Sidemount Tips
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- Опубліковано 12 лис 2017
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Lake Hickory Scuba Center & Marina
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www.lakehickoryscuba.com
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Instagram - Lake Hickory Scuba
lakehickoryscuba@gmail.com
420 Taylorsville Beach Ct. Taylorsville, NC 28681
828-632-7649 - Спорт
You have some great videos!!! Love watching them and always learning new things.
Thank You. Glad they are educational for you.
Great idea on the paracord addition to the cam strap bolt! I’m gonna start using that
Glad you liked the tip.
Good tips...thanks very much
You are very welcome @safescubadivingwithanis.
Thanks, i used some of your tips for setting up my SM set.
You're welcome, glad our tips helped.
The cam band is a great idea if you travel with a stage setup instead of the hose clamp too. I guess that would avoid hunting for a screw driver, thanks.
Hello Lars Dennert, travel, is the biggest reason we use cam straps instead of hose clamps. Both work great, just one has a more practical side for travel.
99% of the UA-cam videos are talking about Al tanks where in NZ, 99% of the time we use Steel.
From the TDI theory, I learnt that Steel tanks bolt snaps are places on the 2 and 10 o'clock where Al tanks are on the 4 and 8 o'clock. However, you stated on your video the use of loosening up the bungee cord to reach the buttplate. I'm just wondering if other than loosening the bungee cord, you would also change the angle of the bolt snaps as well to 2 and 10 o'clock respectively?
Secondly, 6 years ago (this video), you had this XS scuba tank strap for traveling. What do you recommend using these days if you keep travel in mind? I currently have the DiveRite Stage Travel Rigging. Would you recommend this? Thank you. Much appreciated!
Hello @x994910, great questions. During all of our Sidemount courses, we spend a great deal of time with each student and their specific setup to see what works best for them. We do not believe there is a one and done way of doing it for all divers. Our students get trained with both steel and aluminum cylinders, and after their certification they can choose which cylinders work best for them. Our goal is to teach Sidemount Diving (in the entire spectrum), not a specific style or configuration. Moreover, the same applies to the lower attachment points. I still use cam straps as it works best for me for travel, and as an Instructor teaching Sidemount, I am able to quickly adjust tanks on the spur of the moment to help students with trimming issues. Several of our divers will either use worm gear clamps or a rigging kit if they are wearing a BCD that has a ring bungee system like the DiveRite ring bungees. I encourage all Sidemount divers, to try different systems to see what works best for them. At the end of the day, it is their decision not mine.
Another informative video. Can you side mount a single tank or does it throw you off balance?
Hello born2flyau, great question. You most certainly can dive sidemount in a single tank configuration.
Very decent, thank you!
You are very welcome Pop Petru Razvan.
Brian, I always carry a 19cf PONY, as we discussed previously. As I consider the benefits of SM, I have a question for you. If you have dual 80CF SMs with independent regulators and use one of the tanks strictly as a backup, as you use 2/3rds of the air in the main bottle, do you notice an imbalance in your trim as the main bottle gets lighter and tends to have the bottom of the bottle point up? (I saw you adjust the rear attachment point of the 500 PSI bottle on your BCD on another video.) If so, I would guess the solution is a pair of steel bottles.
Most of my dives are shore dives where the walk to the water is 50-100 yards. I get tired of thinking of carrying 80 pounds of bottles (plus everything else) to the water, and back. LOL. That is the big negative of SM in my mind. Currently my kit weighs exactly 70#, with the PONY being 10# of it. Switching to dual 80s would jump the total weight to 100#. I weigh 160#. Whew! ;)
Your thoughts?
