Jacket BCD sidemount ???

[cbairdjr]

Thank you - I will check it out

 

[Pullmyfinger]

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We made our own sidemount rigs out of Zeagle and Dive Rite jacket BCs years ago, I still have mine and just recently started diving an SMS 100. Standardization -- hmm, ask ten sidemount divers and you'll get at least 12 answers. Monkey diving . . . why? Defeats the purpose of the rig.

I was just curious. I know that side mount is sort of being developed in various places. It kind of seems like this great diving open source project....which is kind of cool. I can see the appeal.

I just didn't know, if at this point any manufactures out there have developed an rig that was starting to be accepted by most divers as being the one that has worked out most of the kinks in the system.

Thanks,

Mitch

 

[JamesK]

If you're not swimming and bouyancy, trim and redundancy aren't important, I guess it's fine.

I am confused on this statement. Are you saying that in "monkey diving" those things can't be achieved?

---------- Post added April 12th, 2013 at 10:16 PM ----------

I think there's a few people using sidemount harnesses with a gutted Jacket for redundant buoyancy, stubborn buggers

Yep. I know a few of them.

 

[billgraham]

I am confused on this statement. Are you saying that in "monkey diving" those things can't be achieved?

---------- Post added April 12th, 2013 at 10:16 PM ----------



Yep. I know a few of them.

I don't know, I think sidemount diving defies standardization. We made the jacket BC's because no one was making a sidemount harness commercially at the time. As for the single tank sidemount thing, maybe I just don't understand why I'd want to do it. I'd be more inclined to grab two smaller tanks.

 

[karstdvr]

Sidemounting is a book and many are coming into this on chapter 16. My first sidemount rig I used 15 years ago was a jacket BC,and in many senses was far superior to the modern day rigs. Having the inflation surrounding your torso keeps your profile more symmetrical,and allows movement through restrictions easier and with less need for dumping gas. Has always seemed counter intuitive with some sidemount rigs that you need to deflate to pass a restriction,so now I am negative at the worst time,and stirring up silt in an area I want to see. The modern sidemount rig was born from the assembly of backmount material that was around,hence a wing was incorporated not because it was the optimal choice,but what was available. Look at the early sidemounters such as Woody Jasper,Wes Skiles etc,they pushed some incredible restrictions all with a jacket BC sidemount rig. If you have time,look at Bill Rennaker's (Cave Excursions) collection of personal sidemount harnesses,most are jacket BCs,but the evolution of each rig tells a story of how we have arrived at the point we are now.

 

[JamesK]

I don't know, I think sidemount diving defies standardization. We made the jacket BC's because no one was making a sidemount harness commercially at the time. As for the single tank sidemount thing, maybe I just don't understand why I'd want to do it. I'd be more inclined to grab two smaller tanks.

I am tracking on the two smaller tanks, however that is not always an option. I love the feeling of just slinging an AL80 on one side and jumping in for an easy rec dive. The same free feeling of SM diving. Trim or buoyancy are not affected at all. Redundancy of separate tanks may not be needed for all dives.

I have posted this pic many times before, but this is me on a shallow rec shore dive in single tank sm. Everything looks good to me. This is even near the end of the dive where a lot of folks AL80's are at a 45* angle.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

The bottom shot looks pretty cool!

 

[DevonDiver]

The bottom shot looks pretty cool!

So you prefer the upper picture? LMAO

 

[beanojones]

I am tracking on the two smaller tanks, however that is not always an option. I love the feeling of just slinging an AL80 on one side and jumping in for an easy rec dive. The same free feeling of SM diving. Trim or buoyancy are not affected at all. Redundancy of separate tanks may not be needed for all dives.

I have posted this pic many times before, but this is me on a shallow rec shore dive in single tank sm. Everything looks good to me. This is even near the end of the dive where a lot of folks AL80's are at a 45* angle.

These shots make me want to ask:

In this picture what is everything you are wearing and using and how are you keeping the angle right?

As a separate thing:

Keep posting this picture. I am not sure why, but the idea of a single tank does not seem to make sense for some people. Which also means that for these people the full run of odd tank counts would also not make sense. For me, if we are stuck with two tanks, there are some reason why we might as well just dive BM.

 

[JamesK]

The bottom shot looks pretty cool!

Thanks!

---------- Post added April 13th, 2013 at 11:13 AM ----------

These shots make me want to ask:

In this picture what is everything you are wearing and using and how are you keeping the angle right?

As a separate thing:

Keep posting this picture. I am not sure why, but the idea of a single tank does not seem to make sense for some people. Which also means that for these people the full run of odd tank counts would also not make sense. For me, if we are stuck with two tanks, there are some reason why we might as well just dive BM.

Ok, my gear consists of a UTD Ztrim device and a bonediver harness. Basically just a razor harness. I have added my own homemade old school bungee setup that I placed under the wing. I also added a buttplate. I prefer using longer leashes and a buttplate as opposed to waist drings. I have low profile drings on my waist a few inches from the left and right of the crotch strap. This is where the tank is currently clipped off in the top picture. The butt pocket is my surface marker buoy and spool. Along with a few other things I have clipped in there.

Oh and thanks for the last paragraph. I will continue to post it when related.