Best Sidemount System For Cold Water Diving

[Patoux01]

these are not an optimal choice for sidemount diving.

your sidemount diving, there's many of us that are very happy with them

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

your sidemount diving, there's many of us that are very happy with them

One can be quite happy with less than optimal ... particularly when it's what you have. The point of my post wasn't to be critical of your choice, but to point out that they tend to be butt light as they get below roughly half full, and as such take more effort to trim out than a tank that doesn't get butt light.

I'm sure they work for you ... for someone seeking to purchase tanks, they might not be the optimal choice ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Razorista]

Of course aluminums are one of the optimal choices - always, almost.
They work best when used as third to sixth tank, that makes them optimal to own in my book.

 

[Patoux01]

as such take more effort to trim out than a tank that doesn't get butt light.

Yes, depending on the rig you use you have to do something, yes. Just as diving aluminium tanks requires you to move their attachment point. However, there's more than one diver using a stealth with faber tanks that doesn't do anything about them and yet they're in trim...

Light tanks have a different feeling underwater than heavy tanks. I personnally prefer my experience with light tanks, and dive them even in cold water. Even if for some this is heresy, telling me I don't understand anything about diving or laying 5000' of line, I'll still prefer diving those tanks.

As far as weight is concerned (the recurring argument), using a 7mm wetsuit and faber 12.2l/232b (in Oz), I had no issue with swimming them up, and needed 3# of weight. Didn't yet get to dive now that I moved, but in fresh water, with my drysuit, I'm gonna need about 3# on faber in summer, maybe 10 or 12 in winter. Getting heavy tanks then is a mistake, as I'd be overweighted during the summer... Or I should get 4 tanks, which means twice the price, for the sake of not carrying 5kg that I hardly feel (they're on my back).

The choice of tanks is a matter of many things, I don't think dismissing it as "they might not be the optimal choice" is a good thing to do. Especially when the person has not chosen a rig yet...



@kodo, do you have any chance to test those rigs with some divers that have experience on them?

 

[victorzamora]

Wait....you need only 3# to sink in salt water in a 7mm wetsuit with empty tanks?

 

[kodo]

Of those exclusively? The Ratatosk, since the hard webbing is superior with heavy drysuits and also with heavy tanks.
It is also the most versatile of the four.

(I would recommend taking a Razor 2.1 of course, dive the original )

The Xdeep's center dump valve it harder to reach with stiff drysuit arms than that of the Ratatosk and the inflator works better as an emergency dump.

SMS75 or 100 might suit you if they fit you, they are best for broad shouldered and large people, drysuits help.
The Nomad is just old nowadays, works, but nothing special about it (it is a little bit more flexibel with the dump valve placement however).

So, if you are Scandinavian, why buy abroad, when one of the best systems is produced locally?

Ok, so now its settled - I went for the Ratatosk as the fortcoming SM-instructor recommended it to me Thanks all for the feedback and suggestions.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yes, depending on the rig you use you have to do something, yes. Just as diving aluminium tanks requires you to move their attachment point. However, there's more than one diver using a stealth with faber tanks that doesn't do anything about them and yet they're in trim...

Light tanks have a different feeling underwater than heavy tanks. I personnally prefer my experience with light tanks, and dive them even in cold water. Even if for some this is heresy, telling me I don't understand anything about diving or laying 5000' of line, I'll still prefer diving those tanks.

As far as weight is concerned (the recurring argument), using a 7mm wetsuit and faber 12.2l/232b (in Oz), I had no issue with swimming them up, and needed 3# of weight. Didn't yet get to dive now that I moved, but in fresh water, with my drysuit, I'm gonna need about 3# on faber in summer, maybe 10 or 12 in winter. Getting heavy tanks then is a mistake, as I'd be overweighted during the summer... Or I should get 4 tanks, which means twice the price, for the sake of not carrying 5kg that I hardly feel (they're on my back).

The choice of tanks is a matter of many things, I don't think dismissing it as "they might not be the optimal choice" is a good thing to do. Especially when the person has not chosen a rig yet...

All true, except that I said nothing about heresy nor dismissing. I think you're reading way more into my words than is there ... and in the process getting unduly defensive.

FWIW - I use AL80's when I dive the caves in MX, as well as when I'm diving in the Red Sea. It's not because they're optimal, it's because they're what's available. And I manage to make them work. However, if I lived in those places and were choosing my own cylinders, those would not be my first choice, either for capacity or buoyancy characteristics.

YMMV - and that's perfectly acceptable. However, I used the word "might" for a reason ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rjack321]

Tanks matter, alot. Almost as much as if this cold water is fresh or salt
For me in really cold water (3C), which has to date always been fresh, hp100s are ideal. My hands are too frozen to be moving clips around other such things. And the more they weigh the better.