Carry stage like side mount

[wetb4igetinthewater]

improper marking (using specific regs or body position instead of proper verification protocols) has killed plenty.

sidemounting stages means you have to drop them to check them - and buddy verify.

plus the right stages are in the way of scooter driving and deploying the long hose and all for what? 4 stages all up front is like swimming a wall

Proper marking does not replace specific regs (bad idea, though I use that on the surface not under) or body positions.

I don’t have to drop the cylinder to check as I also label at the top. I just look down at it. My buddy also checks from the side label before I put the reg in my mouth. While I’m obviously not GUE T1 trained, that’s how I was trained in my TDI normoxic trimix course. Not sure what the issue is. Please elaborate if you will.

If people have improperly marked cylinders and rely on other methods, I’m not interested. If you were to screw up where you set up your deco cylinders, you should catch that.

 

[rjack321]

Proper marking does not replace specific regs (bad idea, though I use that on the surface not under) or body positions.

I don’t have to drop the cylinder to check as I also label at the top. I just look down at it. My buddy also checks from the side label before I put the reg in my mouth. While I’m obviously not GUE T1 trained, that’s how I was trained in my TDI normoxic trimix course. Not sure what the issue is. Please elaborate if you will.

If people have improperly marked cylinders and rely on other methods, I’m not interested. If you were to screw up where you set up your deco cylinders, you should catch that.

If the cylinder is up and behind your armpit where sidemount cylinder belong, then you can never look at the top - unless you're a giraffe.

Do what you want, this thread is about sidemounting stages while in backmount. Im sure its fine with one stage/deco gas especially if its just a 40

But:
1) it turns a tall narrow profile into a tall AND wide profile
2) you cant check the contents label without at least partially removing it
3) your left hip dring is a whole lot harder to access (for your spg and your leash) especially with dry glove rings
4) bottle rotations have one more issue (the bungie)
5) you have to undermount your second stage/deco gas anyway
6) anything less than standard backmount rigging makes handing it off to your backmount buddy "one more thing"

I swear half of SB is just thought experiments making stuff up. The standard DIR rigging works. Yes it hangs down until its used. If you think you have "too much drag" I guarantee a single stage is the least of your problems. If you have multiple stages this is a terrible way to try to address that drag.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If the cylinder is up and behind your armpit where sidemount cylinder belong, then you can never look at the top - unless you're a giraffe.

Do what you want, this thread is about sidemounting stages while in backmount.

Ah yes, I was getting into the weeds. You are correct in that for sidemounting deco cylinders with primary gas is on the back. However, you are wrong that you have to drop them. The tops are connected via bungee, not clipped in. You just push down the tops to read the markings. Streamlined and easy to check labels.

 

[decompression]

Are these bottom stages or deco bottles
How are you verifying them? I guess rotating them into the lower front left but damn that's a ton of extra work rotating compared to a leash

depends on the dive/tank requirement.......

pretty easy just to add 2 bottles on each side (tech sidemounting), no requirement to remove tank to verify, simple buddy verify and hose trace. Bungee helps when using 80’s, 40’s can use either.

very much concur that drygloves rings are a pain when accessing the SPG, luckily a solid gas plan reduces this requirement. Still a pain though......very jealous of warm water guys.

 

[wstorms]

<>
1) it turns a tall narrow profile into a tall AND wide profile

I am not sure I follow that. How does it make you wider? It would seem the widest point is at the hip, regardless of how you mount it? I can see how adding stages to the right would make you wider, but again, isn't that similar to using regular rigging on the right?

2) you cant check the contents label without at least partially removing it

I haven't experienced this, a simple pull on the valve stretches the bungee enough to read any label, at least with 1 stage. Still have to try multiple stages.

3) your left hip dring is a whole lot harder to access (for your spg and your leash) especially with dry glove rings

Actually since the sliding D ring on the waist belt is moved forward, it is quite easy. You have to reach from the side instead of putting your arm straight down, so I guess it might be a bit more tricky in a really tight restriction, but assuming you have about half an arm's length of room on your side, it provides open access to the D ring and SPG.

4) bottle rotations have one more issue (the bungie)
5) you have to undermount your second stage/deco gas anyway
6) anything less than standard backmount rigging makes handing it off to your backmount buddy "one more thing"

Agreed, especially point 6 is a good one I didn't consider yet. If I would have to hand of the stage, I would use a double ender to secure it at the safety cord around the neck of the bottle (like how i secure sidemount ciliders if i need to clip them on on land, climbing ladders etc), but that is definitely one more thing to do.

I swear half of SB is just thought experiments making stuff up. The standard DIR rigging works. Yes it hangs down until its used. If you think you have "too much drag" I guarantee a single stage is the least of your problems. If you have multiple stages this is a terrible way to try to address that drag.

Yes, but to be fair, I wasn't trying to reduce drag, I was just playing with dive kit ;-)
And yes, I like how it works for a single stage, it sits nice and snug in place. However, I am getting more and more convinced to not use the bungee for multi stage dives. Most of the arguments provided in this tread are (imho) good reasons not to.

 

[JohnnyC]

In caves, I'll sidemount my first two bailouts on CCR. Bailout plumbing aids the concept. Anything more than one a side and any benefit quickly goes away. If I'm doing a bunch of gas switches it's not worth the added hassle, and I'm gonna have more tanks anyway which ruins the concept so it's standard left-side DIR rigging. OC is all left side rigging and a leash because you're much more likely to have to donate the long hose rather sportily than if you're diving with a CCR buddy.

Dealing with a bottle a side is no big deal, especially if it's all the same gas liked you'd have in Mexico caves, etc.. Deco gas goes on a leash because it's easier and gets dropped anyway. Pull the leash forward, drop the gas, move on.