Do you have to defend your sidemount setup?

[Mermaid2]

I often have to defend my sidemount setup facing divers who dive with normal BCD and single bottle. It bothers me. Is there other who gets annoying comments from people who think it's ridiculous, and dont understand why you dont dive as the them and what do you say?

 

[The Chairman]

I normally get people wanting to know how I've got mine set up and looking for pointers. Never had anyone tell me it was stupid. However, I've heard side mounters sneer at back mounters in caves.

 

[tbone1004]

usually it is just questions based in curiosity not condescension. That said, I don't actually dive sidemount in open water hardly ever, so there is that, but I tend to get quizzical looks at quarries when I'm in doubles, but the only questions are generally curiosity based.
I continually scratch my head in confusion of why people still dive in regular jacket bc's, then I remember how greedy the dive shops are and my confusion goes away

 

[The Chairman]

then I remember how greedy the dive shops are and my confusion goes away

Wow. Just wow. There are a lot of reasons that dive shops sell jacket BCs and greed has nothing to do with them. This is shop bashing at it's finest and nothing more than a load of crap.

It's part and parcel for people who have gone a different route to disparage those that don't agree with them. It's the backwards mentality that figures if they don't dive, teach or sell a particular brand or style of gear, then it must be crap and the people committing this heinous crime are greedy bastards intent on bilking you of every cent you're worth. We see it in politics all the time but I would love for our users to be a bit more open minded and tolerant. Unfortunately, human nature never disappoints and so the agency/LDS bashing continues unabated.

Spoiler

Odds are, he'll tell us he isn't bashing!

 

[kensuf]

I am of the belief that just like my CCR, side-mount is a special configuration best reserved for dives that require it. I'll concede that some people have physiological issues restricting their ability to carry doubles, and some people like to dive solo.

But generally speaking, when I'm diving side-mount it's because I'm going places that back-mount is not suitable. The rest of the time I'm either back-mount, single tank for those relaxing recreational profile dives, or doubles for cave, or for long and deep stuff in the CCR.

 

[tbone1004]

taking this to pm because this is bs and has nothing to do with bashing and you know it. There is no logical reason for rental bc's to be stab jackets, nor any logical reason for dive shops to push them other than profit margin. End of discussion. Anyone who says otherwise is simply wrong. Not to say they are unsafe or bad, just that there are better options out there that aren't being explored by most shops because of $$

 

[BDSC]

I continually scratch my head in confusion of why people still dive in regular jacket bc's,

There are circumstances where a jacket BC can be the better option. Recently there was a thread here on SB where a lady had no problems at all while under the water but for whatever reason, she had great anxiety when she was at the surface. So much so that she even mentioned perhaps giving up diving because of it. She found that wearing a jacket BC gave her a more secure feeling at the surface which it will over a back inflate. For her, a jacket BC makes sense and is a better tool than a back inflate BC.

 

[tbone1004]

exceptions to the rule my friend, and there always are, and if there is a physical or in this case mental justification for it, then I have no objections, but the rule still stands.

anyway, I don't have to defend my sidemount setup. When I first started diving sidemount I had a few occasions that required defending in cave country, but now that it's popular, I usually see more people having to defend why they haven't switched to doubles.

 

[Mermaid2]

I do dive open water sidemount for the safety of having two bottles and for the longer dives. Then we can stay in the water for hours and do not have to change equipment to do 2-3 dives, but just have one long dive. I just feel that some people are negative about the setup, and I dont understand why people bother. I dont care about others peoples equipment, so I just wanted to hear others opinion if you have the same experience when/if you do open water sidemount.
Maybe it also has something to do with I am being a young women, and some men have big egos, so they might be jaloux of my equipment and feel they have to put me down. I don´t now. I yes, I know it is "dangerous" to write that in a forum like that...

 

[The Chairman]

taking this to pm because this is bs

Like the rest of your arguments, this was a fail. You posted it in the public eye. People like you give side mounters a bad name. You bash retailers just because they don't do things the way you do and, oh the horrors, they make a living at it. Your "end of discussion" comment is the most laughable, like you have the last word or something.

Lighten up, Francis. Stab jackets have been around a lot longer than BPs&Wings and even commercially viable side mount BCs. It's what they know, what they like and what they feel comfortable in. No need to bash them just because you're intolerant of other types of diving. Dive and let dive. Just as we don't want people bashing our side mount units, we have to be careful not to bash others. That includes NOT assigning nefarious intent to those who sell those evil stab jackets. End of discussion, indeed!

Spoiler

He's not done justifying his bashing yet. Just wait for it. I bet he accuses me of heinous intent next!