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olphart

Contributor
Messages
496
Reaction score
114
Location
Ontario, Canada
# of dives
200 - 499
I've been reading all I could about side mount and collecting odds and ends to assemble my own rig to try out the system.
I had tried BMD's and hated the amount of lead and air needed for trim, the instability, plus the fact that I found it VERY difficult to reach the valves, (I'm REALLY old and not very flexible). I know, training would probably solve most of my issues, but I'm not a tech or cave diver, so why bother? ...and it's soooo HEAVY!

I put together an OMS Profile with a Dive Rite Rec wing and early Trans pac. I took some 5/16 bungie and made loops over the wing around to the upper rings. I had a pony strap that I mounted to an AL80 and made a tank band/bolt snap effort to mount on another borrowed AL80. Other than the addition of a crotch strap and moving the inflator to the lower dump, that was about it, (yeah, and I don't know how many hours experimenting in the basement to get the rig fitting reasonably well and the hoses arranged in a workable fashion :crafty: .. many thanx to Jax, Diveaholic, Noreastdiver, Dwayne, and all the posters for info and pics)

Off to the pool where I donned my rig. Setting the tanks and some weights out on the edge, I hopped into the shallow end.

I decided that the 2# ankle weights would go above the shoulder rings. I wanted to try worst case scenario, so I left the air shut off on both tanks, then hooked up the left tank only.
"Ok this is easy! Just open the valve. What the heck!!"......*sigh*
Turn off air. Unclip, lift the tank on to the ledge, hop out, go find a button to replace the LP octo hose I had decided to remove at the last minute. I blew out the port and plugged it, checked to make sure that the reg worked, then back into the water. This wasn't starting off well at all..dimwit! :banghead:
Now I have to go get the reg serviced for the second time this year...oh well.

Hooked up again and assumed the position.
" Hmm, quite underweighted, but level, and the one tank does roll me somewhat. "

I slid 2 3# bullets on to the right side of my waist strap and set out again with the one tank.
"Hey! That's not bad! ":banana:
I was a little overweighted now, but doable. After a couple of minutes of comfortable meandering around the pool, I went and hooked up the second tank, leaving the weights on, just sliding them toward the centre.

I was very impressed with the comfort and stability. I could unclip and replace the tanks fairly easily, though the tank with the pony strap had too little slack to undo the snap easily.
I tried various positions, though the extra weight situated in front made face up pretty unstable, it sure beat the BM.
I dropped the right tank off at the bottom, swam around for a while, then went back and retrieved it..no problem at all. I tried a few no brainer valve drills. No issues there. the hose routing while far from perfect, was ok.


I'm very pleased, though I may put the inflator back on the shoulder, (lets too much water into the wing if you keep messing w/ the bouyancy)
I think my next step is a quasi-hogarthian harness, because the transpac/wing/profile seems a bit heavy for no particular purpose. We'll see, something kinda Razorlike attached to the Profile maybe. Lots of experimenting yet.

Here's a pic of me pretty much motionless and yes, I know my console is dragging. I had forgotten to reclip it after making some adjustments.

I'm looking forward to getting some training this spring.:popcorn:

 
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I'm diving an almost identical "FrankenRig" w/ poseidon regs and steel 72's. I've got about 30 SM dives on it so far and love it.
 
Congratulations!

Sounds like you are making great progress.

Dwayne
 
Congratulations and it looks to be a good work in progress. It is definitely a more comfortable way to dive, but does take some work to get adjusted. I am now switching from my lp112s to a pair of hp120s. I don't know what it was about the 112's but they were just not working out for me.
 
Congratulations and it looks to be a good work in progress. It is definitely a more comfortable way to dive, but does take some work to get adjusted. I am now switching from my lp112s to a pair of hp120s. I don't know what it was about the 112's but they were just not working out for me.


Nobody seems to be interested in my hp80 doubles setup so I may just disassemble the thing and try them on my sidemount. The short tanks might be just the thing for trim.
 
I thought I would wake this one up. How are you liking the setup? I'm hoping Santa will bring me one of the OMS adapters so I can use steel 72's. TIA
 
Question: Why not go with the OMS wing? i have and love the wing and am currently lookig for the Profile in order to set it SM should the need arise.
 
Nobody seems to be interested in my hp80 doubles setup so I may just disassemble the thing and try them on my sidemount. The short tanks might be just the thing for trim.

remember I PMd you about teh HP80s trim?

My wife tried them, and she trimmed out with them beautifully, it was almost intuitive right off the bat. thanks
 
I've been reading all I could about side mount and collecting odds and ends to assemble my own rig to try out the system. . . . I put together an OMS Profile with a Dive Rite Rec wing and early Trans pac. I took some 5/16 bungie and made loops over the wing around to the upper rings. I had a pony strap that I mounted to an AL80 and made a tank band/bolt snap effort to mount on another borrowed AL80. Other than the addition of a crotch strap and moving the inflator to the lower dump, that was about it, (yeah, and I don't know how many hours experimenting in the basement to get the rig fitting reasonably well and the hoses arranged in a workable fashion :crafty: ..
OK, so this post is 18 months old. I must have missed it when it was first put up. But, to the OP - thanks for posting your experience. It is a wonderful illustration of what sidemount is a;; about for many people - a DIY wonderland, where you are free to experiment, adapt, tweak, refine, correct, and enjoy all of it when you dive the rig. (And, thanks to TNRonin for waking it up.)

I dive a Nomad some of the time, and a OMS Profile, with a DR Rec wing and a 6 lb SS BP, some of the time. I dive AL80s, HP 100s, HP120s and 112s, and whatever else I can borrow, just to see what they are like. Every dive is a learning experience, every dive is an equipment test, of some sort, every dive is a blast.

The post suggests the OP was enjoying the process. Good for you. Hope that continued in the intervening 18 months.
 
I would be interested in knowing if the OMS system is really worth trying.

Sent from my DROID X2
 

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