Looking to start diving in sidemount or doubles. Which one first?
- Thread starter SWiggs
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KDAD
Contributor
I've always considered the choice of which agency to take is more about which one the best instructor in your area is, YMMV.
MichaelMc
Working toward Cenotes
Thinking of what instructors are available, and what they focus on may be important. More so with travel restrictions as we work through the pandemic. Depending on what is open down that way in the springs, you might also stick your toe in each for a dive or two with a rental rig.
I’m a Red Sea twinset native (big, deep walls) trying to emigrate to the Florida nation of sidemount cave monkeys (like the ones in the movie The Oz but with scooters instead of motorcycles).
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has totally disrupted my SM training plans with not one but three world class SM instructors. One was just about to squeeze me in but is now either offline or booked until eternity is over, the other is stranded in his home state and can’t make it down to Florida and the last one is three continents away, also stranded. However, the last one isn’t sitting idle. I haven’t figured out yet if he’s a reincarnated drug dealer getting me to bite off on more and more mind-altering SCUBA gear or just the Devil Bobby Boucher’s mother kept warning him about. But either way, he’s parked on my shoulder tempting me to run my debit card numbers every month like a high roller in Vegas. “C’mon, you got some bills left, let’s go see if we can run the tables in the drysuit lounge!”
Anyways, since you’re in Florida, I’d start with SM giving you unlimited options in your dive choices. I say that as a guy who relishes flying a twinset like it’s a single tank rig. I hear a lot of guys talk about diving caves in twinset but I liken it to Don Cornelius and the Soul Train dance gauntlet. Everyone gets their turn dancing down the aisle but some people just own it. In Florida caves, I’m thinking SM is hip like Huggy Bear with all the right moves and you won’t be uncool SM’ing on the Atlantic side.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has totally disrupted my SM training plans with not one but three world class SM instructors. One was just about to squeeze me in but is now either offline or booked until eternity is over, the other is stranded in his home state and can’t make it down to Florida and the last one is three continents away, also stranded. However, the last one isn’t sitting idle. I haven’t figured out yet if he’s a reincarnated drug dealer getting me to bite off on more and more mind-altering SCUBA gear or just the Devil Bobby Boucher’s mother kept warning him about. But either way, he’s parked on my shoulder tempting me to run my debit card numbers every month like a high roller in Vegas. “C’mon, you got some bills left, let’s go see if we can run the tables in the drysuit lounge!”
Anyways, since you’re in Florida, I’d start with SM giving you unlimited options in your dive choices. I say that as a guy who relishes flying a twinset like it’s a single tank rig. I hear a lot of guys talk about diving caves in twinset but I liken it to Don Cornelius and the Soul Train dance gauntlet. Everyone gets their turn dancing down the aisle but some people just own it. In Florida caves, I’m thinking SM is hip like Huggy Bear with all the right moves and you won’t be uncool SM’ing on the Atlantic side.
I originally went with sm. Did all my tech training that way. But it is true, it can be more difficult diving off a boat, at first. So I went to bm double 100's. I thought my spine was gonna collapse every time I got them up. So I went went back to sm. And experimenting off the boat. It was pretty new here. So I had to come up with it myself. For rec dives, I went with lp50's. What a dream. Then went back to 80's, and using a drop line or having them handed down to me. That really worked out nicely. And so much more comfortable and damn right fun.
Now I'm in a breather. And should of started there. I know its expensive, but so is $400 a weekend for gas. It's half the weight of my doubles. I sm my 80 bailouts like a boss. And either have them handed down to me or put them on a drop line. But I learned a lot from each system. And how much a didn't like bm doubles. But still prefer sm when I can. It's the most fun you can have with your drysuit on.
Now I'm in a breather. And should of started there. I know its expensive, but so is $400 a weekend for gas. It's half the weight of my doubles. I sm my 80 bailouts like a boss. And either have them handed down to me or put them on a drop line. But I learned a lot from each system. And how much a didn't like bm doubles. But still prefer sm when I can. It's the most fun you can have with your drysuit on.
I see no reason for you to mess around with sidemount. Either way if you want to stick with the 85s you should probably looking at a drysuit
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SWiggs
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