My venture into Sidemount.

[springs4me]

Well as of right now I plan on doing more wrecks than anything, I am not fond of penetrating them as of yet. I am working with three instructors who are diving sidemount right now, and all three are diving it for different purposes, so I have three different perspectives I am getting to pick and choose from. One instructor is a cave diver, the other is a deep wreck diver, and the other does long deco dives. I am finding the cave input to be most helpful though, although maybe that is also because he is the instructor that I originally got certified with and was held to higher standards, I have also taken numerous classes with him because I like the input I get from the cave perspective.

It's nice to see three different perspectives to sidemount diving. I'm sure you've realized that sidemounting takes a lot of time to develop and there is a lot of information out there to filter through and understand where it's coming from. Sidemounting is very transitional in regards to development and configurations, location can also influence the way you setup your rig! What's good in cave country may not be good for OW or wreck, keep that in mind. Hopefully the instructors you are diving with are also sidemount instructors, that would be ideal learning experience for you!

 

[noreastDIVER84]

It's nice to see three different perspectives or specialties with you. I'm sure you have already realized that sidemounting takes time to develop, a lot of time! Hopefully the instructors you are diving with are also sidemount instructors that would be ideal learning experience for you!

I was informed from the beginning that sidemounting was going to take lots of time to find just what I am looking for, and they are definitely correct; but the again I am always tweaking my setup to get just what I am looking for.

 

[Jax]

Brent has graciously assented to share his thread with me. This is how Jax got pointed in the right direction.

I'm a noob with a lot of fascination with the various more advanced means of diving. I read voraciously about all of them - DIR, GUE, UTD, IANTD, etc. The daunting fact kept surfacing over and over - ya gotta go doubles.

The problem with doubles is that I have a fragile back from "being all I could be" for a long time. Humping 100+ lbs of weight was a definite no-go for me.

When I heard about rebreathers, I was again hooked! I purchased Mel Clark's book, Rebreathers Simplified, and the world once again seemed rosy. Unfortunately, a few chats with SB's Cave Diver, and the opportunity to pick up Scott's during ITK, and that idea was crushed by the rebreather weight of around 88 pounds. However, both were most kind to field many questions on their rigs and philosophy of diving.

Somewhere in my lamenting of never taking further advancement in diving, KC says, "What's wrong with sidemount? You're not the only one with a bad back!"

Side wha . . .? So, KC sends me some pictures, and talks about carting tanks to the water's edge, or dropping in the tanks on a rope, to hook up in the water. Whoa . . . let me look into this . . .

I found great videos like this: YouTube - Dive Rite Nomad Sidemount Equipment (cylinder trimming), and YouTube - Wreck Diving in Sidemount configuration.

I also found some . . . interesting videos: YouTube - Sidemount tips and tricks, chapter 1 . . . The guys seem to think it was good . . .

With my eternal grattitude, KC and Dive-aholic answered probably hundreds of questions, and KC took lots of pics and measurements of his gear to help me out. Slowly, I collected a second reg set, and two 6"-hosed SPGs, and started 'feeling out' courses, hoping and praying that work thingy wouldn't interfere.

My LDS, an SDI/TDI instructor, sold me the Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures books, so I had something to keep me happy until I took the class. Since there was just me in our little town, I was happy to wait until another student showed up. In planning for the actual dives, however, I ran into a bit of a conundrum.

My intent was to go to Marianna, FL, to Cave Adventurers to be fitted into my sidemount kit, and then train with Chipola Divers as I have no sidemount instructors local. Besides, I prefer to train with the best. However, that would be a hefty cost as well as leave time.

So, I thought I would rent my tec gear . . . by the time we totalled it all up, the gear rental would cost me about half the cost of my own sidemount outfit!

That is a fiscal non-starter in my book, so then began a back and forth with Cave Adventurers. Edd Sorenson is an extraordinarily patient and informative man! I had a blast talking with him, and his lovely Stacy was so kind to stand there and be measured so we could compare measurements over the phone. Now, how many women do you know would do that? After much measurement, hemming and hawing, and Ed saying, "No, Jax, it doesn't come in pink" a dozen or so times, I have a full Nomad XT headed my way.

I can't wait! :bounce3: I learn so much on ScubaBoard.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

Now Jax, we are going to need some pictures of your setup when you get things figured out.

I am going to post some more pictures this week. I will try to get some close ups of the stage strap kit I am using, and how I have rigged everything, I may even do a few shots out of the water to show where I am currently clipping in, etc.

 

[Jax]

No problem, I promised some for critique! Now, which suit . . . .

 

[Dive-aholic]

Video clip

I hope this doesn't come across as too critical, but I'm commenting on what's obvious from the video. Your tanks are not adjusted properly. They should be parallel to your body. Take a look at the video and notice how they are angled down while your body is angled up. Your trim isn't off because of weights in your pockets. It's off because the tanks aren't trimmed properly. You need to pull the valves in tighter to you armpits and extend the cord on the bottom clips to trim them out. Once you make those changes your trim will be better. Also, get rid of the HP Miflex hoses. As long as you have those, the gauges will not sit properly.

I have a few hours of videos of my students from start to finish. One of these days I'll find the time to put them together and post them for people to see.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

I hope this doesn't come across as too critical, but I'm commenting on what's obvious from the video. Your tanks are not adjusted properly. They should be parallel to your body. Take a look at the video and notice how they are angled down while your body is angled up. Your trim isn't off because of weights in your pockets. It's off because the tanks aren't trimmed properly. You need to pull the valves in tighter to you armpits and extend the cord on the bottom clips to trim them out. Once you make those changes your trim will be better. Also, get rid of the HP Miflex hoses. As long as you have those, the gauges will not sit properly.

I have a few hours of videos of my students from start to finish. One of these days I'll find the time to put them together and post them for people to see.

I don't take it as too critical, That is part of why I have posted the video. I am still in the works of adjusting everything. I am planning on getting rid of the Miflex hoses, I don't like them for this setup at all.

 

[ucfdiver]

FWIW, it's easier to critique the rig when you're not swimming. Moving covers up trim/buoyancy issues.

 

[shoredivr]

My intent was to go to Marianna, FL, to Cave Adventurers to be fitted into my sidemount kit, and then train with Chipola Divers as I have no sidemount instructors local. Besides, I prefer to train with the best. However, that would be a hefty cost as well as leave time.


That is a fiscal non-starter in my book, so then began a back and forth with Cave Adventurers. Edd Sorenson is an extraordinarily patient and informative man! I had a blast talking with him, and his lovely Stacy was so kind to stand there and be measured so we could compare measurements over the phone. Now, how many women do you know would do that? After much measurement, hemming and hawing, and Ed saying, "No, Jax, it doesn't come in pink" a dozen or so times, I have a full Nomad XT headed my way.

Jax, you cannot go wrong with Chipola Divers and Edd Sorenson. I did an OW sidemount course with Dive-aholic, after faffing around for some time on my own with what I thought was proper tank placement, hose lengths and hose routing on my own and "from the internet".

The money spent was worth every penny, and what I learned in when the class and travel time was figured in was much more efficient than trying things out on my own.

To the OP, Dive-aholic has given you good critique on your tank trim. The whole first dive on my course was taken up with achieving tank trim. It makes all the difference.

Ok back to work now.

 

[Jax]

The only problem I have is coordinating leave and work . . .

Well, that and the exposure protection for those cold-azz waters Dive-aholic likes to play in!