Question about sidemount protocols

A dive buddy just got SM certification recently. Before we dove together we agreed to practice S-drills before a dive to get familiar with each other's protocols just to be safe.

She briefed me on her setup and how it worked. During the S drill she donated the longhose to me after I signalled OOA. All went according to plan, except we discovered the regulator was presented to me upside down because she was taught to pass it in her left hand, while I was trained to always pass it with the right.

I spent a few seconds with my reg out of my mouth trying to figure it out the first time it happened, good thing we practiced before going diving. It wasn't ideal, but I could live with it. Good thing her reg breathes ok upside down, I've had some that won't breathe properly or will have water in it if turned upside down.

She explained to me she had to pass it to me with her left hand beccause of the way the hose was routed in SM, but I can't remember the details of it now. I just thought this was a potential for a clusterfart if the receiver was under duress during a real OOA situation and still had to mess with the reg handed to him upside down.

I then asked her what happens if you were breathing down the tank on the necklace and your longhose was clipped off, what happens if I go OOA? She told me she will unclip the longhose and pass it to me.

We agreed to give that a try and what happened next was not confidence inspiring. I signalled OOA while she was breathing on the reg on a necklace, and she spent a good few seconds fumbling with the bolt snap trying to undo it from the shoulder D-ring. I was thinking if this was a real emergency I'd be screwed.

Did my friend just learn some "not so good" protocols, was she mistaken, or are there better solutions to the problems pointed out? I don't dive SM and am not familiar with the setup other than the quick overview I was given.

Thanks for any clarifications on this.

---------- Post added April 13th, 2014 at 12:08 AM ----------

One more question for SM divers - do you turn off the valve on the tank you're not breathing on to prevent free flow?

There have been a number of suggestions to have some type of break-away connection on the bolt snap on the long hose because of the problem you ran into. Here is a commercial version. The other alternative is to avoid diving in mixed sidemount/backmount teams so that donation is no longer an issue. I'm not why your partner was passing her long hose left-handed. Which side was her long hose on?

If the tanks are independent, I've never heard of anyone turning off the valves when they're not in use. I think it might be required when using the UTD manifold system.

One more question for SM divers - do you turn off the valve on the tank you're not breathing on to prevent free flow?

NEVER!

Famous quote: If you have 10 sidemount divers....you will see 11 different gear configurations.


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When she passed you the long hose, was it the one she was breathing from at the time or was it clipped off? It's 50/50 in sidemount.

On the long hose that was clipped off, the bolt snap should be attached with some form of break away device (o-ring, etc...)

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There is no reason whatsoever to donate with left hand. Tell her to smack her instructor around a bit with a large trout.

- Mikko Laakkonen -

I love diving and teaching others to dive.

rongoodman:

There have been a number of suggestions to have some type of break-away connection on the bolt snap on the long hose because of the problem you ran into. Here is a commercial version. The other alternative is to avoid diving in mixed sidemount/backmount teams so that donation is no longer an issue. I'm not why your partner was passing her long hose left-handed. Which side was her long hose on?

If the tanks are independent, I've never heard of anyone turning off the valves when they're not in use. I think it might be required when using the UTD manifold system.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification. Yes the break away connector seems like a possible improvement. I can't remember which side the long hose came out from, but if I had to make a bad guess I'd say it's the left tank.

However I don't see how not diving in mixed teams will fix the issue, because it doesn't really matter what config the receiver is in? He'd still have the same problems I faced.

---------- Post added April 13th, 2014 at 07:19 AM ----------

kwinter:

When she passed you the long hose, was it the one she was breathing from at the time or was it clipped off? It's 50/50 in sidemount.

Click to expand...

We did 2 drills. The first time she was breathing on the long hose.
The second time it was clipped off.

---------- Post added April 13th, 2014 at 07:22 AM ----------

Aquabot:

On the long hose that was clipped off, the bolt snap should be attached with some form of break away device (o-ring, etc...)

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Click to expand...

Ah I think I remember something I was told now. I asked why did you not tie the bolt snap with cave line, and I remember she mentioned she was told to use zip ties instead as they break away when you pulled hard.

I didn't understand why it needed to break away then, now I know, thanks.

WhiteSands:

Thanks for the clarification. Yes the break away connector seems like a possible improvement. I can't remember which side the long hose came out from, but if I had to make a bad guess I'd say it's the left tank.

However I don't see how not diving in mixed teams will fix the issue, because it doesn't really matter what config the receiver is in? He'd still have the same problems I faced.

---------- Post added April 13th, 2014 at 07:19 AM ----------



We did 2 drills. The first time she was breathing on the long hose.
The second time it was clipped off.

---------- Post added April 13th, 2014 at 07:22 AM ----------



Ah I think I remember something I was told now. I asked why did you not tie the bolt snap with cave line, and I remember she mentioned she was told to use zip ties instead as they break away when you pulled hard.

I didn't understand why it needed to break away then, now I know, thanks.

Click to expand...

A oring is best since they are cheap and easy to break but strong enough not to unintentionally break. You would use the zip tie to secure it to the hose. When I get home I can take a picture and show you how I was taught to do it.

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Aquabot:

A oring is best since they are cheap and easy to break but strong enough not to unintentionally break. You would use the zip tie to secure it to the hose. When I get home I can take a picture and show you how I was taught to do it.

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Click to expand...

thank you that would be helpful

Not diving in mixed teams means not having to go to your partner for gas, since you have enough(you do, don't you?) in each tank to exit with. I don't even have a long hose on my sidemount rig when I'm diving in the caves with another sidemount diver.