Twin-set manifold vs Sidemount vs Independent Twins

[markmud]

@markmud
so the only justification to get the card is if you wanted one for the sake of wanting one, or if you wanted to get to a dive site that required a card *I'm not aware of any, but there is probably someone somewhere that requires it.

@BlueTrin yes

Thanks tbone,

Your last sentence cleared up my confusion. I thought I might have to show a cert to dive off a boat.

markm

 

[Mike1967]

@tbone1004
Hey mate, in that shame video they bag out boots, I understand with flat bottom alis why would you bother. Is it such a big no no to use them on round bottom steels for strictly OW diving where getting stuck isn't an issue?
Cheers

 

[vovanx]

The rec SM is the right cert even though 4 dives is excessive for someone already trained for light deco and pony/stage bottle use.

--->

4 dives is NOT excessive for learning to sidemount dive. There is a lot of gear tweaking that takes time to get right.

this. I began to understand something after more than 20 dives in sidemount, and after thinking of and doing many tweaks to the rig myself.
4 dives is really not that excessive, as sidemounting is not as simple as pony/stage use.

 

[tbone1004]

@MichaelMc most agencies give the freedom to the instructor to waive prereqs. I'm not a TDI instructor so I don't know the ins and outs of their requirements. ITT is more about buoyancy/trim/propulsion than gear configuration. It teaches some necessary skills, but it's mainly about bpt. Sidemount should be all about the gear configuration and independent of those skills. It's up to the diver and instructor to figure out what they need for their diving goals based on their diving history

@Mike1967 in a cave or wreck they can represent an entanglement hazard, but the boots is one that I don't have any beef with. The biggest issue is making sure they don't trap salt water to rust the bottoms out.

 

[J-Vo]

Great Posts @tbone1004.

One thing I believe is that all agencies should transition to labeling all tech certs with configuration. My Trimix card should say "Side Mount Trimix" as I would be a complete cluster if I rented a set of doubles and jumped in for a 300' dive. Same goes for my back mount buddies that have never done side mount.

 

[BlueTrin]

Great Posts @tbone1004.

One thing I believe is that all agencies should transition to labeling all tech certs with configuration. My Trimix card should say "Side Mount Trimix" as I would be a complete cluster if I rented a set of doubles and jumped in for a 300' dive. Same goes for my back mount buddies that have never done side mount.

You are right but I think they hope that at this point you have more common sense than trying something like this

 

[Mike1967]

the boots is one that I don't have any beef with

Thanks mate

 

[tbone1004]

@jvogt I very sincerely hope they do not go to that. Would be great for the agencies and instructors teaching all the courses, but not for the divers. As a trimix diver you shouldn't be boneheaded enough to try to do that. If you needed doubles for a 300ft dive, one would hope you would grab a set and sort it out in the shallows then work up to it

 

[J-Vo]

@jvogt I very sincerely hope they do not go to that. Would be great for the agencies and instructors teaching all the courses, but not for the divers. As a trimix diver you shouldn't be boneheaded enough to try to do that. If you needed doubles for a 300ft dive, one would hope you would grab a set and sort it out in the shallows then work up to it

I agree, but I have seen some that shouldn't even be in the water with the configuration they are trained in.

 

[RainPilot]

Common sense, unfortunately, is everything but common.