sidemount rescue techniques ...

Well, I tried asking this in the I2I forum ... but the thread got hijacked by an instructor who's never dived a sidemount system ... so perhaps I'll have better luck asking here ...

Do those of you who dive sidemount practice ... or in the case of instructors, teach ... rescue techniques that are unique to the configuration? And if so, what ... and how does it differ from backmount rescue?

I'm asking because there's a growing number of people starting to show up in our area on sidemount for OW diving ... and at least one instructor who's teaching sidemount classes in Puget Sound. As someone who trains recreational divers, I like to keep my students informed of different configurations, and methods, that they might be called on to use.

This isn't something I'm contemplating teaching right now ... I'm just beginning my search for information on the subject ... and would like to find out what those of you with more experience on the rig think ... and do.

Thanks for any insights ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Hi Bob, Steve Martin might have something in regards to rescue techniques for sidemounters.Sidemount Specialty (Sidemount Essentials) - Steve Martin Sidemount Diving - Course Director PADI TecRec Side Mount Scuba Diving

Funny you should ask that, since my buddies and me, all sidemount cavers, have planned to do rescue techniques next time in the water. I took rescue a few years back but it was taken in a single tank, so holding a panicked diver from behing with tank locked between the knees isnt happening, but most of the other techniques probably do. We do airshare exits on the line in blackedout conditions but need to practice egress of an uncontious diver while holding their reg in place and controlling both wings.

stairman:

Funny you should ask that, since my buddies and me, all sidemount cavers, have planned to do rescue techniques next time in the water. I took rescue a few years back but it was taken in a single tank, so holding a panicked diver from behing with tank locked between the knees isnt happening, but most of the other techniques probably do. We do airshare exits on the line in blackedout conditions but need to practice egress of an uncontious diver while holding their reg in place and controlling both wings.

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I haven't started my SM course yet, but in my experimental sessions in the pool, I find just resting on the surface without having my face pushed into the water a serious challenge. I'm not sure how a rescuer would deal with trying to keep the victim face up while trying to do rescue breaths and ditch equipment. I suppose the ditching would have to become more of a priority, 2nd only to the breaths.

I'm hoping that I'm rigging my stuff wrong and that the surface issues will go away with training, because SM sure works great otherwise.

springs4me:

Hi Bob, Steve Martin might have something in regards to rescue techniques for sidemounters.Sidemount Specialty (Sidemount Essentials) - Steve Martin Sidemount Diving - Course Director PADI TecRec Side Mount Scuba Diving

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That's a great web site ... I can see myself spending some serious time there. Thanks!

stairman:

Funny you should ask that, since my buddies and me, all sidemount cavers, have planned to do rescue techniques next time in the water. I took rescue a few years back but it was taken in a single tank, so holding a panicked diver from behing with tank locked between the knees isnt happening, but most of the other techniques probably do. We do airshare exits on the line in blackedout conditions but need to practice egress of an uncontious diver while holding their reg in place and controlling both wings.

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That's really the point of bringing it up ... I'm diving sidemount now, still fairly new at it. I'm seeing more people moving in that direction locally ... and thinking that it'd be a really good idea to have some information available to local divers who may find themselves buddied up with a sidemount diver (as a few of my friends will be later today), or having to involve themselves in a rescue situation involving someone in sidemount.

I'm thinking it'd be a really good idea to put some thought and practice into how to deal with it before you have to.

olphart:

I haven't started my SM course yet, but in my experimental sessions in the pool, I find just resting on the surface without having my face pushed into the water a serious challenge. I'm not sure how a rescuer would deal with trying to keep the victim face up while trying to do rescue breaths and ditch equipment. I suppose the ditching would have to become more of a priority, 2nd only to the breaths.

I'm hoping that I'm rigging my stuff wrong and that the surface issues will go away with training, because SM sure works great otherwise.

Click to expand...

I haven't had any particular issues floating on my back in SM ... but now that you mention it, I may have to focus on whether or not I'm putting any effort at all into maintaining that position. I'll be doing several dives in my rig today ... good time to pay attention and find out.

For an unconscious diver on the surface, if it became a problem, I'd probably just jettison the tanks ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Something which occurred to me last night has to do with the difference between the way Rescue skills are taught for technical divers, and the way they are taught for recreational classes. In recreational diving, one of the big issues is panic -- the diver being rescued is often assumed to have some kind of problem which has induced panic and an inability to self-rescue, and keeping the rescuer safe from the victim is a big consideration. In at least my technical classes, the diver is assumed to be incapacitated, but not panicked -- the idea being, I think, that people with enough training to be doing technical or overhead diving are less likely to go into full-blown panic, and more likely to run into situations that result in unconsciousness or severe DCS.

As sidemount gets more popular in OW, I wonder if the shift will be toward less experienced divers, and rescuer safety will have to be more of a focus?

NWGratefulDiver:

For an unconscious diver on the surface, if it became a problem, I'd probably just jettison the tanks ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

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My thought has been to disconnect the bottom clips, and fully inflate the wing. Once tilted on his/her back, the hanging tanks would keep the person there . . . unless they were empty AL80s, of course. It would seem to be an extremely stable platform.

As for recovering the diver, backmount recovery techniques would work as well on sidemount victims, would they not?

I never considered the inflation hose as a problem, since the location of the business end is the same place if it had been shouldered mounted . . . the rescuer is simply feeling for and operating the buttons.

Am I missing anything?

NWGratefulDiver:

I'm thinking it'd be a really good idea to put some thought and practice into how to deal with it before you have to.

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I think one of the main differences between normal BM rescue and a possible SM rescue is the placement of the wing inflator. With many sidemount divers choosing to run the inflator up from the inside bottom of the wing, it makes it difficult to position yourself behind the victim and control the ascent with their inflator pulled up in front of you.

If you were to position yourself in front of the victim to control their inflator, then keeping a reg in their mouth would be tricky as well.

I don't have a solution, but would be willing to try out some scenarios with you to see if we find something that works.

NWGratefulDiver:

I haven't had any particular issues floating on my back in SM

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I have no problem either, and I think it's because of the 20lbs of lead in the weight pouches on our backs.

spatman:

I think one of the main differences between normal BM rescue and a possible SM rescue is the placement of the wing inflator. With many sidemount divers choosing to run the inflator up from the inside bottom of the wing, it makes it difficult to position yourself behind the victim and control the ascent with their inflator pulled up in front of you.

If you were to position yourself in front of the victim to control their inflator, then keeping a reg in their mouth would be tricky as well.

I don't have a solution, but would be willing to try out some scenarios with you to see if we find something that works.

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I'm thinking left arm under the victim's left arm, and grasp the inflator. Right arm around and holding reg in mouth. The victim's wing provides the ascent for both. This assumes the victim is stomach down, and the rescuer is on the victim's back.

spatman:

I have no problem either, and I think it's because of the 20lbs of lead in the weight pouches on our backs.

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fftopic:

You add weight to your sidemount rig?

:focus: