Is 'simple side-mount' an option?

Hi:

Okay, this is going to be coming from rank ignorance about side-mounting, so fair warning.

I'm mainly a vacation diver who dives the Caribbean when I get a chance. 6'1" tall, close to 275 lbs, bit of an air hog, get about 40 - 45" on an 80 cf tank, have 87 dives or so total. Don't see my SAC getting a whole lot better anytime soon. Love big tanks like the pair of 120's I dove with recently one day in Cozumel with Living Underwater (had a 1 hour 15 minute dive! Yah-usss!!!). I use a Sherwood Avid 2x BCD, Atomic B2 reg., and I don't have any experience with back plate wing setups.

Been to Bonaire 4 times; hope to go back in the future. Getting hold of big tanks isn't practical, but 'all you can eat buffet' style 80 cf aluminum nitrox tanks, no problem. I'd like to take 2 tanks in with a separate reg. on each, breath each down to around 400 - 500 PSI (shore diving), then come out, basically.

First I asked about doubles, but I'm not a technical guy or good with motor skills and mechanical complexity, and talk of 'manifolds,' 'isolation' and so forth made my eyes glaze over, plus I got the impression people dedicated tanks to the doubles setups rather than just slap one pair of regular 80 cf aluminums after another into some rig.

So I got to thinking - could you stick a spare reg. on a 2'nd tank, then connect it off your side with a strap or something (I'm thinking more like a pony bottle maybe than a typical side-mount setup) while having your tank on your regular jacket-style BCD, single-style? Maybe call it 'red-neck side-mount?'

I've seen side-mount discussions online; I get the sense it's back plate/wing with a tank to either side of the diver, no tank on back. That'd mean new gear I'm unfamiliar with and training to use it that could be pretty awkward.

I doubt what I'm wanting to do is practical for whatever reason, but I've been itching to ask about it with those who would know and tonight I decided to scratch, so here's the post. Is the 'red-neck side-mount' option something that some people do and works, or dead in the water?

Thanks!

Richard.

Anything is possible. However, the following statement is worrisome -

I'd like to take 2 tanks in with a separate reg. on each, breath each down to around 400 - 500 PSI (shore diving), then come out, basically.

Shore dive or boat dive, it doesn't matter. That is very poor gas management. I suspect your air consumption can improve if you improve your technique underwater. I'd suggest an Intro to Tech or fundies type course.

Dive-aholic:

I'd like to take 2 tanks in with a separate reg. on each, breath each down to around 400 - 500 PSI (shore diving), then come out, basically.

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Rob,

Why is this unsafe? Assuming the following ascent pattern with a .6 SAC

50ft - 1min
40ft - 1min
30ft - 1min
20ft - 1min
10ft - 1min

You're looking at a 30ft avg depth for 5min. (30/33+1)*.6*5*2 = 11.45 cu ft to support 2 people to the surface. Even with 2xAL80s, 500psi covers rock bottom.

It's also worth noting that our 'dive style' in Bonaire is my buddy & I start the first leg of our dive deeper (maybe 40 - 65', depending on what there is to see), when I get down around 1200 PSI we turn back but swim back shallower (maybe 25 - 40'), then mess around in the shallows and do a 3" 15' safety stop, and stay shallow looking at things until the air's lower, while we're near shore and the exit site.

My air consumption is significantly better than it used to be, but not apt to get much better anytime soon. I don't anticipate taking yoga/meditation, getting big into. cardio. exercise regimens or taking GUE Fundamentals for that (my longer term goal is Resue Diver). Just not 'who I am,' so to speak.

Richard.

Kentucky is close enough to north Florida where you could make a long weekend trip down to take a Cavern course. I've dived with many Cavern-level divers and their skills are always very good. You don't have to take a Fundies course to be a good diver, you don't need a Cavern course, but I recommend either to help you get a nice jump-start on in-water control.

It might even be possible to conduct a Cavern course in a sidemount rig, from a sidemount instructor so you can get feedback from someone who is actively diving the equipment style you want to dive .

Peace,
Greg

kanonfodr:

Kentucky is close enough to north Florida where you could make a long weekend trip down to take a Cavern course. I've dived with many Cavern-level divers and their skills are always very good. You don't have to take a Fundies course to be a good diver, you don't need a Cavern course, but I recommend either to help you get a nice jump-start on in-water control.

It might even be possible to conduct a Cavern course in a sidemount rig, from a sidemount instructor so you can get feedback from someone who is actively diving the equipment style you want to dive .

Peace,
Greg

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Taking a Cavern course seems a bit silly when overhead diving isn't something seen in your future, no? You can take intro to tech courses in SM, just need to find an instructor who has agency permission to teach it.

Easiest thing would be to just take an extra 80. Sling it like you would a pony/stage/deco tank on your left side.
Having a BP/Wing makes this real easy,but you could probably rig it on a regular BC. Going to need a D ring somewhere on the left side of your waist and one a little below your left shoulder.

If it were me I would start a dive breathing from this slung tank, then switch to the backmounted tank once the stage is down to around 1000psi (leaves plenty of gas in the stage in the event of an emergency)

ianr33:

If it were me I would start a dive breathing from this slung tank, then switch to the backmounted tank once the stage is down to around 1000psi (leaves plenty of gas in the stage in the event of an emergency)

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The conditions of the dive matter though:

+1 if this was for open water recreational diving and not exceeding NDLs

-1 for overhead conditions

ucfdiver:

Rob,

Why is this unsafe? Assuming the following ascent pattern with a .6 SAC

50ft - 1min
40ft - 1min
30ft - 1min
20ft - 1min
10ft - 1min

You're looking at a 30ft avg depth for 5min. (30/33+1)*.6*5*2 = 11.45 cu ft to support 2 people to the surface. Even with 2xAL80s, 500psi covers rock bottom.

Click to expand...

I think what Rob was getting at is the way the OP has worded his questions suggests an Intro to Tech, GUE-F or similar type course might help alot. Either in sidemount or as backmount, or slung. To cover the general concept of gas management as it applies to singles and doubles/sidemount. The "run the tanks down to 500 and surface" comment was just the most obvious over-simplification (closely followed by the concept of a manifold).

drrich2:

Been to Bonaire 4 times; hope to go back in the future. Getting hold of big tanks isn't practical, but 'all you can eat buffet' style 80 cf aluminum nitrox tanks, no problem. I'd like to take 2 tanks in with a separate reg. on each, breath each down to around 400 - 500 PSI (shore diving), then come out, basically.

Click to expand...

Codiak:

The conditions of the dive matter though:

+1 if this was for open water recreational diving and not exceeding NDLs

-1 for overhead conditions

Click to expand...

Shore diving in Bonaire . AOW diver.

Seems likely to be recreational.............