Where do you put your Back-up Lights for Sidemount???

[wjefferis]

My dive buddy was unable to dive with me today, so I decided to take my new side mount set-up (Nomad) to the pool instead to get more comfortable with it. Once I felt that I had my buoyancy down I started practicing my drills such as OOA (deploying long hose) which I felt very comfortable with, but then when I tried to practice getting my back-up lights during a primary light failure and I kind of hit a snag. My back-ups didn’t seem as easy to get to and I started to wonder how others configure their back-up lights. I have both of my back-ups lights on my lower left and right D rings. I was kind of thinking that putting one of my back-up lights in a thigh pocket may be a better choice, any thoughts??????

 

[hudson]

I find the waist/thigh area to be difficult to access without seriously breaking trim. I have one backup on my left chest D-ring down the shoulder strap, DIR style. Right-side is more crowded because of the light and the long hose, so the second backup goes in a pocket clipped to the butt D-ring, which is easier to access than a thigh pocket.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

I wear two just like backmount and it works fine. I also keep one or two more in a zipper pouch that I wear. Many use their thigh pocket and like that.

 

[wjefferis]

the second backup goes in a pocket clipped to the butt D-ring, which is easier to access than a thigh pocket.

Do you attach some sort of pocket to your back plate? Can you explain a little more or send a pic?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Lots of people pocket them.

I keep mine running down my chest straps like in backmount.

I've also seen people run them UP on the chest straps to keep them from getting too crowded under everything else. Seemed like a pretty good idea.

 

[Colliam7]

but then when I tried to practice getting my back-up lights during a primary light failure and I kind of hit a snag. My back-ups didn’t seem as easy to get to and I started to wonder how others configure their back-up lights. I have both of my back-ups lights on my lower left and right D rings. I was kind of thinking that putting one of my back-up lights in a thigh pocket may be a better choice

As several have suggested, I keep my primary back-up mounted on the RIGHT shoulder strap of my TransPac (attached to the lower D-ring), and my secondary back-up light in my LEFT thigh pocket, just as I do in backmount. The tigh pockets are a little more diffficult (for me, at least) to get to in SM than in BM, but I place my gear the same way.

 

[hudson]

Do you attach some sort of pocket to your back plate? Can you explain a little more or send a pic?

A diverite pocket (horizontal bellows work best, this is just an old thigh pocket, but works fine) attached to the buttplate via a double-ender. See the attachment.

 

[wjefferis]

A diverite pocket (horizontal bellows work best, this is just an old thigh pocket, but works fine) attached to the buttplate via a double-ender. See the attachment.

Very cool, thanks for the pic.