Do you dive Side-Mount or Side Slung??

[Colliam7]

Dale,

Good comments, and thanks for posting the video. I had not seen that one, or if I had, I didn't pay attention.

1. This whole discussion has been refreshing - I think I have become just a bit complacent in some of my SM ways.

I really don't worry that much about it as I could distinguish pretty quickly either way. But when I looked at routing in the traditional Hog fashion I kept asking myself " why am I wrapping this hose around my torso and behind my head and then wrapping the short hose around my head too?" I can achieve the same effect by simply routing the long hose behind my head and running the short hose straight up from the tank.

2. I now understand the rationale, as explained, behind the left side long hose.

3. As I noted in a previous post, like many I simply transferred my BM doubles configuration (long right hose, short bungeed left hose) to SM - it was what I was used to and it worked. While I can't say that I was actively trying to preserve the traditional configuration for consistency, there was probably an element of that in my historical inertia.

4. Hose trapping hasn't been an issue for me, even with a bungeed necklace coming off the left, because I early on moved away from wrapping the right side long hose across my torso, and behind my head in SM. Instead, I keep the long hose almost entirely stowed under inner tube strips on the right cylinder - essentially what Brian shows for his left cylinder, and deploy only enough hose - straight up - to allow me to breath from the second stage. So, that right side long hose is the 'hanging' second stage for me - it doesn't go behind my head at all. When I breath from the left side, I clip the right side long hose second stage off to a right chest D-ring, essentially where Brian clips his right side short hose, although a bit lower.

5. My SM focus is open water (or, as Lamar describes it in talking about the Nomad LT - 'blue water') diving, not caves, so my preferences are probably influenced in a slightly different direction). For ocean diving from a boat, where possible - particularly if there are any notable swells - when I re-board, I prefer to unclip one cylinder, and either hand it up like a deco bottle, or clip it off to a line underwater, to be pulled up after boarding. I prefer to unlicp the right cylinder, since my BCD is connected to the left side inflator hose. If diving dry, I disconnect the right side inflator from my suit, if diving wet I disconnect it from the back-up BCD bladder, and detach the cylinder. I have my left side second stage on a short hose with a bungeed necklace, so I have both inflation and gas, if I fall back off the ladder. It is a lot easier, for me at least, to climb that ladder with one bottle instead of two.

6. In looking at Brian's video, I had to chuckle - for years, until just a couple of months ago, I was routing my SPGs up. I just recently changed to them down routing, aligned with the tank. I suspect I will keep that configuration.

 

[DaleC]

What I get is that you can use a system that's "right" for you while someone else doesn't have to be wrong. In each of the four routing scenarios listed (Andy's, Colliam's, Jame's and mine) there are differences, but functionally, little has changed. We can all donate a long hose.

I also "get" Andy's POV as an instructor; he is always trying to find the "best" way so that it can be presented as a standard for instruction so that others aren't just making up configurations on the spot or using something that functionally doesn't work. Not bad when one considers the influx of new sm divers and instructors. Fortunately, I feel no such pressure and am free to experiment and tweak to my hearts content.

We squabble here a lot but I am really enjoying this forum for it's vitality and rich atmosphere for thought and innovation. In the end people will choose what they choose, based on what underlying factors appeal to them most; but we certainly offer a lot to think about in the mean time. To me this is important because, while while we may dive a particular configuration, it only benefits us and makes us better overall divers to understand a wide variety of diving practices.

 

[rjack321]

I lollipop my spgs, I found that if the tanks are truly up and behind your armpit spgs down the tank are underneath both my arm and the neck bungies. They are just inaccessible - at least with drygloves, not sure with bare hands since I rarely get to dive barehanded.
Spgs down the tank seem to be a sideslung (front mount) thing since the tanks are already kinda hanging low they spsg just hang that much lower.

