drrich2
Contributor
Hi:
Okay, this is going to be coming from rank ignorance about side-mounting, so fair warning.
I'm mainly a vacation diver who dives the Caribbean when I get a chance. 6'1" tall, close to 275 lbs, bit of an air hog, get about 40 - 45" on an 80 cf tank, have 87 dives or so total. Don't see my SAC getting a whole lot better anytime soon. Love big tanks like the pair of 120's I dove with recently one day in Cozumel with Living Underwater (had a 1 hour 15 minute dive! Yah-usss!!!). I use a Sherwood Avid 2x BCD, Atomic B2 reg., and I don't have any experience with back plate wing setups.
Been to Bonaire 4 times; hope to go back in the future. Getting hold of big tanks isn't practical, but 'all you can eat buffet' style 80 cf aluminum nitrox tanks, no problem. I'd like to take 2 tanks in with a separate reg. on each, breath each down to around 400 - 500 PSI (shore diving), then come out, basically.
First I asked about doubles, but I'm not a technical guy or good with motor skills and mechanical complexity, and talk of 'manifolds,' 'isolation' and so forth made my eyes glaze over, plus I got the impression people dedicated tanks to the doubles setups rather than just slap one pair of regular 80 cf aluminums after another into some rig.
So I got to thinking - could you stick a spare reg. on a 2'nd tank, then connect it off your side with a strap or something (I'm thinking more like a pony bottle maybe than a typical side-mount setup) while having your tank on your regular jacket-style BCD, single-style? Maybe call it 'red-neck side-mount?'
I've seen side-mount discussions online; I get the sense it's back plate/wing with a tank to either side of the diver, no tank on back. That'd mean new gear I'm unfamiliar with and training to use it that could be pretty awkward.
I doubt what I'm wanting to do is practical for whatever reason, but I've been itching to ask about it with those who would know and tonight I decided to scratch, so here's the post. Is the 'red-neck side-mount' option something that some people do and works, or dead in the water?
Thanks!
Richard.
Okay, this is going to be coming from rank ignorance about side-mounting, so fair warning.
I'm mainly a vacation diver who dives the Caribbean when I get a chance. 6'1" tall, close to 275 lbs, bit of an air hog, get about 40 - 45" on an 80 cf tank, have 87 dives or so total. Don't see my SAC getting a whole lot better anytime soon. Love big tanks like the pair of 120's I dove with recently one day in Cozumel with Living Underwater (had a 1 hour 15 minute dive! Yah-usss!!!). I use a Sherwood Avid 2x BCD, Atomic B2 reg., and I don't have any experience with back plate wing setups.
Been to Bonaire 4 times; hope to go back in the future. Getting hold of big tanks isn't practical, but 'all you can eat buffet' style 80 cf aluminum nitrox tanks, no problem. I'd like to take 2 tanks in with a separate reg. on each, breath each down to around 400 - 500 PSI (shore diving), then come out, basically.
First I asked about doubles, but I'm not a technical guy or good with motor skills and mechanical complexity, and talk of 'manifolds,' 'isolation' and so forth made my eyes glaze over, plus I got the impression people dedicated tanks to the doubles setups rather than just slap one pair of regular 80 cf aluminums after another into some rig.
So I got to thinking - could you stick a spare reg. on a 2'nd tank, then connect it off your side with a strap or something (I'm thinking more like a pony bottle maybe than a typical side-mount setup) while having your tank on your regular jacket-style BCD, single-style? Maybe call it 'red-neck side-mount?'
I've seen side-mount discussions online; I get the sense it's back plate/wing with a tank to either side of the diver, no tank on back. That'd mean new gear I'm unfamiliar with and training to use it that could be pretty awkward.
I doubt what I'm wanting to do is practical for whatever reason, but I've been itching to ask about it with those who would know and tonight I decided to scratch, so here's the post. Is the 'red-neck side-mount' option something that some people do and works, or dead in the water?
Thanks!
Richard.