Sidemount lower bands, cam-bands or stage rigging kit?

[lostsheep]

If you’re muttering about people carrying their own gear, have you been cave diving at the cenotes and all those steps? I’ve got bad knees and sciatica…..

They‘re paid well and this is how they make their living.

Sherpas are for Mt Everest not a flight of stairs.

Sherpas are for Mt Everest, not a flight of stairs.

I don’t think I muttered but just in case; YES IVE BEEN CAVE DIVING IN CENOTES AND YES I CARRY MY OWN SHITE.

I’ll give you the second bit about supporting the locals but I still think it’s just lazy.

 

[SlugLife]

If you’re employing a porter (aka scuba sherpa) while cave diving in Mexico, they will rig your SM tanks and put regs on unless you tell them otherwise. At least the porter we used in August (full cave) tried to. I did my own.

I was being half-sarcastic. However, unless I was part of an organized dive-team, I'd have a problem with anyone touching my equipment.

However, like you say, communication can often be part of that. Some dive-charters may try to be helpful, or improve safety by trying to ensure diver equipment is setup correctly, air is turned on, etc. I've also heard numerous stories of dive-charters "helpfully" turning off one's air, likely intending to turn it on.

Most side mount divers have a hard enough time getting their OWN straps and snaps in the right place; I can’t imagine a DM at a dive op getting it right.

At some point it is no longer appropriate for someone to set up your gear (Ive never let anyone set up my gear) any sidemount diving seems to be beyond that point.

ETA: you should carry your own gear too…geez

I do take some issue with the stereotype in the first sentence. Most of us have been that slow-to-don-equipment SM diver at one point. However, most SM instructors I've seen emphasize practicing and improving your donning-speed.

I'd agree that messing with someone's SM gear (or worse, rebreather) seems several times worse.

Whether you carry gear - if you pay someone, why not let them carry your gear? I've always moved (home-moving) myself, and moved more times than I've ever wanted to. However I don't criticize people paying for movers.

 

[Marie13]

I don’t think I muttered but just in case; YES IVE BEEN CAVE DIVING IN CENOTES AND YES I CARRY MY OWN SHITE.

I’ll give you the second bit about supporting the locals but I still think it’s just lazy.

So people who choose to use a porter due to physical limitations or being older are lazy? What an idiotic attitude.

 

[lostsheep]

I do take some issue with the stereotype in the first sentence.

I’m guilty of it, I am constantly fiddling with angles , lengths, etc. Wasn’t meant to point the finger at anyone.

So people who choose to use a porter due to physical limitations or being older are lazy? What an idiotic attitude.

How old and/or out of shape do you have to be so that carrying tanks one at a time up a flight of stairs is too much? Geez, hit the gym or take up golf.

That’s enough OT, I’m out, you may have the last word; make it good.

 

[-JD-]

Oh, what the hell

Emotional maturity is accepting the borders of your capabilities - physical and mental and appreciating them in others. Pushing them can promote growth, but carelessly exceeding them can come at great cost.

I hope you never have to experience "rolling over to pee in Tupperware" as the crowning achievement of your day, but it gives perspective.

 

[Wibble]

Sometimes I wish I had a porter/Sherpa to carry my kit to the dive site.

UK people may recognise climbing Dinas "mountain".

 

[drakcheslav]

I switched from jubilee bands to a camband maily due to the fact that jubilee bands survive one year of diving max, and rust away. Mind you those are the only ones I’ve found locally. So I switched to a pair od cam bands with a triglide and inner tube for fixing the strap. A bit more bulky, but the buckles help the tanks not to roll away when setting them down.

 

[Wibble]

For closure; have a pair of cambands for use with ali80s/steel 12 litre. These use a short thin rope with knot to hold the lower boltsnap.

All I need now is a couple more ali80s, this time filled with air -- I'm not dumping all that helium from the current four ali80 bailouts I own!

 

[drakcheslav]

For closure; have a pair of cambands for use with ali80s/steel 12 litre. These use a short thin rope with knot to hold the lower boltsnap.

All I need now is a couple more ali80s, this time filled with air -- I'm not dumping all that helium from the current four ali80 bailouts I own!

Here it's 800eur for 2kg tank. So, I think it's cheaper to buy a new set of tanks

 

[Wibble]

Here it's 800eur for 2kg tank. So, I think it's cheaper to buy a new set of tanks

Getting like that all over the world. Thankfully we've got rebreathers and, in my case, a gas dealer with plenty of helium!