Side mount demo day; suggestions?

I going to attend this event. Any ideas of any specific Hollis product I should ask to try?

Jun. 23, 2012 - Hollis Side Mount Demo
Day
Ever wonder about not having your tanks strapped to your back?
On Saturday June 23, 2012 Giant Stride will be holding a Side Mount Diving Demo
featuring the Hollis SMS100 and SMS50. The only requirement is that you be a
certified diver and fit to dive. Side Mount Diving is good both for the most
extreme type of Technical Diving and for Recreational Divers for a number of
reasons. The Regional Reps from Hollis will be there with other equipment like
computers, lights, reels, harnesses, etc… The Demo starts at 11:00 a.m. at Fort
Wetheril and we hope to see you there. If you do plan on attending and want to
try a specific Hollis product, please let us know at least two weeks ahead of
time so we can be sure to have it there. Please RSVP by clicking the Register
button below and call us at Giant Stride for special requests for other Hollis
Products.

Try both harness syles.

No one else is making both types of sidemount harness, and with the same manufacturer doing both types (Butt Bubble, or Wing Style) you will be able to learn more about which style fits you personally. You are lucky.

Do you have some more info in where it is to be held?

If you have chance to try both, then do so.

Personally, I didn't like the SMS100 - too bulky and 'jacket-like' for my tastes... which deteriorated from what I consider to be the ideal benefits of sidemount as a means to penetrate through very confined spaces. Good if you want a 'hybrid' (backmount singles/sidemount) and/or redundant buoyancy though.

The SMS50 is closer to a 'hogarthian' concept - I've not tried it yet, but it looks much more minimalist and slick. May be a problem if you've got a penchant for multiple steel tanks though...

DevonDiver:

If you have chance to try both, then do so.

Personally, I didn't like the SMS100 - too bulky and 'jacket-like' for my tastes... which deteriorated from what I consider to be the ideal benefits of sidemount as a means to penetrate through very confined spaces. Good if you want a 'hybrid' (backmount singles/sidemount) and/or redundant buoyancy though.

The SMS50 is closer to a 'hogarthian' concept - I've not tried it yet, but it looks much more minimalist and slick. May be a problem if you've got a penchant for multiple steel tanks though...

Click to expand...

A lot of us cold water divers op for steel tanks, of which I'm one. Even in NC in June I used a 7mm farmer style wet suit those deep wrecks have a noticable chill to them. I'm thinking along the lines of morphing the back mounted IDs to side mount. Right from the start I'd have control over my valves, which I don't have now and is an issue at times, today in fact was one of those times. Nothing overly dangerous but I thumbed I dive I could have done had been able to reach my valves. Shoulder operations and injuries prevent me from reaching that far back. I even have trouble starting the diagonal front zipper on my dry suit! Thanks I will try both if I can. Your posts are always something worth reading. I'll get there early and help the owner setup maybe I'll get 1st dibs!

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beanojones:

Try both harness syles.

No one else is making both types of sidemount harness, and with the same manufacturer doing both types (Butt Bubble, or Wing Style) you will be able to learn more about which style fits you personally. You are lucky.

Do you have some more info in where it is to be held?

Click to expand...

The Demo starts at 11:00 a.m. at Fort Wetheril and we hope to see you there. That's in Jamestown, RI Jun. 23, 2012

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Has anybody used the old LP 72 bottles in sidemount? Anybody like to speculate how they would be for SM use??

I'll have to wait until they resechule. In the mean time I scored 2 steel 50 LP tanks for my backmounted ID's SWEET!