I'm curious about sidemount

[FoxHound]

Absolutely, me too.

That said, when teaching, I'm always of the mind that the student might have different views to me. I'd allow forward-pointed gauges in an OW context, but not for more advanced applications, such as deco or technical wreck.

My view is that you find the optimum config for the long-term, but sometimes a staggered/fluid approach works better - allowing changes over time, as the diver evolves.

I had a student last week, whose rental kit (not rented from me) had the 'metal braided' short HP hoses - and those didn't lend themselves at all towards downward routing. It was basic sidemount, so I didn't insist on a change in configuration.



I use metal gauges, of the small size. No boots. Had no issues with stress on the HP hoses.

See now i have to disagree with them running down

my 2 spgs sit right at my collar bone, they don't hang low and I can see them and can see when something is about to be possibly snagged.....if they were running down the tank then if they are on the bottom of said tank, I can no longer see them and they are likely the lowest point, might take some abuse and get hung up on things.....if they are on the top of the tank then when I'm carrying a deco or stage bottle top mounted then it would be very difficult to get at and take some abuse.

Different strokes for different folks though, like I was told when i first started with SM, ask 10 different divers and get 12 different answers lol

 

[DevonDiver]

Different strokes for different folks though, like I was told when i first started with SM, ask 10 different divers and get 12 different answers lol

Absolutely. I think we're a long way from having a 'DIR-type' philosophy with sidemount. The nearest thing to a standardized approach being the 'Bogaerthian' configuration.

Pretty much all of my dives are on wrecks - most involve penetration of some degree... and I frequently do technical/demanding penetrations in confined areas using guideline. I don't recommend forward-facing SPGs in those circumstances.

For OW divers, the forward-facing SPGs probably encourage/foster better gas awareness and facilitate better transition to the skill of gas balancing. However, if an OW diver expresses an interest in moving towards technical/overhead diving application for sidemount, then they may be better served by starting off with the configuration they'll eventually use.

 

[beanojones]

View attachment 132785a pic for the curious. And if anyone wants to know why the clear hose? Because that's what the custom hose place had in stock.

As you use it and find pros and cons with it, please update.

(And I love the clear hose!)

 

[FoxHound]

Absolutely. I think we're a long way from having a 'DIR-type' philosophy with sidemount. The nearest thing to a standardized approach being the 'Bogaerthian' configuration.

Pretty much all of my dives are on wrecks - most involve penetration of some degree... and I frequently do technical/demanding penetrations in confined areas using guideline. I don't recommend forward-facing SPGs in those circumstances.

For OW divers, the forward-facing SPGs probably encourage/foster better gas awareness and facilitate better transition to the skill of gas balancing. However, if an OW diver expresses an interest in moving towards technical/overhead diving application for sidemount, then they may be better served by starting off with the configuration they'll eventually use.

Absolutely, all my dives on side mount are open water.....my technical dives on side mount are also open water.....im not trained for cave/wreck penetration so I leave that to the professionals

when I do that training, im sure there will be some gear changes yet again.....at the end of the day we all "do what works"

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Absolutely. I think we're a long way from having a 'DIR-type' philosophy with sidemount. The nearest thing to a standardized approach being the 'Bogaerthian' configuration.

Pretty much all of my dives are on wrecks - most involve penetration of some degree... and I frequently do technical/demanding penetrations in confined areas using guideline. I don't recommend forward-facing SPGs in those circumstances.

For OW divers, the forward-facing SPGs probably encourage/foster better gas awareness and facilitate better transition to the skill of gas balancing. However, if an OW diver expresses an interest in moving towards technical/overhead diving application for sidemount, then they may be better served by starting off with the configuration they'll eventually use.

I agree with the general concept but there is a qualitative aspect here that you need to consider.

There is a world of difference between having the forward facing SPGs pointing straight forward, or worse angled down like little shovels, and having them angle in and across your chest.

I configure my tanks, regs and SPGs so that the come in, slightly forward and across my chest, almost meeting in the middle near the dry suit inflator if I am in a dry suit. because the tanks roll inward, they press the SPGs against my chest and I have to pull them away to look at them. I this circumstance they are not the low point and they are quite clean. With about 100 cave dives in this configuration including plenty of dives in tight silty passages, often with old and loose line, I have yet to have one snag anything.

---

A related issue is that I want to be just as clean backing out of a tight spot as I was going into it, especially if the line is loose, is routed overhead or somewhere I can easily reach it, etc. In that regard, I'd much prefer to deal with a snag on an SPG moving forward with the snag on my chest where it is easy to see or feel and clear, versus having it happen behind me where seeing it or feeling what is going on is much harder.

So while I don't disagree with your general premise, I'm going to stick with that I do now.

 

[beanojones]

Here's the thing though. If the tanks have to move, or if more than two tank are used, then doing anything but running the SPG hoses down can run into problems.

Lollipopping the SPG on a boat gets the SPGs busted up pretty fast, or at least makes it catch on everything all the time. (But then again, I use plastic gauges because metal gauges make my HP hoses sag eventually)

I think the split comes from whether someone is taking their tanks on and off alot, and whether they are using a boat or not, and whether they are added a third or fourth bottom gas tank.

If the gearing up happens in a quiet place, and the gear never comes off, and there is never a third of fourth tank added to the mix, it's one thing. If the gearing up happens on a boat, or the gear is expected to be removed, or if there are more than two bottom gas bottles, then downward facing guages become more and more useful to the point that I just go with them exclusively now.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Here's the thing though. If the tanks have to move, or if more than two tank are used, then doing anything but running the SPG hoses down can run into problems.

Lollipopping the SPG on a boat gets the SPGs busted up pretty fast, or at least makes it catch on everything all the time. (But then again, I use plastic gauges because metal gauges make my HP hoses sag eventually)

I think the split comes from whether someone is taking their tanks on and off alot, and whether they are using a boat or not, and whether they are added a third or fourth bottom gas tank.

If the gearing up happens in a quiet place, and the gear never comes off, and there is never a third of fourth tank added to the mix, it's one thing. If the gearing up happens on a boat, or the gear is expected to be removed, or if there are more than two bottom gas bottles, then downward facing guages become more and more useful to the point that I just go with them exclusively now.

We just going to have to disagree on this.

I use brass and glass SPGs, since plastic breaks and I'm not taking them in a cave. Ever. I do however use medium sized (1.5") SPGs which are lighter and sag less.

Sag in the SPG hose is not an issue as I'm out of the water by 1200 psi - usually close to 1500 psi, when cave diving. If I am doing recreational diving I might see some sag at low pressures around 500 psi, but then I'm not doing penetration, especially with low gas.

With top clipped stages, the SPG is just pressed against the chest more so anything that rolls the tank inward is gravy.

If I am swinging a tank forward to move through a restriction, the SPG sweeps aft and is now pointed aft, where it is now quite streamlined and still angled up.

If I have top clipped a pair of stages and bottom clipped a deco bottle, I don't want to have to feel around for the rear mounted SPG hose on a primary sidemount bottle as the SPGs on the deco and stage bottles are routed straight down the bottle.

 

[DevonDiver]

There is a world of difference between having the forward facing SPGs pointing straight forward, or worse angled down like little shovels, and having them angle in and across your chest.

Agree with your points... it's a matter of preference.

For me, every time I see forward-pointing gauges, in relation to using a guideline....I think of this:



As reference...

 

[FoxHound]

and having the spg facing down like that (blueish pic) is a terrible place for it......it looks just like a shovel waiting to grab something......by comparison my spgs and likely aquamaster's as well are almost 90 degrees different then those.

 

[JamesK]

not to mention he has other issues with tank trim as well.