Herniated Disc and Side Mount?

[SCUBASailor]

I am about as recovered as I will ever get from general disc degeneration and a herniated disc at L4-L5. Diving removes all pressure from my spine, and is completely pain free for me. Getting into or out of the water with all that weight is what causes problems for me, and donning the BC in the water is very clumsy.

I am thinking about investing in side mount. It seems like a much easier, although expensive, way to don gear in the water.

We have no local side mount inventory for me to try, but one of my buddies is starting cave training, and will be going side mount eventually, so at some point, I will be able to try out his gear.

Here are my questions:

1) Will it ever get easy to don my current BC in the water, or is it always a goofy procedure?

2) Is side mount the panacea that it appears to be for ease of donning gear in the water?

3) I love the idea of the redundancy of doubles, but that's even more expense. Is it practical to dive a single side mount?

 

[TSandM]

There really isn't any advantage to diving single sidemount, as far as your back goes. You still have to move a tank around. If what you want is to be able to assemble your gear and have someone put it in the water for you, you can do that with any standard single-tank setup.

Sidemount becomes advantageous when you are considering doubles, because then you can take the tanks to the water one by one, and not have to walk with all the weight on your back at once. But this only works where the water conditions are such that you can don your tanks in the water. You can boat dive in sidemount, but you're still standing and walking with two tanks on.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'd have to disagree based on this: Z-System - UTD Online Store - +1 206 321-0870 - sales@utdequipment.com

But you also could modify something like a Zeagle Express Tech like NetDoc here on the board did. His is set up for double but no reason you could not work out the weighting and go single sidemount. I am going to try out a Hollis system the shop has in here. In a few weeks I plan to try it with both doubles and single tanks.

Being able to get up and around with just the harness and wing and have someone hand you your tank in the water and clip it on seems like a very reasonable way to work around your physical limitations.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

There really isn't any advantage to diving single sidemount, as far as your back goes. You still have to move a tank around. If what you want is to be able to assemble your gear and have someone put it in the water for you, you can do that with any standard single-tank setup.

Sidemount becomes advantageous when you are considering doubles, because then you can take the tanks to the water one by one, and not have to walk with all the weight on your back at once. But this only works where the water conditions are such that you can don your tanks in the water. You can boat dive in sidemount, but you're still standing and walking with two tanks on.

I know quite a few people who boat dive in SM, none of them walk around with takns on. They don / doff them in the water. Just one off the endless tricks available.

 

[SCUBASailor]

Jim, I'd like to hear the results of your Hollis trial. Would you please give me an update when you are done?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Will do.

 

[TSandM]

Kevin, that works great if the water surface is calm enough to make it feasible for the crew to hand tanks down and for the diver to receive them without too much risk of losing them, and also if there isn't horrendous surface current.

I still think the OP would be served just fine with standard backmount singles, but donning his gear in the water. Anywhere you can easily receive and clip off a sidemount tank, I would think you could put on your gear in the water.

I know a lot of people who monkey-dive, which is essentially diving a single slung/sidemounted tank. It's certainly feasible, but I'm not sure it solves the OP's problems any better. I find it annoying, because one is quite off-balance to one side in that setup. Works fine with a scooter, but not so great if you like to do a lot of hovering and looking at stuff, at least in my opinion.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

Kevin, that works great if the water surface is calm enough to make it feasible for the crew to hand tanks down and for the diver to receive them without too much risk of losing them, and also if there isn't horrendous surface current.

I still think the OP would be served just fine with standard backmount singles, but donning his gear in the water. Anywhere you can easily receive and clip off a sidemount tank, I would think you could put on your gear in the water.

I know a lot of people who monkey-dive, which is essentially diving a single slung/sidemounted tank. It's certainly feasible, but I'm not sure it solves the OP's problems any better. I find it annoying, because one is quite off-balance to one side in that setup. Works fine with a scooter, but not so great if you like to do a lot of hovering and looking at stuff, at least in my opinion.

My buddies that do it actually have their own line they clip off to the boat and then clip their tanks in. I dont think AL80s should be an issue to walk, but like you if your gonna walk two of those then why not just Bm an 80.

I havnt done the monkey dive thing, yet anyway. I think I would say the same thing but several I know thinks it awesome. I think I would feel like a bird with one wing, one reason I havent done it.

 

[SCUBASailor]

Kevin, I avoid walking with even a single AL80 on my back. Doing a giant stride or climbing up a ladder with one is out of the question now. I rely on dive buddies to carry my tank to the boat or water's edge. I'm not crippled (yet), I just avoid carrying any weight beyond my BC and weights for fear of a relapse.

Lynne, I'm afraid I don't understand. How can attaching two sidemount tanks in rough water be more difficult than donning a BCD with an AL80 on the back?

 

[TSandM]

Oh, I don't think it would be more difficult. I was just saying that, if conditions permit you to enter the water with your sidemount harness on, receive and clip on your tanks on the surface, they would permit you to don a normal single tank rig in the water. Since I, personally, do not like diving with a single large tank on one side of me, I would opt for the normal singles rig and putting it on in the water.

If it is a choice between back-mounted doubles and side-mounted tanks, that's a different story, but as I recall, somewhere up there you asked about doing this with a single tank.