Side Mount Light mounting options

CamG · Sep 15, 2010

Greetings fellow SM'ers I have been experimenting with different light mounting options for a several months.
I was just interested in what others have done and why?
I am thinking of helmet with two back up lights with a primary "hands free mount" on the front.
The canister butt mounted or the upside down on one side of the soft plate.
These are just thoughts and I am really open on options as I have yet to find just what really feels good.
If you have a particular way to run your chord please share as well.
I have been attempting to clean my rig and make it as streamlined as possible.
I am diving the modular Nomad with the back weight addition.
Thanks for the idea's and advice.

CamG Keep diving....Keep training....Keep learning!

tbone1004 · Sep 15, 2010

I have mine butt mounted. Under the crotch strap and bolt snapped to the rails. Cord runs between the waist strap and the wing and under my shoulder to a Goodman handle. I have an extra long cord so when I am diving with a helmet, it comes up behind my right shoulder to my helmet. Backup lights get clipped to the upper D-ring and velcro'd into the loops on the shoulder pads, or if diving with a helmet, they're mounted on the sits. All three were focused to about 15' away so it's pretty intense with all three of them on the helmet.... If I'm diving a helmet, all three stay on the whole dive

SuPrBuGmAn · Sep 15, 2010

I run mine on the waist, just like I did in BM, no problems. I tried buttmounting mine, didn't like it at all, kept getting caught up in restrictions and I'd have to remove it and the standard length chord wasn't optimal in my experience.

ianr33 · Sep 15, 2010

SuPrBuGmAn:
I run mine on the waist, just like I did in BM,

Same here. Makes putting the right hand tank on a little harder,but once swimming its no problem.

Guess I'm just too lazy to mess with something that works.

ucfdiver · Sep 15, 2010

I mount it essentially the same as BM.

However, those hand held LED's look really great for this type of diving.

SuPrBuGmAn · Sep 15, 2010

ianr33:
Guess I'm just too lazy to mess with something that works.

No worries, I tried a few other ways and they worked less

DA Aquamaster · Sep 15, 2010

I tried mounting on the waist belt but found it interfered with the tank on the right side.

I have been quite happy with butt mounting the light - but I use a light mmonkey with a fairly small cannister so YMMV. I found a 60" cord worked well.

I also have two helmet mounted back up lights and they are set so that one focuses in the foreground (where I'd be looking when placing a jump, etc. with the second light focused several feet farther out in front of me. I also have a bracket to hold my primary and it is set to point the light about where I'd have it hand held when going down a passage.

Dive-aholic · Sep 15, 2010

Butt mounted with a custom length cord so I can hang it lower to keep it from getting caught in restrictions. I killed a light because it was mounted too high.

CamG · Sep 15, 2010

Greetings all I have mounted it like in BM on my right side but it did not feel comfortable on all the dives.
My concern is to get the light lower butt mounted for a few dives to test the clearance issues. I am working with a fairly long chord so it can be mounted either way right now.
I am just thinking that either traditional placement, right side "BM" style or butt mount are the real options. I will give them both several trials before I settle in on one or the other.

Thank you for your help and if you have any pics that show how low the butt mounted canister should rest to keep it out of the way would be great!

CamG Keep diving....Keep training....Keep learning!

DA Aquamaster · Sep 20, 2010

Opinions will vary and to some extent it depends on cannister size. I use a 12W Light Monkey with a comparatively small can and just link it to the small d-rings above the buttplate on my Nomad, so it lies right at the top of the towel bars and is just below the high spot on my back. With a larger can you'd need to mount it lower - and I have seen double enders and bolt snaps used to achieve this.

You can also go even lower, mounting it low and then under the crotch strap is something I have seen divers use to good effect.

One consideration with above versus below the towel bar mounting is how you route the cord to keep it out of the way to allow unrestricted removal and re-clipping of the tank on the right side. Obviously, that will vary with your configuration, buttplate or D-rings, etc.

Side Mount Light mounting options

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CamG

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tbone1004

Mr Speed Nuts

SuPrBuGmAn

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ianr33

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ucfdiver

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SuPrBuGmAn

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DA Aquamaster

Directional Toast

Dive-aholic

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CamG

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DA Aquamaster

Directional Toast

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