Management of *backmount* independent doubles?

[rjack321]

Definitely. Trimix, a stage, some deco and a scooter is better jumping off the boat in backmount.

Now that we have that as an ok situation, why is it not ok to jump off and climb back on sidemount with 2x AL72, 2x LP85, or 2x LP50?

some boats you won't fit through the door.

some boats you won't be able to rig up 2x lp85s and roll off and drop (because of the neck bungies wont go on until you're in the water for instance).

trimix in sidemount can be done, but its also sucks because there is no way to get even a steel cylinder to stay in trim without completely redoing the way you clip them on,
even putting lead on them won't hold them down with higher helium percentages and you are usually partially sitting on your suit gas bottle.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

trimix in sidemount can be done, but its also sucks because there is no way to get even a steel cylinder to stay in trim without completely redoing the way you clip them on,
even putting lead on them won't hold them down with higher helium percentages and you are usually partially sitting on your suit gas bottle.

Because I know I’m not an expert, though I did have all cylinders trimmed nicely during my trimix dives, I asked a cave instructor in Mexico to respond to the above statement,

“i can get any tank trimmed. Just heavy steel cylinders (which in my eyes are useless in general unless in very cold salt water) are hard to trim as they need to be clipped higher.

Any other tanks are fine.

And there are different ways to get the suit gas under control..”

 

[MichaelMc]

some boats you won't fit through the door.

My point was simply that one argument against ever side-mounting on a boat seems to be that when you're covered in bottles it makes more sense for two to be back-mounted. That is true, it likely makes more sense for the boat part. But you're still diving off a boat covered in bottles.

Diving off that boat in a total of two side mount bottles is likely no harder than the doubles + stage(s) + deco(s). That seems cut and dry. With no claim that they give the same amount of gas, as they do not.

Whether almost covered in bottles, with the same gas, can be handled just as satisfactory side as back, depends on the diver and the boat.

 

[tmassey]

Guys, remember the theme: independent back mount. Side mount came up because they have similar separate independent tank issues. Can we stay on topic? Not every single thread on this board has to go to an argument about everybody’s favorite system, whatever that is…

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Guys, remember the theme: independent back mount. Side mount came up because they have similar separate independent tank issues. Can we stay on topic? Not every single thread on this board has to go to an argument about everybody’s favorite system, whatever that is…

I think we've established that this is a perfectly viable solution for someone who wants redundancy while traveling (wish I thought of it before). The person just needs to have minimum gas in each cylinder in order for one person to ascend (as they could be mugged of one reg by someone who is OOA).

So can we go back to arguing our favorite system?

 

[RayfromTX]

For a quick release long hose clip, use one of the dive rite bungee toggle things. Attach the bungee to the clip with a single prusik loop, then put the toggle between the bungee to hold it together around the hose. It pops right off the hose if you give it a good tug. And you don't lose the bungee. Not sure why Dive Rite hasn't figured this out yet, but don't follow their attachment directions if you want a quick release.
Hose Clip Retainer | Dive Rite

-Chris

This sounded like a great idea. I'm getting started in sidemount and the desire to be able to quickly deploy a clipped off primary on a long hose if someone is OOG is a thought process I've considered when deciding which way to set up my regs. There are many options but this is promising so I ordered some retainers in a make your own version from Piranha. The bungee length that works the best is 6". Here is a video of the process and the deployment that I made for this thread. Maybe it will help or maybe I need some feedback to let me know where I'm out in left field.

 

[tmassey]

I just used this two days ago. I found it detached a little easier than I expected or intended. Not during use (but I was diving a manifold and wasn’t swapping), but on the boat. So not (yet) a magic bullet. Or maybe I’m pulling too hard on things I general.

But I didn’t lose any pieces: snap on d-ring, retainer on snap! That’s a plus. Way better than a broken o-ring or wire tie. Maybe not as good as (stronger) magnets...

 

[tbone1004]

for anyone wanting to make those loops
They're called zipcord stops and are available super cheap on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/SGT-KNOTS-Zi...cord&qid=1552270239&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull
@tmassey experiment with length of the bungee itself and try the opposite orientation of the prusik. They lay differently depending on which side is "up" and one will be easier to pull than the other, though I can't remember which is which off the top of my head.

 

[tmassey]

I bought these: even cheaper. Don’t know if there’s a difference: I haven’t used anything else to compare. But the one I’m testing came with my DGX regs.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0113ONSDW

Right now, 50 for $7

 

[JohnnyC]

Breakaways are super lame. OOG in sidemount just isn’t an instantaneous thing. Random breakaways and subsequent issues are. If you are incapable of unclipping a bolt snap to donate your long hose, you shouldn’t be diving sidemount. Seriously, it’s not rocket surgery. If your situational awareness is so bad that you don’t know which reg you are on, you shouldn’t be diving sidemount. If your buddy awareness is so lacking that you are in a position to get mugged for gas, stick to recreational backmount.

You know what really sucks? Watching some plonker sidemount diver have their long hose breakaway and snap off speleotherns that are thousands of years old, drag through a bedding plane, and get a hole poked in the diaphragm. There are a number of obvious issues involved, all of them exacerbated by the fact that a specific part that was designed to fail, did exactly what it was designed to do......

We talk about using an equipment solution to a skills problem being the worst way to fix an issue, but it’s perfectly acceptable to use a piece of gear SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO FAIL to make up for a lack of basic skill? That’s freaking crazy talk man!