So when it comes to sidemount diving, balancing out cylinders is a juggling act sometimes. Both cylinders are considered primary and both are also considered back ups. Typically what I will do, is a gas switch every 500 psi. So both cylinders will start out with 3000 psi. I usually start breathing off of my left cylinder first. Once it hits 2500 psi, then I make a switch to my right cylinder. I will then breathe it down from 3000 psi to 2000 psi then perform another gas switch. This will leave 2000 psi in my right cylinder, and 2500 psi in my left cylinder. With only 500 psi difference, both cylinders will stay pretty balanced. Since I use aluminum cylinders, once they hit 2000 psi, they tend to get a little on the light side. I will then shift the bottom of the cylinders to my front waist D-rings to level them off. Once both cylinders are moved to the front D-rings, when they reach 2000 psi, I can use this as my indication as my turn around time, being that 1/3 of the pressure is used up between both cylinders. Then I will use the next 1/3 to make it back to my exit point. I will continue to breathe each cylinder down to with in 500 psi of the other to keep them balanced. As I reach my exit point, both cylinders are usually around the 1000 psi mark. Thus, ending the dive with a reserve of 1000 psi in both cylinders. In regards to steel cylinders, a lot of divers like them for the added air, and for the buoyancy characteristics. It just happens that the aluminum's work best for me. Sidemount diving has many advantages and also many disadvantages. There are times while underwater, I will be in backmount, wishing that I was in sidemount, until it comes time to exit the water. Then I am glad I am in back mount. Then there are times when I am getting into water, and its really nice being able to lay the cylinders down in the water first, and then attach them once I am in the water. Same applies when climbing a latter. Its nice to be able to remove the cylinders and hand them up to the boat crew, then climb out with no weight on my back or sides. Both sidemount and backmount have their moments.
Brian, thanks for your comprehensive, detailed response. ;)
Am I spelling Brian correctly?
You're welcome. Its actually Bryan, with a "Y," but no worries, everybody makes the same mistake. One of my Assistant Instructors, the boat captain you see in a lot of our videos, his name is Brian, and he spells it with an "I." Its funny because we do several Career Days at several of the schools here in our area, and both Brian and I will give presentations. We usually introduce ourselves as Bryan number 1 and Brian number 2. Then he will speak up and crack a joke with the kids, that he is the real Brian because he spells his with an "I." They all get a big kick out of it, because I tell them that to be a real diver and not a fake diver like him, you have to spell your name with an "Y." They all laugh.
How do you decide if you are going to use sidemount or backmount for local dives? By local i mean within driving distance. I finally got my setup ready and tryed sidemount yesterday. Its definitely different but a good different.
For me, it all depends on the dive I will be making. For working related dives, Public Safety / Salvage, I only use Backmount. For dives where I know I will need the extra gas (to extend bottom time), then I go with Sidemount. I enjoy the freedom of Sidemount, but I also enjoy the benefits of Backmount, and not having to take 2 tanks, 2 regulators, etc. For exploratory dives, it depends on depth and gas need to conduct the dive. For technical related dives, I haven't use Backmounted doubles in over 10 years, I most definitely prefer Sidemount.
I needed that advice about the 45 degree angle. I was getting annoyed by the pull lol
Hello keith centeno, glad you found the video helpful.
I’m considering taking a sidemount course so I’m doing some research. Can you make a video about using a dive computer with a sidemount setup. I haven’t seen any or maybe it’s a simple concept that went over my head.
PS. I love your PSD videos. I am a new PSD (3 mths). ERDI trained but have not gone on any calls yet.
Hello Kimberly Markwith, we would be happy to make a video on how to use a Dive Computer with Sidemount. Congratulations on becoming a Public Safety Diver, stay safe.
I saw a video of someone putting an extra hose retaining strap over the cam band so it can't come loose on accident. That seems like an inspired idea to me.
Hello @bloodymarvelous4790, we have never had an issue with a cam band coming loose mid dive. Sorry to hear that you had issues with yours.
Which bungee system do you use? Loop or continuous?
Hello Malik Farrow, I personally like the looped bungees. Here is a recent video we did and you can see the bungees in action. ua-cam.com/video/uKs_i7kzPKg/v-deo.html