Is Sidemount an effective way to 2-tank dive Bonaire?

[ianr33]

Some of the most enjoyable dives I've ever done have been shore dives in Cayman using 2 or 3 regular Al 80's. Saves all that messing about getting out of the water,changing tanks,getting back in the water. So tedious!!

160 cu ft is quite a bit of gas though. Easy to go into deco. Diving nitrox would be a good idea. An advanced nitrox course would give you the tools to safely handle a moderate amount of backgas deco as well as teaching a lot about gas planning. Diving is so much more fun when your not limited by NDLs

 

[scuba127]

Yep. I've been diving Bonaire for 12 years. I am SDI solo certified and have been solo diving Bonaire with a single aluminum 80 and pony tank for the past 5 years. 3 years ago I did 4 dives on Bonaire in manifolded doubles and decided that configuration was not for me. Last summer I certified PADI Sidemount and PADI Tec 40 in Key Largo and quickly learned sidemounting rocks for all kinds of reasons. I am going to Bonaire in June and will bringing my Hollis SDS 50 sidemount rig and regs with me as well as my DSS Backplate and wing for single tank diving with single tank reg. I believe the true redundancy in sidemounting is the best option for solo diving Bonaire and is also the best option for Tec diving Bonaire. You're original plan sounds good to me.

 

[maxguru]

I can help. I'm not too far from you - in Huntsville, Alabama. I am well-qualified to teach the PADI Recreational Sidemount class and the PADI Self-Reliant Diver class. Even if I wasn't a sidemount instructor, I'd still recommend side mount over clipping off pony bottles and stages, etc because it's a system that's designed for managing two tanks that aren't strapped together. Clipping off a second tank on a BC that really wasn't designed for it is always going to be something of a hassle. Another advantage to sidemount is that when done properly, you wind up trimmed out nice and horizontal, which helps a lot with your air consumption.

I've done about 200 dives in sidemount in the Caribbean. I've used a TransPac which I self-modified into a Nomad (sort of), a Hollis SMS 100, and a homemade harness that looks like Steve Bogaerts' Razor. All of them worked great.

Max
Southeastern Divers
Southeastern Divers Home Page

 

[paulw]

Sooooooooo, if I signed up for a PADI rec. sidemount course, grabbed an appropriate BCD & kit, could I run off to Bonaire for the typical 7 day unlimited shore diving package & dive 1 1/2 hours/ dive using 'off the rack' 80 cf aluminum tanks they provide, or is there more that I'm missing? Is swapping out tanks a big hassle? Do sidemount divers often use manifolds to connect 2 tanks to make one functional unit, and does that complicate matters for what I want to do?

Thanks in advance!!!

Richard.

I am sure you probably looked at this site but if not here is a lot of info on sidemount that helps visualizing: Sidemount diving, Nomad sidemount system, sidemount training, Dive Rite scuba
As for diving sidemount in Bonaire go for it, we took these in February:
Bonaire Sunlight - YouTube
Bonaire Sidemount - YouTube

Seven days shore diving Bonaire sidemount using provided AL80's, nitrox and air. Swapping tanks isn't a hassle, you just move the snap rigging to the fresh tank. No manifolds are used in side mount, the tanks each have their own reg and are not connected.