Solo Gear & DIR Setup

[JimC]

They are not slung like a stage bottle. They are fixed and attached so they ride parallel to your body but remain removable. The ride further down your body than a typical stage, and are often steel or weighted al tank so they do not ride up at the back.

I am personally using an armadillo, but there are a few commercial and many homegrown solutions. There are lots of pictures of sidemount configurations on the armadillo web site if your interested in seeing more.

http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com/armadillo.html

Essentially it is just independent doubles configured on your side. The primary advantage is you can fully manipulate the valves, even going so far as to remove a regulator from one to use on the other so you can still access all of your gas in each tank. Secondary advantages abound from smaller profile in the water to easy gear removal to fit into smaller spaces to more stability in any orientation. You are not 'forced' into 'good trim' ether. I can quite easily swim on my back, side and do headstands without having to fight the gear like you have to on backmount.

Its overkill for a lot of dives, but so are doubles and separate (and appropriate) bailout. I personally don't feel manifolded doubles are enough for any solo dive because single points of failure (even if very rare) and failure modes which leave less gas than needed for exit exist. Along with having your life support system behind you where you cannot see, trouble shoot or manage it with ease.

JimC, I am familiar with sidemounts slung, is that what your doing, what does it look like in practice? Essentially your sling independent doubles rather than using them in a conventional back plate mount. So, what type BC is used this way? Just trying to fully understand what your doing and how your doing it, interesting. N

 

[christianweber]

that is awsome makes a lot of sense , i guess i have to jump out of my box it is much cleaner than the double diving , and iam pretty sure now as simple if not more , thanxs for this info ,i think i have to change my setup , configuration.
is there a lot of training involved ,to get there ??:huh:

 

[Nemrod]

Thank you JimC, now that I understand what your talking about, I have seen similar setups. Not sure I am going to convert--lol--but it is clever, thanks for the info, I will study on that some more. I am a minimalist, when I use that word I really mean it, lol.


These questions asked to learn only:

How do you get in and out of the water/boat?

How do you enter exist the water on a beach dive?

Do the tanks interfere with kicking?

Do the tanks bang your legs?

Seems to me the profile would be larger, not smaller?

How do you do a single?

If you back roll/flip into the water do the tanks smash into you?

Can you remove the gear in the water--doff and don?

N

 

[FishDiver]

And while you're answering Nemrod's questions, tell me how much lift your wing has.

 

[JimC]

How do you get in and out of the water/boat?
Neck clips can be put on the tanks and clipped off to your chest so you can walk around with them attached. I do ether this or hang them in the water. I prefer hanging the tanks, but unless your using big freight the neck clips work fine.

How do you enter exist the water on a beach dive?
Put bottles in water. Kneel/stand next to them, put them on and slide in. Easy peasy.

Do the tanks interfere with kicking?
If your used to doing a full on, wide legged frog and decide to use large sidemount tanks (104's or something) you may find they inter fear. But, if your tanks are in the right spots you won't even notice them.

Do the tanks bang your legs?
No.

Seems to me the profile would be larger, not smaller?
Much like stage bottles, when mounted right they just essential disappear under water. The tanks tuck right up along your side. Its almost something you need to experience to appreciate just how slick the configuration can be. The small holes I'v been in can attest to the smaller profile.

How do you do a single?
Backmount w/ buddy and long hose.

If you back roll/flip into the water do the tanks smash into you?
No, just use your elbows to control them like you would a stage.

Can you remove the gear in the water--doff and don?
Easily. Taking tanks off to go though major restrictions is one of the reasons many people move to sidemount in cave diving.

 

[JimC]

And while you're answering Nemrod's questions, tell me how much lift your wing has.

36lb. That gets marginal for some of my dives. I would prefer 45ish for those multiple stage dives. The new Amadillo (I have the old style) has more lift (45ish?) and the Nomad has 50ish I believe.

 

[Pathfinder]

Careful Jim, you're going to have a bunch of sidemount converts around here

Dave

 

[divad]

I realize the DIR philosophy fundamentally opposes solo diving. How relevant is the gear configuration to solo divers?

I can't believe how many answers there are to a non-question.

 

[captain]

Careful Jim, you're going to have a bunch of sidemount converts around here

Dave

Not me, looks like a walking sales display.

 

[FishDiver]

I can't believe how many answers there are to a non-question.

:huh:

How is it a non-question?