Coldwater diver with some basic BM tec training, looking to enter world of SM, need BC advice

[Bald Wookie]

Yes, I was referring to my backmount set up.

Out of curiosity, if one is doing a tec dive with SM and you have one bottom gas cylinder on each side and one deco bottle per side, isn't the right shoulder D ring too crowded to clip off stuff? Like your reg, light, any double enders you may be using, etc? And is it very difficult to reach your thigh pockets with that many bottles?

All stuff an instructor will teach you.
There are a few sidemount videos on youtube showing that traditional pocket placement on the sides of your thigh can be an issue for bottle location. There are work arounds, such as the butt mounted pocket thing.
4 Bottles is generally fine, more and it can start getting crowded. Definitely do-able, but at that point you might as well go re-breather

 

[Marie13]

Yes, I was referring to my backmount set up.

Out of curiosity, if one is doing a tec dive with SM and you have one bottom gas cylinder on each side and one deco bottle per side, isn't the right shoulder D ring too crowded to clip off stuff? Like your reg, light, any double enders you may be using, etc? And is it very difficult to reach your thigh pockets with that many bottles?

It sure sounded like you meant your SM setup!

My SM rig has a chest strap of paracord and a bolt snap. I often clip my long hose reg to the ring on that bolt snap. I use a hand held light and it doesn’t get clipped off during a dive. Stays on my hand. The only time it gets clipped off anywhere is when I’m getting bottles on in the water, and then it gets clipped to front D ring on crotch strap.

I dive a Dive Rite Nomad XT (recently replaced a Hollis SMS75), and I’ve got two D rings on each shoulder.

I keep as little as possible in my pockets. You might want to consider a Murse (aka butt pouch) instead.

 

[Subcooled]

[duplicate]

 

[Subcooled]

isn't the right shoulder D ring too crowded to clip off stuff? Like your reg, light, any double enders you may be using, etc? And is it very difficult to reach your thigh pockets with that many bottles?

I do not clip my regs to a D-ring. I clip them on a neck bungee and I never unclip them.
(I do use break away connectors / bicycle innertube loops for emergency situations)
Watch this video closely for detail:
In the above video you can see a neck bungee being used. The reg change at the end did not go all that well - it took four seconds!

For trimix dives:

1. Two clips per D-ring for cylinders.
2. One clip per D-ring for backup lights.
3. One clip per D-ring for EITHER the corrugated hose OR the canister light (unless you wear helmet mounted lights)
4. If you have more to clip, use a 90 degree D-ring on your belt or use the rear D-ring.

Four clips per D-ring starts to get crowded indeed - especially with dry gloves - but it is doable.
I did not say easy.

 

[runsongas]

two al40s is doable on one side, can get some clip weights as needed for counterbalancing. procedure is no different than when stages are involved and keeping both deco tanks on the left. would go with the xdeep over the hollis.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Yes, I was referring to my backmount set up.

Out of curiosity, if one is doing a tec dive with SM and you have one bottom gas cylinder on each side and one deco bottle per side, isn't the right shoulder D ring too crowded to clip off stuff? Like your reg, light, any double enders you may be using, etc? And is it very difficult to reach your thigh pockets with that many bottles?

You may want to subscribe to Steve Martin's videos. Don Pierce was cave trained by Steve as well

 

[Wibble]

Yes, I was referring to my backmount set up.

Out of curiosity, if one is doing a tec dive with SM and you have one bottom gas cylinder on each side and one deco bottle per side, isn't the right shoulder D ring too crowded to clip off stuff? Like your reg, light, any double enders you may be using, etc? And is it very difficult to reach your thigh pockets with that many bottles?

You use two D-rings per side. Same with backmount.

Two D-rings about 2" apart are rigged at chest level. The top one's for clipping stuff off on, the lower one is used for clipping stages on. This means the top D-ring isn't constantly being pulled down.

Also... the lower D-ring is a little lower. If you use a long boltsnap (i.e. the big ones), you can then bungee the stage cylinder back using standard sidemount techniques AND not unclip the top stage boltsnap.

You can just about see the stage cylinder bolt-snap at the top and also the bungee (tails are so much easier to handle). Photo from diving on CCR with sidemounted stages to keep them out of the way and more streamlined when finning).

I use exactly the same format when diving with the XDeep harness and steel cylinders.

The massive benefit is being able to bend forwards, clip the nose clip on, then stand up and walk around.

 

[Scuba Shibe]

You use two D-rings per side. Same with backmount.

Two D-rings about 2" apart are rigged at chest level. The top one's for clipping stuff off on, the lower one is used for clipping stages on. This means the top D-ring isn't constantly being pulled down.

Also... the lower D-ring is a little lower. If you use a long boltsnap (i.e. the big ones), you can then bungee the stage cylinder back using standard sidemount techniques AND not unclip the top stage boltsnap.

You can just about see the stage cylinder bolt-snap at the top and also the bungee (tails are so much easier to handle). Photo from diving on CCR with sidemounted stages to keep them out of the way and more streamlined when finning).

I use exactly the same format when diving with the XDeep harness and steel cylinders.

The massive benefit is being able to bend forwards, clip the nose clip on, then stand up and walk around.

View attachment 688394

Thanks, I was taught (for backmount) you only need one D ring on each shoulder and any more than that is superfluous but it sounds like in the SM world, there is no "standard" and everything is really up to the diver.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

You use two D-rings per side. Same with backmount.

Two D-rings about 2" apart are rigged at chest level. The top one's for clipping stuff off on, the lower one is used for clipping stages on. This means the top D-ring isn't constantly being pulled down.

Also... the lower D-ring is a little lower. If you use a long boltsnap (i.e. the big ones), you can then bungee the stage cylinder back using standard sidemount techniques AND not unclip the top stage boltsnap.

You can just about see the stage cylinder bolt-snap at the top and also the bungee (tails are so much easier to handle). Photo from diving on CCR with sidemounted stages to keep them out of the way and more streamlined when finning).

I use exactly the same format when diving with the XDeep harness and steel cylinders.

The massive benefit is being able to bend forwards, clip the nose clip on, then stand up and walk around.

View attachment 688394

That's how I'd like my bailout bottle too rest. Hadn't thought about 2 D-rings. I'm trying out the second method for rigging my bailout here:

 

[Wibble]

Another photo might help...

The double-enders are on the top D-rings just as normal. The lower D-ring has the backup torch connected to it (so that doesn't pull down the top D-ring) and also the bungee retaining loop (meaning the bungee doesn't loose itself). The bungees have tails on them (a bit of whipping twine) and the knots allow you to adjust the length. The rubber rings are for the wing inflate and the Revo injection block (needed to be a little higher).

Also, for the observant, there's the buckle loop on the LH strap. The buckle is pulled up and pops through the outer buckle and reveals a 20cm/8" loop of webbing to let you climb out of the harness if, for example, you're trying to climb onto a RIB.