Hi All,
I am a (relatively) experienced back mount diver, about to splash in to the world of Sidemount. I am looking for opinions to point me in the right direction on setup. The only thing holding me back so far was the thought of having to replace all of my beloved gear!
I have already narrowed the system down to Dive Rite Nomad LTZ, or xDeep Stealth 2.0 (and read many forums / reviews to get thus far). My question is over reg setup....
I already own a Hollis 500SE / DC7, which I love, but the (small and very cool) 1st stage unfortunately has yoke. I understand DIN is far better for SM, and I really don't want to have to buy more than is required, so first question is can I get it changed to DIN (not an adaptor)?
Once that bit is sorted (worst way buying a new 1st stage), are 2 X DC7's / 500SE's actually any good for SM? The (still small and still cool) DC7 has fixed ports, the manufacturer of course says it is perfect for SM setup but I'm not convinced yet.
If we decide this setup is NOT the way to go, then I have narrowed my choice down to:
-) Dive Rite Nomad XT reg set
-) Apeks 50 reg set
-) Hollis 212 / DC1 set
In my mind I prefer the first two choices, but I think the Apeks regs are fairly basic? I like the idea of having all Dive Rite kit if I go that way, but I'm honestly not sure about how good they are. I read good things, but they look a bit basic and bulky compared to the 212's?
So in summary (and well done if you've read it this far):
-) can I change a DC7 fitting
-) is it even worth considering the DC7's for SM
-) what are the thoughts on my alternative choices
Thanks buddies, looking forward to some conversations!
I am a (relatively) experienced back mount diver, about to splash in to the world of Sidemount. I am looking for opinions to point me in the right direction on setup. The only thing holding me back so far was the thought of having to replace all of my beloved gear!
I have already narrowed the system down to Dive Rite Nomad LTZ, or xDeep Stealth 2.0 (and read many forums / reviews to get thus far). My question is over reg setup....
I already own a Hollis 500SE / DC7, which I love, but the (small and very cool) 1st stage unfortunately has yoke. I understand DIN is far better for SM, and I really don't want to have to buy more than is required, so first question is can I get it changed to DIN (not an adaptor)?
Once that bit is sorted (worst way buying a new 1st stage), are 2 X DC7's / 500SE's actually any good for SM? The (still small and still cool) DC7 has fixed ports, the manufacturer of course says it is perfect for SM setup but I'm not convinced yet.
If we decide this setup is NOT the way to go, then I have narrowed my choice down to:
-) Dive Rite Nomad XT reg set
-) Apeks 50 reg set
-) Hollis 212 / DC1 set
In my mind I prefer the first two choices, but I think the Apeks regs are fairly basic? I like the idea of having all Dive Rite kit if I go that way, but I'm honestly not sure about how good they are. I read good things, but they look a bit basic and bulky compared to the 212's?
So in summary (and well done if you've read it this far):
-) can I change a DC7 fitting
-) is it even worth considering the DC7's for SM
-) what are the thoughts on my alternative choices
Thanks buddies, looking forward to some conversations!