Beginner questions!

[WillieJustice]

How old are you? If you’re diving at local inland locations, SM works well. If you have any history of leg/back issues, not having a tank on your back is lovely. I have bad knee issues and I’ve been doing SM for a number of years. I cave dive SM open circuit and SM my CCR bailout, but a pair of small LP50s are great for a local shallow lake dive.

I am 64 but all of my body parts work just fine. I don't have problems getting across a rocky beach all geared up, and climbing into a boat with the BC and tanks isn't an issue either. The first couple dives, I handed everything up, but it's easier just to climb the ladder than mess with it. So physical limitations aren't an issue at this point. I'll dive in caves and wrecks one day, but that's a ways off.

I assume sidemount works with a dry suit as well as a wet suit. And thanks for your reply. I don't even know what I don't know yet.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

SM sucks on a boat. When I finally got serious about learning SM I paid a friend who is a SM instructor to spend an entire day with me showing me tricks---the process was worth ever dollar I insisted on paying him because I did not have to "re-create the wheel"

 

[Marie13]

I am 64 but all of my body parts work just fine. I don't have problems getting across a rocky beach all geared up, and climbing into a boat with the BC and tanks isn't an issue either. The first couple dives, I handed everything up, but it's easier just to climb the ladder than mess with it. So physical limitations aren't an issue at this point. I'll dive in caves and wrecks one day, but that's a ways off.

I assume sidemount works with a dry suit as well as a wet suit. And thanks for your reply. I don't even know what I don't know yet.

SM future proofs your diving. I know some guys at the local diving hole who switched from doubles to SM because of physical issues. I just roll my gear all over the place in a collapsible canvas cart. I’ve had people scoff at me until they get tired of carrying gear. Then they ask where I got it!

And yes, SM works well with a drysuit. I primarily dive dry. Two big steel 85s help keep the amount of lead needed down.

 

[WillieJustice]

SM future proofs your diving. I know some guys at the local diving hole who switched from doubles to SM because of physical issues. I just roll my gear all over the place in a collapsible canvas cart. I’ve had people scoff at me until they get tired of carrying gear. Then they ask where I got it!

And yes, SM works well with a drysuit. I primarily dive dry. Two big steel 85s help keep the amount of lead needed down.

Great to know. Thanks. My knees will go bad eventually, so that's an inevitable fact. They are fine now, but eventually, I'll have new ones. Sounds like learning sidemount is a good ideas with that in mind.

 

[rjack321]

Sidemounting.com instructional videos are a great resource.

Not for someone trying hp100s as their first SM tanks though. Some is the same and applicable, but some definitely isn't and if you're brand new it's hard to tell the difference.

 

[NYCrecdiver]

Not for someone trying hp100s as their first SM tanks though. Some is the same and applicable, but some definitely isn't and if you're brand new it's hard to tell the difference.

Sidemounting.com subscription indeed cannot replace in-person training with a good instructor. It does provide a wealth of information though on the many details going into sidemount diving. I find it helpful to get advice and opinions from many different sources to make my diving and my kit my own. And that is especially true for sidemount diving where the amount of customizations and options can be pretty daunting. As a beginning sidemount diver, I find myself going back to Steve Martin's videos again and again. They're very helpful to me. I use steel cylinders and it's not that much different from AL80s. YMMV.

 

[scubadada]

I've been diving since 1997, 2350 dives, a pretty wide variety of land-based and liveaboard experiences. I've dived with a sidemount diver exactly once. I would imagine it is the type of diving I do and can see it would work out for others. ScubaBoard is an interesting place.

 

[grantmac]

SM is great for wanting more gas/redundancy but without owning your own tanks or when traveling.
I've modified a folding 2 wheeled golf caddy to carry two tanks. It rolls down trails that carts won't manage.