My venture into Sidemount.

[Jax]

Well, I tried to adjust the strap on the shoulders, and drop down the chest strap. Holy bajeezus, I was wrestling with those darned stiff straps for near an half-an-hour! I managed to get a whole inch on either side . . . :coolingoff:

Let me guess . . . not enough, yet . . .

PS - yes, I left the bungee for the inflator off . . .

 

[noreastDIVER84]

Well, I tried to adjust the strap on the shoulders, and drop down the chest strap. Holy bajeezus, I was wrestling with those darned stiff straps for near an half-an-hour! I managed to get a whole inch on either side . . . :coolingoff:

Let me guess . . . not enough, yet . . .

PS - yes, I left the bungee for the inflator off . . .

Well I had to make some major adjustments to mine to fit my liking, and that webbing is quite stiff. I have spent over 4 hours adjusting and re-adjusting the straps to how I find them comfortable. Get in the water with it some more they will loosen up a bit.

 

[Jax]

@Brent - God I hope so!!!!!

So, I took added 2" on the original length of the shoulder strap. Here's updated photos. WARNING - EPIC Page Jam!

Or just go to the yellow shirted pictures in http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/5110

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[noreastDIVER84]

@Brent - God I hope so!!!!!

So, I took added 2" on the original length of the shoulder strap. Here's updated photos. WARNING - EPIC Page Jam!

Or just go to the yellow shirted pictures in ScubaBoard Gallery - Sidemount

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

I think that you have the chest strap just about there, but I will yield to the expert's input. I have my chest strap just slightly higher than my drysuit inflator valve. It would be too low if it was below it, and it would be too high completely above the inflator valve.

When you start diving a drysuit, you will see what I mean.

 

[Jax]

I think that you have the chest strap just about there, but I will yield to the expert's input. I have my chest strap just slightly higher than my drysuit inflator valve. It would be too low if it was below it, and it would be too high completely above the inflator valve.

When you start diving a drysuit, you will see what I mean.

I'll be looking forward to it!!! Unfortunately for a long time, because I spent drysuit savings on the sidemount gear and the TDI Adv Nitrox / Deco classes.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Well...I thought I would give my report of SM training with 6 tanks (2 primary sidemounts, and 2 stage/deco tanks on each side). I dive the Hollis SMS with dual bladders (bladder is a dounut - complete circle). The reason that I mention this is that for the first time I actually could feel the full outline of the wing with it needing to be inflated significantly for the added weight. The bottom of the wing suddenly jumped out like a lumbar support...not quite as comfortable though.

To say the least I felt like a pregnant pig with all the tanks. I was about as streamlined as a mobile home. This is first time that I can really ever say that I felt the drag and had to push. My bouyancy was solid, but gear management was more challenging with the dual inflators (one over each shoulder) coupled with the light cord. Added to the fun was that somehow my screws in the goodman handle stripped out of my lighthead so it became a royal pain doing drills putting on and taking off tanks while having to hold or dangle the light. Wrapping it over my neck became one more item to manage whil doing long-hose drills.

My take on the experience is that 4 tanks are really comfortable in Sidemount. The 5th and 6th tank significant increase the gear management requirements as well as change the dive fundamentals (lot of work...definitely lost the "seal-like" sense of ease of movement). That said it is definitely possible and nice to have the option. If I were to consistently carry more than four tanks then clearly sticking two on the back makes it cleaner and easier to manage.

There is no reason to ever dive that many tanks during a dive. If you need that much air, then you need to do set up dives.

Let me guess . . . not enough, yet .

Still too high. You should have 2 shoulder d-rings on each side and the top one should be where the one visible in the photo now is.

I think that you have the chest strap just about there, but I will yield to the expert's input. I have my chest strap just slightly higher than my drysuit inflator valve. It would be too low if it was below it, and it would be too high completely above the inflator valve.

Actually, the chest strap should be just below the dry suit inflator valve. It also needs to be completely out of the way. Obstructing the dry suit valve would be a bad thing. I route my dry suit inflation hose over top of my chest strap to keep it in place and away from the inflator.

 

[Lenaxia]

Still too high. You should have 2 shoulder d-rings on each side and the top one should be where the one visible in the photo now is.

Should? Is this should taking into account that a woman's physique is different than a man's? Does it take into account that EVERY single women's chest strap on any properly designed pack is higher than a man's? That the shoulder straps need to be more curvy to contour properly?

I'm not a woman, but I work with enough friends who are female athletes/outdoors women to know that having a strap run across their breasts is not comfortable at all.

Dive-aholic, I'm hoping you're speaking from experience of setting up sidemounts for women before because it really sounds like you're trying to set up Jax with a male body in mind and that isn't going to work and isn't going to be comfortable. Period. Even if she does have to sacrafice 2 d-rings.

Perhaps Jax could consider asking her future drysuit manufacturer to locate the inflator valve lower so that she can have her chest strap at a proper height.

 

[Dive-aholic]

A harness chest strap is much different than a strap on "athletes/outdoors women". A chest strap on a dive harness serves the purpose of keeping the shoulder straps a specific distance from each other. It makes the harness more stable. Oh, and my wife also routes her chest strap below her dry suit inflator valve.

 

[Lenaxia]

A harness chest strap is much different than a strap on "athletes/outdoors women". A chest strap on a dive harness serves the purpose of keeping the shoulder straps a specific distance from each other. It makes the harness more stable. Oh, and my wife also routes her chest strap below her dry suit inflator valve.

Then can you explain what a chest strap on a normal pack is used for? Last I checked it was used for the exact same thing above the water; for stability, comfort and proper harness width.

You wife routes her chest strap below her drysuit inflator valve but across her breasts or above them? She will be the first woman I know who can stand that discomfort.

 

[Jax]

Then can you explain what a chest strap on a normal pack is used for? Last I checked it was used for the exact same thing above the water; for stability, comfort and proper harness width.

Well, Lenaxia, while Rob is continuously recommended as the very best sidemount instructor, I think "normal packs" might be out of scope, hmm?

You wife routes her chest strap below her drysuit inflator valve but across her breasts or above them? She will be the first woman I know who can stand that discomfort.

Rob Neto has trained and fitted a great many women, so I am prepared to trust his judgement completely. (Note, Rob, I did not promise to do so w/o fussing!)