SMS100 / Nomad XT / or wait SMS75

[rsingleton]

Stealth and Razor are strictly side mount. Good luck I know its not always a easy choice.

yea good to note. i wonder how many end up diving BM with the SMS 100 even though it's versatile enough to do it. does the bulk make it uncomfortable and does it taco. I'm starting to wonder if trying to get a SM rig that I can also use for tropical single tank diving is even worth it or I should just stick with the standard BM rig. but i feel i'd be losing out of the benefits and fun of SM'ing.

 

[sebaworld]

Ok, so on the beginning please keep in mind that I was invited (I'm very glad) to this thread by its author and will tell you straight (not really, through your monitor
that I'm surprised that many of you experienced , based on the context of your posts, divers are so blind and away from very idea of sidemount diving.
I'm tired of some things here so lets get ready to rumble.

Idea of sidemount rig is a rig much slicker, streamline and minimalistic in design then other back mounted ones, it was simply invented to get to the places that no other gear could take diver,
further more gear that would be easily reconfigured from dive to a dive to fit the requirements of given dive, simply versatile dive system.
I understand that due to the fact that sidemount is also very convenient, comfortable way of diving since diver is not strapped to the backplate and if good,
properly fitted sidemount system used can tie your shoe laces underwater sidemount became very desired configuration in all other than tight places environments like open water etc.
BUT because of that should we, given a choice, forget about attributes and values of a good sidemount (not only sidemount) rig !?
Read earlier: slick, streamline, safe, minimalistic, easy to re-configure, customize and easy to adapt for any diving environment ? Of course NOT.
There is (not short) list of sidemount systems (lets call them that for a while) some of them shouldn't be hung even close to sidemount on the shop wall !
Let's touch one of the "better known" and discuss few aspects.


No.1 of all "doing it wrong" sidemount systems - SMS100 , really ?
What about changing the name to "personal pontoon boat"

Some pics:

View attachment 175962 View attachment 175963

Notes:
seriously, I saw this setup on smaller frame Asian people and you couldn't even see the person behind it !
imagine going through not even tight restriction with that thing half inflated ? triple trolleybus door will be probably max you can do
a 100 lbs of lift ? what are gonna be lifting ? a boat ?
We managed to settle through the experience that 50-60 lbs would be more than enough lift for a average tech diver with heaviest steel 130's, few stages and scooters and here we need a 100 ?
of course if you will load yourself with tons of lead because of poor weighting techniques and knowledge then you need all of that 100 and maybe even more !
Talking about the weight, how many "sidemount" divers you seen with strapped weights to everything including ears !?
What does that tell you ? There is simply to place that will give a diver at least few good, safe options of weight placing !

On a good note, sms 50 seems to be more thought through but still is lacking same, weight managment, lack of versitality etc ...
And so are other systems, there is plenty of really nice ones UTD, Razor but again they will lack the important and basic things.

Why Stealth?
Stealth was carefully created by not only looking at but analyzing and diving extensively all available sidemount systems, their +'s and -'s. All taken into consideration to make one system that will serve all types of
sidemount diving by making it the most versatile and easy to re-build, re-configure on a very solid given base. Yes only Stealth can be one minute just a piece of webbing (solidly put together) when no-mount is
needed and other times can be very average system for open water single tank diving and very next day put with two steel tanks and deco bottles for expedition dive - all within one system, no zip tights, duck tapes and other home
build additions (although some are very cool). All within a minutes just the way you like it.
And please don't disregard the importance of weight management, Stealth makes it so easy not only to put the needed weight in safe and secure way but provides many different places to put it in.
Central weight pocket can be easily, mounted, dis-mounted, slid up and down so within two simple dives you will be perfectly trimmed and you dives will be most pleasant ever with no fighting head or leg heaviness etc.

Bungee mounted wing is just sweet since bungee works with your lungs expanding and contracting so its a very comfortable feeling wearing that "thing" on, central dump valve ?
simply awesome and simple idea, scootering, hand clinched any hand will do. You have a many different options of inflation routing, I have mine staying on left side (short) one going up, others across
the chest, you name it ! Few different ways of attaching the tanks, fixed single loops, single / double sliding loops, few different spots (really streamline) and good ones for mounting the light etc, just never ending
possibilities not just like other systems, somebody stitched things together the way they liked and dive it or not !

You be the judge, what are you thinking looking at Stealth:

View attachment 175964

simple, solid, extremely streamline, thought through (not "because I said so" design), comfort and you may be diving only open water now but it tells you already that you can get with that anywhere !