 

[MSargeant]

I lollipop my spgs, I found that if the tanks are truly up and behind your armpit spgs down the tank are underneath both my arm and the neck bungies. They are just inaccessible - at least with drygloves, not sure with bare hands since I rarely get to dive barehanded.
Spgs down the tank seem to be a sideslung (front mount) thing since the tanks are already kinda hanging low they spsg just hang that much lower.

I dive with my cylinders behind my armpits and even with great big Northern Diver ring dry gloves i can reach my SPGs just fine. I make sure i run the bungee under them to prevent them from being stuck down the side of the cylinder, happened before and it was a ballache reading one of them.

 

[Dive-aholic]

What I get is that you can use a system that's "right" for you while someone else doesn't have to be wrong. In each of the four routing scenarios listed (Andy's, Colliam's, Jame's and mine) there are differences, but functionally, little has changed. We can all donate a long hose.

I also "get" Andy's POV as an instructor; he is always trying to find the "best" way so that it can be presented as a standard for instruction so that others aren't just making up configurations on the spot or using something that functionally doesn't work. Not bad when one considers the influx of new sm divers and instructors. Fortunately, I feel no such pressure and am free to experiment and tweak to my hearts content.

We squabble here a lot but I am really enjoying this forum for it's vitality and rich atmosphere for thought and innovation. In the end people will choose what they choose, based on what underlying factors appeal to them most; but we certainly offer a lot to think about in the mean time. To me this is important because, while while we may dive a particular configuration, it only benefits us and makes us better overall divers to understand a wide variety of diving practices.

As an instructor, I try to present as many ways as possible to my students. I've tried several and have settled on what is best for me. That doesn't mean it is best for everyone. Even I use 3 different rigs and do things differently with each rig depending on the dive I'm doing. There is no one correct way for every diver out there. It all depends on the type of diving being done.

As for routing the short hose around the neck I do this because of jaw fatigue. I've tried routing the short hose reg directly to my mouth and I get jaw fatigue before the end of the dive. Keep in mind my dives average 1.5-3 hours long. I could get a smaller 2nd stage but I really like the way my current 2nd stages breathe so I just keep routing the short hose behind my neck. It works for me. If you want to run it straight up that's fine but you'll need to adjust your chest d-rings so the hose doesn't bow out when it's out of your mouth.

As for Wayne's original post, side slung is far too common. I've seen instructors do it this way as well as divers who are venturing into sidemount without a class or mentor. So there's no one cause. It comes from all types. And it's not just the zero to hero instructors either. I've seen sidemount instructors that were around before the craze that have low hanging bottles. Hey, whatever works. Some people I'll give constructive criticism to. Others I know won't take it as constructive so I just don't say anything.

 

[DevonDiver]

Rob...would love to see a breakdown of your 3 different rigs.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I'll see if I can get some pics up in the next couple of weeks. You already saw a pic or 2 of my Razor set up this past weekend.

 

[DevonDiver]

Yeah, Brian shared some pics. Was interested in what you did with the DiveRite Trim Pillow. We don't get those here in the Phils (never seen one)... but looks like a cost-effective solution for the harness I am building.

 

[rjack321]

I dive with my cylinders behind my armpits and even with great big Northern Diver ring dry gloves i can reach my SPGs just fine. I make sure i run the bungee under them to prevent them from being stuck down the side of the cylinder, happened before and it was a ballache reading one of them.

Do you have a pic? My neck bungies are way too short to pass the spg around them. There might be a way if I used 9" HP hose. Seems like a lot of work to check the spgs then when I can just look down now with them lollipoped.

 

[DevonDiver]

My neck bungies are way too short to pass the spg around them.

Not sure what you mean by that. Do you mean neck bungee (necklace) or that your sidemount bungees won't reach?

If it's the sidemount bungees, you can route them as you please, just disconnect the bolt-snap. I tend to 'double-wrap' the bungee, around the cylinder neck and then around the valve. It helps to have thinner bungee though..

There might be a way if I used 9" HP hose. Seems like a lot of work to check the spgs then when I can just look down now with them lollipoped.

From my experience, it's just a muscle-memory thing.