Alternative to doubles

[Mayor]

I took Wookies comment to mean that more people are going sidemount cause it is what the cool kids are doing. Their choice has little foundation in gas planning or restrictions to be overcome. I am a little $hit or hurt my back is also gaining traction in the choice.Eric

It's cheeper, getting tanks on vacation is much easier, and from what I understand the learning curve is much less. My experience doing an intro to tech a few years back with two rec instructors that washed out. They could not multitask or get into trim and gave up. Now i see them rocking side mount and at the very least looking solid in water

 

[DevonDiver]

Side mount does seem like it's becoming more trendy.

Absolutely! Be there, or be square!

Is side mount more of a regional development?

It's getting popular here in the Philippines.... and this place is sooooo slow to evolve. I mean, seriously, they announced a Burt Bacarach concert and it sold out in 2 hours!

Or is it a case of divers having issues with big doubles rigs, that is driving the apparent growth of side mount.

I think the transition from tech application to rec application is driven by convenience. For tech, they were always seen as favourable method for operating within confined/restricted spaces.

Because you can't do this in back-mounted doubles...

 

[DevonDiver]

I still don't get that. I dive independent doubles (same as sidemount) specifically for redundancy in anticipation of a failure, as most of my diving is solo. It is often said that manifolded doubles are better because,..

I also dive with indie doubles most of the time, but that's for recreational dives and because my rig allows me to slip some AL80's in on cam-bands.

The better/worse argument entirely revolves around the likelihood of a catastrophic failure to the manifold. In all other circumstances, isolated manifolds prove more beneficial.

Isolator open - one big tank, no reg swaps, no gas balancing. Isolator close - two tanks, redundancy. You only close the isolator when an issue can't be fixed with a cylinder valve/regulator shut-down. So... going 'indie' is a last-ditch resort to a major failure.

With dedicated indie tanks, you're in that 'last-ditch resort' configuration right from the start.

So, again... it depends on the feasibility of a catastrophic isolator failure... because that's the only draw-back to isolated doubles.

For most 'serious' divers using open-circuit, that risk isn't severe enough to warrant using indie tanks. It's a rare thing. It's even rarer to happen mid-dive - i.e. if it happens, you would know when pressurising the tanks - because damage likely occurred during transit on dry land etc.

The same view is shared by the agencies that train technical divers - isolated manifold doubles are invariably the recommended, or even stipulated, option - especially at higher levels.

 

[Colliam7]

That said, carrying gas for your buddy does two things: it gives you gas if there are two failures, and it gives you more gas if there's only one failure. One thing it does not do is make me reliant on my buddy for reserve gas--the buddy reserve is in addition to my own reserve.

OK, fair enough, I see your point.

 

[gsk3]

OK, fair enough, I see your point.

Yeah. Sorry again I didn't make it more clear that I wasn't quoting your post to comment on it but rather as a segue to the OP's point. If you're ever up this way drop me a line and maybe we can squeeze a dive in. Although if I lived in NC I'm not sure I would ever dive anywhere else!

 

[Mike2Fst]

The set up your describing is what I use as a recreational rig. I use 1 40cf with the same mix as my back gas to stay "self sufficient" in case something goes wrong with with the back gas, and I use the other 40cf with a deco mix. Again this is recreational depths with short deco times at best, I really like this setup. For tech diving I side mount 120cf HPs and use 80s, 53s and or 40s for additional mixes. Good luck in making your choices and safe diving.

 

[Wookie]

I have nothing against sidemount. For technical diving (overhead, real or imposed), however, I believe you actually lose redundancy with sidemount or Independant doubles. Of course, for recreational diving, you gain redundancy for carrying more cylinders. When gas planning for technical diving, you assume all of your back gas will be available for use. Lose a regulator, close the post and the gas is still available. With sidemount, or Independant doubles, lose a regulator and you've lost use of your gas unless you switch regulators underwater, better than drowning, but not the optimum situation.

Sidemount was developed for cave divers passing through tight restrictions. Lamar Hires developed one of the first sidemount backplate and harness systems (the Nomad) to standardize gear configuration for teams doing sidemount/no mount restrictions. Some enterprising instructor somewhere figured out that sidemount wasn't as hard on your back, so folks not otherwise physically fit to dive are now able to pursue the sport. This presents a problem in my mind. If you can't tote the gear, should you be participating in this sport?

 

[Colliam7]

Side mount does seem like it's becoming more trendy.

