some questions

[scuba127]

I've been shore diving Bonaire for 12 years now. I did 4 manifold double dives off a dock there once. This expirience convinced me that there was no way I was going to take on some Bonaire shore entries with doubles on my back - this would just asking for a busted ankle. Therefore, when I took my sidemount class, I decided sidemount, for my diving, was the way to go. There may be some instances where shore diving manifold doubles is easier but I don't think a blanket statement can be made that shore diving back mounted doubles is easier than shore diving side mounted doubles.

 

[Colliam7]

I am looking into sidemount and have some questions. steel vs ally tanks?

Both. Yes, that may sound flippant, but there are advantages to each, under different conditions. I prefer steel when I am diving dry, when diving salt water, when I want a little more gas. I prefer my AL80s when I am diving single tank SM, when diving a 1mm wetsuit, when diving fresh water. So, I think giving an either-or answer is difficult.

also is it a challenge with shore diving, sometimes exit/entry can be difficult even with normal back mount, is it harder/easier with sidemount?

Another tough question to answer. If I am going in the water with tanks already on, I prefer BM. If I have the luxury of walking tanks to the water's edge, or placing them in the water in a calm, shallow area and clipping them on in-water, I prefer SM. I usually take more time to get in the water with SM - that may just be me. But, at times when one of us is shore diving BM and the other is in SM, the BM person is usually in the water ahead of the SM diver, waiting for them to get in, get clipped, etc.

I'm going to Bonaire in June to do some shore sidemount diving. What about clipping into the tanks in the water? Has anyone tried that?

I have, and it works well. In fact, it is my preference for many of the shore entries, particularly toward the south end. Some are tricky enough with a BM single AL80.

 

[JamesK]

Both. Yes, that may sound flippant, but there are advantages to each, under different conditions. I prefer steel when I am diving dry, when diving salt water, when I want a little more gas. I prefer my AL80s when I am diving single tank SM, when diving a 1mm wetsuit, when diving fresh water. So, I think giving an either-or answer is difficult

I guess I am weird. I like my Al80's in salt water as well. As long as it is warm water, and I can get away with something under a 3MM wetsuit. I only need two pounds of weight for that setup and it works great for me.

 

[Dive-aholic]

mmk, well my next purchase scuba wise will be a semi-dry, probably next week.
next is sidemount gear.

i currently have a deep sea supply 26 pound wing and steel backplate.

is it possible to use any of this to go with sidemount gear?
maybe i just need to buy a butt plate, but i think the wing will not stay on the plate without a tank on the back.

Yes, you can use the wing as long as you are only planning on diving aluminum cylinders or small steel cylinders. The problem is without having any sidemount experience you don't really know what you need to do to make it work. I have a few personal DIY rigs and have helped students with DIY rigs but without the knowledge and experience I have in sidemount I wouldn't have been able to do this. The first sidemount rig I made before I even moved to Florida was not pretty at all. I was able to sidemount my cylinders but the rig needed a lot of work.

 

[Nitro91]

has anyone tried the nomad JT?
I know its sidemount only.

tossing up between a few, including the razor bat wing

 

[billgraham]

A few of my friends didn't love the JT wing because they felt there was too much bouyancy up high. The Razor seems to me to be perfect for what Steve does with it, but if you take it out of its element (like, cold water, drysuits, steel tanks), you're trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I've never taken the JT for a dive but I've seen it in the water a few times. It looked pretty large and bulky but that may have just had something to do with the way the divers had it rigged up. It does have a lot of lift capacity, though.