Recreational Sidemount - with Recreational Backmount Friends

[scuba-flea]

I have a couple years sidemount under my belt but not a lot of dives. I have had my cavern course and my next goal is to start extended range. COVID-19 aint helping any.

When I go diving with most of my old dive buddies, they are still single tank back mounters. I like to dive with them, however keep getting sidemount experience. Does anyone else do this?

Dives with them are either shore or boat, and they are using AL80 singles. My current practice mentality is I take my 2 AL80's as sidemount and just use roughly the same amount of air they do. On our second dive, they get a new tank and I just keep everything exactly as I had it (same 2 tanks). So I have about 3k when I hit the water on the second dive like them (usually more) and follow my normal minimums on each tank.

I could easily just dust off my backmount BCD and Reg set which I do keep maintained. I feel I am getting more experience this way as currently I have more recreational backmount friends than sidemount.

Anyone else doing this? My logic flawed?

Just curious.

 

[tbone1004]

mixed team diving is common. As long as you go over the unique aspects of your rig, particularly regarding how you plan to share air, it's a nonissue

 

[Paul M]

It's perfectly ok for you to dive your 2 tank SM with your single tank BM buddies.
Since you intend on taking cave diving courses I strongly encourage you to do as much SM as you can prior to beginning the courses.
You want everything about your equipment to be comfortable and second nature before going in a cave.
Get that buoyancy and trim dialed in.

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

I have several buddies who dive side-mount and even one that dives a CCR.

Never had an issue with it

 

[jale]

SM doesn't necessarily mean 2 tanks. You can perfectly SM a single tank and change tank between dives like your buddies

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

SM doesn't necessarily mean 2 tanks. You can perfectly SM a single tank and change tank between dives like your buddies

Yes this is true but in doing so you eliminate one of the best parts of sm which is a redundant gas supply.

I dive sm in mixed teams (bm and ccr) and we all just have a thorough chat before splashing about emergency protocols.

 

[jale]

Yes this is true but in doing so you eliminate one of the best parts of sm which is a redundant gas supply.
I dive sm in mixed teams (bm and ccr) and we all just have a thorough chat before splashing about emergency protocols.

I have never understood why SM is seen as only redundant gas supply.
You perfectly can have this with double BM.
SM is just a position and can be done with one, 2, 3 or 4 tanks.
If you dive rec with single BM buddies, why could you not dive single SM?

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

I have never understood why SM is seen as only redundant gas supply.
You perfectly can have this with double BM.
SM is just a position and can be done with one, 2, 3 or 4 tanks.
If you dive rec with single BM buddies, why could you not dive single SM?

It is NOT seen as ONLY a redundant gas supply but it is one of the major benefits of diving SM. Can I have the same on BM doubles? I sure can but that platform is not always the best. Bad back or knees? SM is the answer. Want a more stable platform? SM.

SM is a gear configuration and no matter who I dive with I dive the configuration to increase my skill level as we are all constantly learning. Why do I have to change my configuration because my team is only using one cylinder? I never said one could not dive sm with one cylinder but I choose not to as it takes away one of the benefits I love about SM.

Also if one of them has a catastrophic failure, I am able to give them a cylinder rather than just a hose. There are many benefits to diving in SM and I could talk about them forever but I disagree vehemently that I should dive a single cylinder just because every one is doing it.

 

[jale]

I am just trying to remove the confusion of using the term "SM" as a pleonasm for "two tanks set-up"
It seems now that SM is only perceived as diving only with 2 tanks.
Of courses 2 is better than one and the OP is right to dive his double SM with his single BM buddies as nobody has never died from too much gas.

 

[MichaelMc]

Everyone I dive with is single tank backmount. It is not an issue.

There is some fun irony in reviewing air share procedures with them. As the notion of me going out of air through inattention or equipment issues is remote. . I get interesting looks with slightly raised eyebrows or wide eyes when I talk about "if I run out of air."

If it is feasible you might look at tiny tanks, AL40/LP50, just for your own comfort. Then you are not paying the cost of twice as heavy a burden on shore dives, putting you more in the encumbrance range as your buddies. If you've got AL80s, I'd recommend trying LP50s. They stay negative and handle differently than AL40/AL80, which will broaden your experience, and they hold more than the 40s. But 40s have dual use as the standard for deco tanks... and act like your 80s.

I am just trying to remove the confusion of using the term "SM" as a pleonasm for "two tanks set-up"
It seems now that SM is only perceived as diving only with 2 tanks.

Seeing how many sidemount divers primarily do it single tank would be an interesting poll. But the bulk of even rec. sidemount is likely two tank. The redundancy is just too good a benefit. My guess is a Scubaboard poll would find no primarily single tank sidemount, unless for benign tropical vacation shore diving. Though AL80 + AL19 might do well there also.

I decided I wanted redundancy but did not like ponies. Sidemount is a way to do that with any tanks, if I'm willing to pay the cost of carrying them. Giving up my redundancy because my buddies choose not to have it makes no sense. Unless we are a very tight, well trained team and circumstances somehow require it.