Actual youngest sidemount diver - sorry

[DevonDiver]

I think it's a null question. We have no idea what his training and experience is. Sidemount is taught to open water divers nowadays...

If he were my student, or a diver seeking to dive with me in an overhead, then I'd want to discuss gear configuration with him. That said, if he was only diving open water, and had no interest in overhead...and was content with his gear as it is... then there's no real issue for drastic change.

I teach all my sidemount students to configure as if they were going to do overhead. I doubt many 'recreational only' sidemount instructors can, or would, do that..

 

[GAdiver]

I see no problem teaching this way as it is how I was taught because I had interest in overhead diving and my dad has his wreck and cavern certs. but, you could easily cut off a spg in OW as well diving the springs or an ocean and possibly even quarries if you are close enough to walls, bottom, swimthroughs, etc. I see what you're saying but I wouldn't dive like that, you could ask if you could change where are you the hoses are or the hose lengths.

 

[DaleC]

The only way you'll cut off an SPG is if you are clumsy with the shears.

If you are for "realz" as my kids would say try to see the similarities instead of the differences. You should think it's awesome that another young guy like you is sharing the SM experience instead of trying to define yourself as better than. Being young is circumstance; not achievement.

Diving is supposed to be fun and most divers will soon tire of someone who critiques unnecessarily. I couldn't really care less about a buddies skill level or gear (if the dive were appropriate) but ego and arrogance earns a pass from me every time. You can fix gear and learn skills but you can't fix personality.

Believe me I know, I've been trying for years and still put my foot in it all the time.


As to taking either you or him into an overhead - no. Both of you are minors and as such unable to give informed consent to engage in that activity. Simple as that.

 

[GAdiver]

Sir I do like the idea of another minor diving SM because it shows the agencies that not all jr. Divers are only capable of doing OW diving with one cylinder even if I was on medical waiver. I don't think I am better than him in any way all I did was question his hose rigging and that is being blown up into something that it wasn't. I have dove caverns and smaller wrecks and probably will again before I am 15/18 with a cert, did you know I can be junior cavern/ wreck with IANTD? oh yes I am for "realz" ?

 

[NAM001]

i have to say that if i did not know this was a guy i would say it was a girl. the only thing that says guy is teh deep seated eye sockets. other thatn that the but waist and chest says girl.

(To the OP) Seriously though, I think you might be disappointed...it IS a big world...
View attachment 132050
I said certified. look at the way his hoses are routed his SPG is sticking straight out and on a bc with an over the shoulder inflate the inflator hose goes under the shoulder strap unless you are trying to get entangled. His reg hose is sticking way out and needs to be tucked. I don't know if it was just who I was trained by but my instructor saw every little entanglement hazard everywhere and fixed it and told us not to route hoses with any entanglment hazards. When I take my cavern class whenever I take it I won't dive with my bottles rigged like that, nor will I dive with a buddy backmount or sidemount that has his bottles rigged that way. If he is actually certified he should probably route his hoses differently and ask SM divers with more experience how they rig.

 

[DaleC]

Jason, nobody cares how young you are or what certifications you do/do not have - as Cam has pointed out, apparently the youngest SM diver is probably a girl anyways. What I was trying to point out to you is that you should not try to identify yourself in diving by your accomplishments - fame is fleeting at best and only leads to the incessant need for greater recognition. Try to be known as a competent diver and a helpful friend. Those things never grow old and are appreciated by almost everyone.

Everyone wants to be special - That's not something new. The trick in life is not to tell others how special you are but to let others tell you how special you are. That is best done by letting them first tell you how special they are. Notice the reaction you have gotten by trying to tell everyone how special you are by being so young? If you had just come here and participated as a SMer and then your age had come out naturally, the reaction probably would have been different.

 

[Crush]

Jason,

Welcome to the forums! One thought, unrelated to this discussion—if you name is what your username is, and given the location details you’ve put in this thread, you’ve made it very easy for people to tell who and where you are. The internet is a big place and it’s best to keep information like your name closer to your chest. I believe you can put a request in Site Support section of the forum for a username change, if you decide you don’t want your name and location available for the internet to see J

Dear OP, if you have not already done so you should carefully read the posts of many of the divers contained herein and, if not take their advice, at least carefully consider that they might be right. Especially consider JahJahwarrior's comment, above. Snap decisions are easy to make and self-justification is intoxicating. True, ego-free reflection takes a lifetime to perfect.

