I'm curious about sidemount

[DevonDiver]

Even OW diving, I am just completely sold on downward running guages.

Absolutely, me too.

That said, when teaching, I'm always of the mind that the student might have different views to me. I'd allow forward-pointed gauges in an OW context, but not for more advanced applications, such as deco or technical wreck.

My view is that you find the optimum config for the long-term, but sometimes a staggered/fluid approach works better - allowing changes over time, as the diver evolves.

I had a student last week, whose rental kit (not rented from me) had the 'metal braided' short HP hoses - and those didn't lend themselves at all towards downward routing. It was basic sidemount, so I didn't insist on a change in configuration.

I have also all but given up on anything but plastic body gauges. I would love to use a more durable metal gauge but after a fee dozen dives a metal guage just ends up making the short hose bend permanently, and the plastic ones don't. Have to use a boot for them but.

I use metal gauges, of the small size. No boots. Had no issues with stress on the HP hoses.

 

[beanojones]

My config is just like others have described, except that I also have the long hose on a quick disconnect. My theory is that if theres a complete gas loss from the right tank, I can move the long hose to the left tank and I'm still able to donate air to a buddy if the emergency gets worse. I'm not sure if I'll stick with this - really just experimenting with it now.

Please tell me more about this!!!!

Where is the quick disconnect?

(I always get excited with new ideas, and this one sounds pretty clever.)

 

[JamesK]

My config is just like others have described, except that I also have the long hose on a quick disconnect. My theory is that if theres a complete gas loss from the right tank, I can move the long hose to the left tank and I'm still able to donate air to a buddy if the emergency gets worse. I'm not sure if I'll stick with this - really just experimenting with it now.

Why not just eliminate the possible failure point of the quick disconnect and use a long hose on each tank?

 

[beanojones]

Why not just eliminate the possible failure point of the quick disconnect and use a long hose on each tank?

Dude, don't be a buzzkill!

We start talking about failure points, and then we will start telling people how to do things instead of the marvelous explosion of ideas in sidemount. Example: I would never buy a Z system, but I love that it is out there.

More seriously, I have been using quick disconnects (as have hard hat divers, and at least some rebreather divers) forever, and I have never had one fail.

We used to use Air2s to deco off of a hung Air2 disconnect. That disconnect was so much more reilable than hanging a second stage that can freeflow out all the gas when no one is looking. We lost gas all the time before we switched to the QD. Once we did we never did again.

In my corrosion happy diving, I have only had one single inflator hose fail at the disconnect, including all the rental gear I have ever worked on.

I have had first stages fracture, first stage separate at the swivel, first stages blow out the yoke nuts thread, first stages come unscrewed at the yoke nuts thread, second stage bodies crack, demand levers break, second stage diapragms rip, Second Strage exhaust valves fail, hemisphere swivels completely separate, mouthpieces fall off and/or fall apart, zipties popoff, corrugated hoses rip, bladders get slashed, tank O-rings (neck and yoke face) fail catastrophically, DIN O-rings fail catastrophically, second stage hose swivel O-rings fail catastrophically, low pressure hoses and high pressure hoses blow, gauges flood, port plug O-rings blow, masks separate, mask skirts rip, mask straps break, fin straps break, mask and fin buckles break, weight belt buckles spontaneously separate, etc.

But only once have I ever had a QD fitting fail, and that was the schraeder kind, not the breathing line QD.

 

[JamesK]

And you think I am the buzzkill. Lol? I simply asked a question. Why not use two hoses?

 

[djcheburashka]

Please tell me more about this!!!!

Where is the quick disconnect?

(I always get excited with new ideas, and this one sounds pretty clever.)

Both first stages have six-inch lp hoses with OmniSwivel female qds at the end. The long hose is a custom so it fits to the OmniSwivel male.

The price of this configuration is a lot of extra o-rings/failure points. Which is why I haven't made up my mind.

 

[djcheburashka]

Why not just eliminate the possible failure point of the quick disconnect and use a long hose on each tank?

Two reasons. First, then we'd have to buddy breathe off the left tank instead of donating a reg. Second, the hose routing would get pretty ugly.

 

[djcheburashka]

Dude, don't be a buzzkill!

We start talking about failure points, and then we will start telling people how to do things instead of the marvelous explosion of ideas in sidemount. Example: I would never buy a Z system, but I love that it is out there.

More seriously, I have been using quick disconnects (as have hard hat divers, and at least some rebreather divers) forever, and I have never had one fail.

...

In my corrosion happy diving, I have only had one single inflator hose fail at the disconnect, including all the rental gear I have ever worked on.

I have had first stages fracture, first stage separate at the swivel, first stages blow out the yoke nuts thread, first stages come unscrewed at the yoke nuts thread, second stage bodies crack, demand levers break, second stage diapragms rip, Second Strage exhaust valves fail, hemisphere swivels completely separate, mouthpieces fall off and/or fall apart, zipties popoff, corrugated hoses rip, bladders get slashed, tank O-rings (neck and yoke face) fail catastrophically, DIN O-rings fail catastrophically, second stage hose swivel O-rings fail catastrophically, low pressure hoses and high pressure hoses blow, gauges flood, port plug O-rings blow, masks separate, mask skirts rip, mask straps break, fin straps break, mask and fin buckles break, weight belt buckles spontaneously separate, etc.

But only once have I ever had a QD fitting fail, and that was the schraeder kind, not the breathing line QD.

Thank you-I appreciate this info as I'm weighing the pros of the configuration vs the failure points. I also agree with you about the z system manifold (shudder).

 

[JamesK]

Two reasons. First, then we'd have to buddy breathe off the left tank instead of donating a reg. Second, the hose routing would get pretty ugly.

Hose routing is easy, but I completely understand the buddy breathing comment.

 

[djcheburashka]

a pic for the curious. And if anyone wants to know why the clear hose? Because that's what the custom hose place had in stock.