boat diving sidemount ... things I learned ...

[ffdiver]

Bob, did you have any issues with flotation on the surface?

Well with the tanks to your side I was wondering if it was more difficult or different bobbing on the surface with the different configuration.

 

[SandyRobinson]

Well with the tanks to your side I was wondering if it was more difficult or different bobbing on the surface with the different configuration.

Last summer, I made two SM(95s) dives on the Northern Light in KL. We had a drift deco so upon surfacing, there was some distance between us and the boat. The steel tanks kept my face in the water upon surfacing. I have not really noticed it with Al 80s. No big deal because I had plenty of air but my preference is to have my face out of the water upon surfacing.

 

[Cave Diver]

Yup ... me too ... and then I'd push the scooter off to the right, like I usually do. In backmount it rides there like a stage bottle. In sidemount ... at least for me ... the harness was finding creative ways to get trapped behind my right cylinder. In the past I've preferred that arrangement to between the legs, because it doesn't interfere with my fins when I kick. But that's just gonna be something I have to learn to deal with ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Sounds like you need a sidemount scooter class.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Sounds like you need a sidemount scooter class.

Considering I haven't had any kind of a scooter class, I'd probably learn something ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ucfdiver]

Considering I haven't had any kind of a scooter class, I'd probably learn something ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

With what I've heard from most of the scooter classes, I doubt it.

 

[gathan]

Bob, equipment lines are your friend

Yep. I just took up sidemount diving a few months ago. When diving from a boat, I lower my tanks in the water and get rigged up in there. I also leave them in on completion of the dive, to be hauled up once I'm on board.

I suspect this could be somewhat of a PITA in a decent sea state.

Andre

 

[asimpkinsjr]

I found that to bob around vertical you had to first get on your back them let your feet drop, getting vertical when you are horizontal on ur belly can be tough

Well with the tanks to your side I was wondering if it was more difficult or different bobbing on the surface with the different configuration.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I had no difficulties getting vertical on the surface (or underwater either, for that matter) ... but perhaps it's because I'm wearing 18 lbs of weight in the four-pouch "backplate" that's mounted on the XT. It is a bit more difficult going from face-up to face-down on the surface ... or vice versa ... than it is in backmount. But that may be due to the fact that I've done it in BM hundreds of times, and not so much in SM.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[h2ojoe]

what size boat were you diving from?

 

[deepair]

I am paying close attention because I am planning on diving SM out of Morehead City, next month, and I dive HP 100s.