My venture into Sidemount.

[noreastDIVER84]

I am going to start this thread in the format of a blog. I will update this blog as I find I need to make a change, and for what reason I am doing so. In doing this I am also open to suggestions as well. I have input from three local sidemount divers, which all dive different conditions, therefore three completely different setups and views as to what works and doesn't work.

For inquiring minds, the reason I am going to sidemount is that I am ready to progress to doubles, but my knees cannot take the weight of manifolded doubles.

I am starting off in this venture with a Dive Rite Nomad XT. I am using an Apeks Tec3 regulator set, and am going to give it a go with my OMS LP112's.

I have almost completed my basic setup so that I can get into the pool and get myself adjusted to my own setup. I have been in the pool already with a set of manifolded LP85's and also tried the Nomad with the same LP85's as well. I found the sidemount setup to be more natural feeling right from the start.


Tomorrow will be my test run in the pool with my setup. I am hoping to get aquainted with everything and will have a set of tools with me to make changes as need be. I will report back with my input and a hopefully some in water photos of my setup.

Brent aka noreastdiver84

 

[Jax]

I forgot to ask - are you going to do formal sidemount training?

 

[noreastDIVER84]

I forgot to ask - are you going to do formal sidemount training?

As of right now it doesn't look like it. I did browse through the book my instructor got for the Sidemount cave class he is taking and the book was all of about 30 pages. Mostly stuff that would have been covered in a cave class anyway.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

Today was my first day in the water with the Nomad, and it was pretty uneventful. I pent most of my time getting used to where everything was, and fine tuning the location of where to snap the top of my bottles. I had to add a 70 degree swivel to my left hand regulator to accommodate for the shorter hose. I had set up my tank straps on a 45 degree angle to the DIN opening on my tanks, but found that position left the tanks so the Tec3 1st stages were pointing directly down and the hoses would occasionally drag when I got closer to the bottom. To fix this I moved the straps so that the snaps are directly under the DIN opening on the tank which then rotated my tanks just enough so the first stages are angled in towards me and the hoses don't drag anymore.

 

[Jax]

Today was my first day in the water with the Nomad, and it was pretty uneventful. I pent most of my time getting used to where everything was, and fine tuning the location of where to snap the top of my bottles. I had to add a 70 degree swivel to my left hand regulator to accommodate for the shorter hose. I had set up my tank straps on a 45 degree angle to the DIN opening on my tanks, but found that position left the tanks so the Tec3 1st stages were pointing directly down and the hoses would occasionally drag when I got closer to the bottom. To fix this I moved the straps so that the snaps are directly under the DIN opening on the tank which then rotated my tanks just enough so the first stages are angled in towards me and the hoses don't drag anymore.

Brent, how long is your shorter hose?

 

[noreastDIVER84]

Brent, how long is your shorter hose?

My short hose is 28" and with the addition of a 70 degree swivel I got about 30 inches out of it.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

No new updates as of yet. I have been too busy with work to get into the water. I will hopefully get to play with it in open water this weekend. I need to do some more shallow open water work with it before I am comfortable enough to use it for some deep dives.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

Still no new updates. I have been busy with work, and did not feel I was ready to get in the water with a completely new setup for a 90fsw dive. It would have allowed me a greater bottom time than a single tank allowed, but I would much rather have had a short bottom time than the risk of a deep dive with all new equipment. This weekend isn't looking good either with this hurricane blowing up the coast

 

[noreastDIVER84]

Today I got to do a dive in the sidemount setup. I found it very nice to be able to put the tanks in the water first and walk into the water with nothing more than my fins in my hand, and the Nomad on my back. I did a shallow dive to see where I was as far as weighting goes. I am just under weighted wearing my drysuit, the Nomad, and the two lp112's. I was ok after I was below 10, but anything above that and I floated right to the top. So I am going to add about 4 pounds of weight at my tail end to start. I was slightly head down in shallower depths. My tanks are 8 pounds negative at full, and 2 pounds negative at empty. All in all it was a test run for the setup, being that the vis was about 2' and there was a 30mph+ wind on the surface.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

I am heading to Dutch Springs this weekend to work out a few things with the Nomad. I am going to bring the camera and hopefully get someone to get some in water, and set-up pictures as I am getting into the water.