Couple things that seen here and there that are nonsense:
- stealth good only for advanced divers ? why, because new open diver would not handle piece of webbing and bungee ?
- stealth good only for warm water, caves ? why, physiques of being immersed, pressures are different in warm and cold ?
- stealth good only for aluminum tanks ? sure if you missed the lecture on proper weighting than you need 100 lbs of lift ... by the way short video I made fooling around with two steel tanks and two deco alu's plus a bit
over weighted scooter (plus over weighted me of course
[video=youtube;MaRfc6s1XnM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaRfc6s1XnM[/video]

P.S. please forgive me for helicopter exit (I overestimated the streamlines of my 250lbs body with all the additions

Summarizing, Stealth may be not the ideal (we are working on it sidemount system out there but is the closest to ideal of all available.

Best for all divers !

 

[rsingleton]

Ok, so on the beginning please keep in mind that I was invited (I'm very glad) to this thread by its author and will tell you straight (not really, through your monitor
that I'm surprised that many of you experienced , based on the context of your posts, divers are so blind and away from very idea of sidemount diving.
I'm tired of some things here so lets get ready to rumble.

Idea of sidemount rig is a rig much slicker, streamline and minimalistic in design then other back mounted ones, it was simply invented to get to the places that no other gear could take diver,
further more gear that would be easily reconfigured from dive to a dive to fit the requirements of given dive, simply versatile dive system.
I understand that due to the fact that sidemount is also very convenient, comfortable way of diving since diver is not strapped to the backplate and if good,
properly fitted sidemount system used can tie your shoe laces underwater sidemount became very desired configuration in all other than tight places environments like open water etc.
BUT because of that should we, given a choice, forget about attributes and values of a good sidemount (not only sidemount) rig !?
Read earlier: slick, streamline, safe, minimalistic, easy to re-configure, customize and easy to adapt for any diving environment ? Of course NOT.
There is (not short) list of sidemount systems (lets call them that for a while) some of them shouldn't be hung even close to sidemount on the shop wall !
Let's touch one of the "better known" and discuss few aspects.


No.1 of all "doing it wrong" sidemount systems - SMS100 , really ?
What about changing the name to "personal pontoon boat"

Some pics:

View attachment 175962 View attachment 175963

Notes:
seriously, I saw this setup on smaller frame Asian people and you couldn't even see the person behind it !
imagine going through not even tight restriction with that thing half inflated ? triple trolleybus door will be probably max you can do
a 100 lbs of lift ? what are gonna be lifting ? a boat ?
We managed to settle through the experience that 50-60 lbs would be more than enough lift for a average tech diver with heaviest steel 130's, few stages and scooters and here we need a 100 ?
of course if you will load yourself with tons of lead because of poor weighting techniques and knowledge then you need all of that 100 and maybe even more !
Talking about the weight, how many "sidemount" divers you seen with strapped weights to everything including ears !?
What does that tell you ? There is simply to place that will give a diver at least few good, safe options of weight placing !

On a good note, sms 50 seems to be more thought through but still is lacking same, weight managment, lack of versitality etc ...
And so are other systems, there is plenty of really nice ones UTD, Razor but again they will lack the important and basic things.

Why Stealth?
Stealth was carefully created by not only looking at but analyzing and diving extensively all available sidemount systems, their +'s and -'s. All taken into consideration to make one system that will serve all types of
sidemount diving by making it the most versatile and easy to re-build, re-configure on a very solid given base. Yes only Stealth can be one minute just a piece of webbing (solidly put together) when no-mount is
needed and other times can be very average system for open water single tank diving and very next day put with two steel tanks and deco bottles for expedition dive - all within one system, no zip tights, duck tapes and other home
build additions (although some are very cool). All within a minutes just the way you like it.
And please don't disregard the importance of weight management, Stealth makes it so easy not only to put the needed weight in safe and secure way but provides many different places to put it in.
Central weight pocket can be easily, mounted, dis-mounted, slid up and down so within two simple dives you will be perfectly trimmed and you dives will be most pleasant ever with no fighting head or leg heaviness etc.

Bungee mounted wing is just sweet since bungee works with your lungs expanding and contracting so its a very comfortable feeling wearing that "thing" on, central dump valve ?
simply awesome and simple idea, scootering, hand clinched any hand will do. You have a many different options of inflation routing, I have mine staying on left side (short) one going up, others across
the chest, you name it ! Few different ways of attaching the tanks, fixed single loops, single / double sliding loops, few different spots (really streamline) and good ones for mounting the light etc, just never ending
possibilities not just like other systems, somebody stitched things together the way they liked and dive it or not !

You be the judge, what are you thinking looking at Stealth:

View attachment 175964

simple, solid, extremely streamline, thought through (not "because I said so" design), comfort and you may be diving only open water now but it tells you already that you can get with that anywhere !