Yes, I think you are right. Similarly, rebreathers seem to be becoming more trendy as well. I guess, new / somewhat unique gear configurations attract interest. (After all, don't some of us get into diving because we are fascinated with the gear, more than the fish?) I suspect a number of people try sidemount, and decide that their backmount rig is just as easy / convenient. Others become bitten by the bug.

I listened to a Pod Diver pod cast interview a while back with one of the people credited with the development of the side mount configuration.He described a pretty specific set of circumstances for their use...... they seem to have gained favor among a variety of divers now-a-days. Much different that what was discussed in the interview

I am curious, who was being interviewed, and what was the specific set of circumstances they described (I can probably guess on that part)?

Dive-aholic made a helpful characterization last year in a post, regarding the distinction between sidemount diving, and diving a sidemount configuration. What you see in the environment of origin (caves) is sidemount diving, diving in a manner required to meet the demands of exploration, through restricted openings, etc. Diving a sidemount configuration in contrast is really more about diving a particular gear set-up - i.e. independent doubles vs manifiolded doubles, tanks mounted at your sides vs tanks mounted on your back. (Personally, I like both, I dive both, and I see advantages and disadvantages to both configurations.) And, open water sidemount diving (diving a SM configuration in the OW environment rather than only the cave environment) has become more popular - part of that is probably a bit of a fad, but part of it is a matter of preference. One thing a sidemount configuration does offer that is appealing (to me at least) is a whole lot of opportunity for DIY development and experimentation. For gear junkies, SM is probably still more of the 'open range' than back-mount, although that is a very general observation, with which, I am sure, someone will disagree.

Is side mount more of a regional development?

Probably, the distribution of interest was initially more of a reflection of the availability of caves, and therefore the presence of cave divers.

Or is it a case of divers having issues with big doubles rigs, that is driving the apparent growth of side mount.

There is an element of that as well. I know of at least one very vigorous advocate of SM diving who moved in that direction after an injury compromised his ability to walk any distance (or, more to the point, manage stairs or inclines on shore, carrying heavy cylinders (double 130s) on his back. Personally, I find it A LOT easier to re-board a boat, if I can hand up one of my main cylinders (as I do with deco bottles anyway) than to climb the ladder with double 130s on my back; I will get up the ladder and back on board, but it may not be pretty. AL80s, and HP 100s, not as big an issue.

Some enterprising instructor somewhere figured out that sidemount wasn't as hard on your back, so folks not otherwise physically fit to dive are now able to pursue the sport. This presents a problem in my mind. If you can't tote the gear, should you be participating in this sport?

And, that's a tough issue, because of some interesting exceptions (SUDS, possibly, being one that would evoke some very visceral reactions). But, I am not sure it was as much a matter of being 'not otherwise physically fit to dive', as having limitations that could be overcome by a simple gear adjustment. We make plenty of gear adjustments for people who are 'differently abled'. Is SM all that different in that regard?

One other benefit I see with the sidemount configuration - it is a chance for some divers to take a tentative step into diving doubles, to 'test the water', without the 'hassle' of rigging up a set of banded double tanks. That doesn't mean it is less expensive. But, many people have two (or more) tanks, and more than a few have (at least) two regs, and it is probably just a little easier to set up a SM rig than to set up banded, manifolded doubles - again a somewhat general statement.

 

[Wookie]

SUDS divers rarely walk down to the beach, throw on gear, and jump on in. They usually have a support network of at least one and maybe more adaptive trained buddies to assist them with their gear. The sidemount divers I've noticed (besides the ones undergoing training) want to talk about their bad backs and knees. I'd have finished this thought in an earlier thread, but my Orthopedic Suergeon called me in to discuss my impending knee surgery. Anyway, if you can't tote your gear, you need to consider whether or not you are healthy enough to participate in the sport, or whether you need a trained assistant/buddy with you when you get overwhelmed by weather, current, circumstances, flow, etc. to safely complete the dive solo/ without that buddy/assistant. One must be able to make the transition from diver to land mammal and back without assistance or with trained assistants in my opinion.

But back to the original poster, if you want to take the AN/DP course, buy/acquire the gear and get the training in a standard configuration. You can change the configuration to suit you when you have some experience.

 

[waterpirate]

It's cheeper, getting tanks on vacation is much easier, and from what I understand the learning curve is much less. My experience doing an intro to tech a few years back with two rec instructors that washed out. They could not multitask or get into trim and gave up. Now i see them rocking side mount and at the very least looking solid in water

Was that a gear solution to a skill problem? just saying
Eric