 

[OldNSalty]

Everyone wants to be special - That's not something new. The trick in life is not to tell others how special you are but to let others tell you how special you are. That is best done by letting them first tell you how special they are. Notice the reaction you have gotten by trying to tell everyone how special you are by being so young? If you had just come here and participated as a SMer and then your age had come out naturally, the reaction probably would have been different.

That's some good advice. I think I will have this talk with my sons tonight over dinner.

Thanks

 

[JahJahwarrior]

It’s been interesting watching this thread progress…

Regarding the sidemount diver in the picture, I’ve seen it’s very easy to take pictures of someone that aren’t flattering. As a photographer I promise my models that no bad shots will ever see the light of day. I’ve even got photos of friends who intentionally rigged things up silly for a photo in open water when we were just playing around.

That said, one of the problems with sidemount is the lack of standardized hose routing. Ask 9 sidemount divers what is the proper hose routing and you’ll get 10 answers. I know this because I can support multiple hose routing configurations as being logical and reasonably safe. And of course, even if we all have our ideas about what is safe and isn’t, and how we’ll dive and who we’ll dive with, I’ve learned it’s not always black and white.

I don’t see the concern with cutting off an SPG. I’ve scratched several, flooded several, but never cut one off. I have had two Miflex hoses burst, but both did so out of the water. Even if an SPG does burst, the gas loss is not as great as an LP hose bursting. I’m much more concerned with the length and routing of the 2nd stages.

Regarding the age of a diver, of course the age doesn’t have anything to do with the factuality of a statement. Additionally, I’ve also seen that age doesn’t necessarily correlate to the mental attitude of a person.

Even more than that, I’ve learned that it’s very easy to take things too seriously on the internet, to take things the wrong way on the internet, and to focus too much on telling people what to think of you on the internet. I still fully support the use of the internet, I still think forums are the best thing since sliced bread, but I also understand better how quickly people can be to fight or disagree on the internet, when if they met in person they might find each other perfectly tolerable. In that sense, I’ve also learned that what happens on the internet doesn’t always matter all that much…someone can insult me, naming me or not, and it’s sometimes better to not even grace them with a reply.

Regarding mentoring, I think it’s very important for experienced divers to mentor the less experienced, and very important for the less experienced to humbly be mentored. I’ll admit to being cocky from time to time, but I also will readily admit that I’ve learned a lot from hearing and seeing what others do. I definitely don’t intend to be rude or insulting to almost anybody.

Regarding achievements and age and diving…the person who said not to base your opinion of yourself on your achievements has it right. I’m very proud of my achievements, but there are plenty more people with much “greater” achievements. I don’t lose sleep over it, I try not to “toot my own horn” about what I’ve done, I just enjoy being myself. I’m rarely the youngest, the oldest, the smartest, the dumbest…I’ve rarely dove the cave first, dove the cave last, dove the tunnel the furthest, laid the most line, created the best map, taken the best picture, or had the best gas consumption. I’m rarely the thinnest, rarely the fattest, rarely the strongest, rarely the weakest. At the end of the day, I can clearly point out to you the person that I want to be most like, and the attribute he is most known for is his incredibly kindness and willingness to help people succeed.


I’d still like to know more about why you chose to get certified. Would the boats not let you dive SM without a card? Are there other SM divers who can mentor you? Did you cover tank removal in the class? What about using a 7’ hose: none, 1 or both tanks? How many bands did he have you use to hold down the hose? Where did he require you to put the inflator? Did the training tell you to switch every 500psi, or do a 6th 3rds 6th switch? Second stages stored bungeed around your neck or clipped off? Left hand second stage or around the neck routing? 90* adaptors on the 2nd stages or no?

 

[offroadr1]

reading your comments just reminded me of something. my "diving mentor" is a good bit younger than me and has far far more experience in the water than i will have over the next several years. i have known her for nearly 3 years and just recently found out she is the youngest female that TDI has ever certified as a tech diver. what makes it a more of a big deal is someone else told me that. she has never spoken of it and i asked her why she didnt tell me. her answer was that it wasnt worth talking about.