Karl_H
Contributor
I think BP+W is a great way to start, in fact we stopped using jackets a few years back and now teach all courses exclusively in BP+W set-ups. Most of us who made the poodle jacket mistake after certification did so as we learned in the same poodle jackets?
If you really want to use sidemount I don't think there is any more difficulty in learning in a sidemount set-up, as Andy said the hardest part would be rental after certification so you'd really need to look at purchasing your own gear at day 1 - learning in the same gear you'd use is also highly recommended. That said, other than using the same equipment from day 1 I can't see any other real advantages, the back pain issues are relevant but could also be solved by donning/removing a regular backmount system in the water (with help from boat crew or buddies).
Most divers without technical diving experience tend to be a little confused by hose configurations in sidemount, especially if hoses are routed around the rear of the neck (as they should be in my opinion). This would probably be a little too much for most OW level divers, that said it would be no problem for some also.
The trim is more important in sidemount is just an urban myth, trim is important in any form of diving, it's just easier to maintain trim in sidemount for most people so tends to be linked to 'good trim'.
In terms of harnesses I'd broadly categorise most harnesses into one of three categories:
1 - Warm Water Harnesses
Low lift and configured with aluminium tanks in mind - i.e. Razor/Z-Trim
2 - Cold Water Harnesses
Increased lift and configured with steel tanks in mind (door handles and butt plate) - i.e. Nomad and Armadillo
3 - $hit Harnesses
Try to combine features from both system and end up with a ton of useless features or not enough lift to use them - i.e. SMS50 and Nomad LT
I'd recommend choosing from the first two groups ;-)
Hope that helps!
Karl
The Razor 2 has a pretty neat dual bladder solution, it's by far the best options out there right now if you don't use a dry suit for the course - otherwise it's a case of bringing a spare MSR bladder in the pouch to act as a back-up during the course - then common sense can apply and one isn't required diving in tropical waters after the course. The real problem is the standards calling for the dual bladder, not the dual bladder itself :-(
If you really want to use sidemount I don't think there is any more difficulty in learning in a sidemount set-up, as Andy said the hardest part would be rental after certification so you'd really need to look at purchasing your own gear at day 1 - learning in the same gear you'd use is also highly recommended. That said, other than using the same equipment from day 1 I can't see any other real advantages, the back pain issues are relevant but could also be solved by donning/removing a regular backmount system in the water (with help from boat crew or buddies).
Most divers without technical diving experience tend to be a little confused by hose configurations in sidemount, especially if hoses are routed around the rear of the neck (as they should be in my opinion). This would probably be a little too much for most OW level divers, that said it would be no problem for some also.
The trim is more important in sidemount is just an urban myth, trim is important in any form of diving, it's just easier to maintain trim in sidemount for most people so tends to be linked to 'good trim'.
In terms of harnesses I'd broadly categorise most harnesses into one of three categories:
1 - Warm Water Harnesses
Low lift and configured with aluminium tanks in mind - i.e. Razor/Z-Trim
2 - Cold Water Harnesses
Increased lift and configured with steel tanks in mind (door handles and butt plate) - i.e. Nomad and Armadillo
3 - $hit Harnesses
Try to combine features from both system and end up with a ton of useless features or not enough lift to use them - i.e. SMS50 and Nomad LT
I'd recommend choosing from the first two groups ;-)
Hope that helps!
Karl
The Razor 2 has a pretty neat dual bladder solution, it's by far the best options out there right now if you don't use a dry suit for the course - otherwise it's a case of bringing a spare MSR bladder in the pouch to act as a back-up during the course - then common sense can apply and one isn't required diving in tropical waters after the course. The real problem is the standards calling for the dual bladder, not the dual bladder itself :-(
I'm impressed you managed to keep everything under control to 20ft with thick gloves and the dump valve hidden.
