Sidemount VS Backmount in caves

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

If we were to do a count of all cave divers doing cave penetrations, what percentage will be in SM and what percentage will be wearing BM?

Cheers -

CS

 

[northernone]

Nope, no such statistic is available. We can all guess based on what we see around the popular dive sites. But we don't even have a guess at an accurate number of active cave divers no less configurations.

Most cave divers I know simply use the most suitable tool for the mission and don't limit themself to one configuration. Sometimes BM and sometimes SM, or no mount.

Curious as to why the interest. Perhaps we can answer in another way?

Cameron

 

[Scott]

Do you have access to Cave Divers forum? A number of polls there regarding this
And the latest
What configuration do you dive

• Backmount 47.37%
• Sidemount 60.53%
• Backmount rebreather 26.32%
• Sidemount rebreather 13.16%
• no mount 10.53%
• Switching from backmount to sidemount 5.26%
• Switching from sidemount to backmount 1.32%

Multiple Choice Poll.

 

[Caveeagle]

Casual observation, living in the area and diving between 4-10 times / month, its around 50/50. Far from a scientific polling, but there is probably a dozen ways to parse the DATA to answer your high level question.

Do you mean active divers? Define active....
Do you mean out of 100 divers that pass through Ginnie on a given day, how many SM / BM etc.. ?
SM has apparently grown in popularity over the last 10 years (or so), so you see a lot more newer divers going straight into BM.

Then you get quite a few that prefer BM and mostly dive that.. But might switch over for a particular dive that requires it.

There is an active survey over on CDF, but that includes CCR and SM/CCR....

 

[jerrwhy01]

There's really no way to answer that. I will echo Caveeagle's observation that it's probably around 50/50.

 

[kensuf]

I'm in the right tool for the job camp. For me, 70% of the time it's backmount, 25% CCR and 5% sidemount (yes Jerry, I dive widemount occasionally, most recently was two weeks ago).

Unless I'm teaching a SM or CCR specific course, then when I'm teaching I'm in backmount.

 

[victorzamora]

Casual observation, living in the area and diving between 4-10 times / month, its around 50/50. Far from a scientific polling, but there is probably a dozen ways to parse the DATA to answer your high level question

Firstly, let me start by saying that I'd bet it's close to the 50/50 mark. Secondly, I think the number of cave divers that care what configuration you dive with is very low. I'm essentially SM-only and have dove with buddies configured in BM, SM, SMCCR, BMCCR, and a specialty nomount harness (overkill because I was in LP121s and not taking bottles off). I've done quite a few cave dives with GUE- and NAUI- trained cave divers. There's pros and cons both ways, but both essentially come down to you as a diver.

It's interesting, I think, to go to different "touristy" sites and watch for the ratios. On average: I see more SM divers in Marianna than Peacock. I see more Doubles divers in Ginnie than JB. It seems like I see more CCR divers in Peacock than the other two.

 

[LiteHedded]

backmount master race checking in

 

[Doby45]

I do both and would say it is dictated more by the system and what your dive plan is.

 

[tstormdiver]

Although I now dive caves exclusively with a backmounted rebreather & sidemounted bailout bottles, if I were to dive a cave in Open Circuit, it would be backmounted,.... That is what I am comfortable with.