Couple things that seen here and there that are nonsense:
- stealth good only for advanced divers ? why, because new open diver would not handle piece of webbing and bungee ?
- stealth good only for warm water, caves ? why, physiques of being immersed, pressures are different in warm and cold ?
- stealth good only for aluminum tanks ? sure if you missed the lecture on proper weighting than you need 100 lbs of lift ... by the way short video I made fooling around with two steel tanks and two deco alu's plus a bit
over weighted scooter (plus over weighted me of course
[video=youtube;MaRfc6s1XnM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaRfc6s1XnM[/video]

P.S. please forgive me for helicopter exit (I overestimated the streamlines of my 250lbs body with all the additions

Summarizing, Stealth may be not the ideal (we are working on it sidemount system out there but is the closest to ideal of all available.

Best for all divers !

Thanks for chiming in. So to confirm, you "can" single take with the Stealth? I presume you are referring to single-tank side mount. Or something else? This is probably important to me b/c when i go on vacations with dive operators, typically they only allow you to bring 1 tank per dive to accommodate others on the boat. If I would take the Stealth with me and can only do single tank alum 80, is it still ideal, or should I just be sticking with a traditional BP/W

 

[sebaworld]

Sure you can ... you can do that traditional "old school" way or using the sidemount manifold, will allow you to feed entire system (drysuit, bcd, primary long hose reg, secondary reg ... ) from one tank.
If it comes to the boat diving manifold provides more comfort as you get everything on you and then with one snap you plug the tank and off you go but again its an option. I dive both ways.

 

[rsingleton]

Sure you can ... you can do that traditional "old school" way or using the sidemount manifold, will allow you to feed entire system (drysuit, bcd, primary long hose reg, secondary reg ... ) from one tank.
If it comes to the boat diving manifold provides more comfort as you get everything on you and then with one snap you plug the tank and off you go but again its an option. I dive both ways.

Sounds pretty sweet. I may have to try it out. i see you have a rental program. since i don't have SM currently, i don't have both regs, gauges, etc. does the rental package come with everything to hook up, or I have to rent all the pieces individually

 

[scuba127]

Hey Sebaworld, is there a smaller wing for aluminum tanks coming out for the stealth? If so, do you know when?

 

[Tmontuori]

yea good to note. i wonder how many end up diving BM with the SMS 100 even though it's versatile enough to do it. does the bulk make it uncomfortable and does it taco. I'm starting to wonder if trying to get a SM rig that I can also use for tropical single tank diving is even worth it or I should just stick with the standard BM rig. but i feel i'd be losing out of the benefits and fun of SM'ing.

I use it BM it works fine very stable. Like I said my reasoning behind it was I wasn't sure the type of diving I would be more into and really cant afford a BM and SM that said sebaworld is right it is big but in CT with wreck reals lights pony bottles and all the other required crap it works for me, side mount isnt always the best choice with the diving in this area however if your going for strictly side mount this isnt the best option and sebaworld is probably right but remember as far as the side mount fanatics are conserned why would you want a back mount lol. Have you done any SM yet?

 

[sebaworld]

Sounds pretty sweet. I may have to try it out. i see you have a rental program. since i don't have SM currently, i don't have both regs, gauges, etc. does the rental package come with everything to hook up, or I have to rent all the pieces individually

You may have request a rental unit from tecdivegear.com or any xdeep dealer in US / Canada, We can set you up with regs as well.

---------- Post added January 21st, 2014 at 03:02 PM ----------

Hey Sebaworld, is there a smaller wing for aluminum tanks coming out for the stealth? If so, do you know when?

Stealth v 2.0 "pillow" is set on optimal level, with alu will be definitely too much light but since the wing is kept by the bungee very close and snugly around your body it doesn't kind a hurt if it stays empty,
due to extreme compactness it doesn't create any drag, but there are some other "pillows" (like to call them that way) on the drawing board to expand the preferences a bit (definitely not going even close to 100 etc, in both size and lift)

 

[rsingleton]

I use it BM it works fine very stable. Like I said my reasoning behind it was I wasn't sure the type of diving I would be more into and really cant afford a BM and SM that said sebaworld is right it is big but in CT with wreck reals lights pony bottles and all the other required crap it works for me, side mount isnt always the best choice with the diving in this area however if your going for strictly side mount this isnt the best option and sebaworld is probably right but remember as far as the side mount fanatics are conserned why would you want a back mount lol. Have you done any SM yet?

I have dove SM one time about 3 mths ago at a demo event in ginnie springs. It was nomad xt. I will take a class from my LDS but as u mentioned i dont want to buy a BM and SM. But want a rig that i can SM when i want to, but still versatile to take on warm water dive trips

 

[Tmontuori]

If the sms75 was in the pike when I was shopping i would have been looking hard at it. I think it offers the same multi use benefits in a smaller package, Im taking cave next year and will if I get into it be looking at the Razor in the future.