seen, there are many who sidemount and lack proficiency, many have homemade attachments which serve their purpose poorly. Unfortunately, these folks give sidemount a bad name by burdening the boat crew, taking forever to hit the water and having a setup that looks like they've used twine to secure 2 tanks, one on either side. There is a doing it right (sorry DIR guys and gals) way to sidemount and certainly a wrong way. Be committed and spend some money and you should have a wonderful experience, and also help improve the image of sidemount diving.

 

[Johanan]

Thanks Kristopher, Thanks Mike! Time for donning the rig on a boat is a point I should consider. I'm not very quick even with backmount singles. It's also a good advise to find an instructor who can teach both SM and caves. You are right - a good instructor means a lot. It will be a challenge as we do not have caves or mines to dive in Latvia and therefore no cave instructors. I will have to find someone abroad.

To make a little more specific what I was concerned about: I don't know the pre-requisites of different courses I might want to take in the future. Maybe there are such, demanding skills in backmount doubles as a prerequisite and I could be denied to sign up. On the other hand, I can postpone learning BM to the day when a need arises...

 

[tstormdiver]

I look at sidemount diving as I do any other type of diving or configuration. It, like any other configurations, is a tool to a means. I have been diving backmount for a little over 5 yrs & have just started learning to dive sidemount & rebreather. I am also 43 yrs old; I didn't start diving until 7 yrs ago; so I didn't start very early either. Will I give up backmounts? No, there are reasons to use them. I use them for teaching some courses (deep & solo) for redundancy & easy of air share, if it should become necessary. I also use them for cave diving, as most of my buddies use the same configuration & I'm not keen on diving mixed teams. I use each type/ configuration to fit the dives I'm doing. Keep in mind that sidemount is primarily a solo configuration. Can air share be done? Sure, but the configuration isn't very conducive to it. Sidemount is a useful tool & has its purposes, just don't get hung up in the fad. Remember each & any configuration has its good & not so good points, it's a trade off. If the positives outweigh the negatives for your type of diving, go for it. If not, you may want to reconsider. I'm not knocking sidemounts, but just giving you a few points to consider.

 

[JamesK]

I look at sidemount diving as I do any other type of diving or configuration. It, like any other configurations, is a tool to a means. I have been diving backmount for a little over 5 yrs & have just started learning to dive sidemount & rebreather. I am also 43 yrs old; I didn't start diving until 7 yrs ago; so I didn't start very early either. Will I give up backmounts? No, there are reasons to use them. I use them for teaching some courses (deep & solo) for redundancy & easy of air share, if it should become necessary. I also use them for cave diving, as most of my buddies use the same configuration & I'm not keen on diving mixed teams. I use each type/ configuration to fit the dives I'm doing. Keep in mind that sidemount is primarily a solo configuration. Can air share be done? Sure, but the configuration isn't very conducive to it. Sidemount is a useful tool & has its purposes, just don't get hung up in the fad. Remember each & any configuration has its good & not so good points, it's a trade off. If the positives outweigh the negatives for your type of diving, go for it. If not, you may want to reconsider. I'm not knocking sidemounts, but just giving you a few points to consider.

I agree for the most part, except for the air share part. With a good setup, an air share is easy to do.

For me sidemount is seen as a tool as well. However, it is the tool I prefer. I still have back mount gear, and use it for certain dives, just not very often.

 

[Sevenrider860]

Keep in mind that sidemount is primarily a solo configuration. Can air share be done? Sure, but the configuration isn't very conducive to it.

Can you explain this in more detail? I start my SM next month, but my configuration will have my long hose on the right, short (not as short as my BM) hose on the left on in a necklace like my BM.

 

[Johanan]

Can you explain this in more detail? I start my SM next month, but my configuration will have my long hose on the right, short (not as short as my BM) hose on the left on in a necklace like my BM.

Yes, this looks like a standard configuration, not much different from a normal backmount set with a long hose and a secondary on a necklace.

 

[JamesK]

Can you explain this in more detail? I start my SM next month, but my configuration will have my long hose on the right, short (not as short as my BM) hose on the left on in a necklace like my BM.

I know you did not ask me, but this is an open forum, I gotta say something. Lol

I have seen many side mount setups that are not conducive to air sharing. Hoses trapped, not easy to deploy, etc. With my setup I wear two long hoses. Just like back mount you take whatever reg I am breathing and the long hose is easily deployed and restored. If you happen to grab the one that is clipped off, it is on a break away and the one in the necklace easily pulls free.

This is not a SM issue, but a gear issue. Just like using bungee to hold a long hose on a back mount tank.

 

[randytay]

Keep in mind that sidemount is primarily a solo configuration. Can air share be done? Sure, but the configuration isn't very conducive to it. Sidemount is a useful tool & has its purposes, just don't get hung up in the fad. Remember each & any configuration has its good & not so good points, it's a trade off. If the positives outweigh the negatives for your type of diving, go for it. If not, you may want to reconsider.

Have you seen the UTD Z-system? I am guessing not. If sidemount is a useful ool nd has its purposes, then it is not a fad.

as of now, I haven't experience anything negative in a sidemount configuration, especially using the z-system.