My venture into Sidemount.

[noreastDIVER84]

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!

You are not the only one who has a hard time coordinating time off, I don't find any waters South of me to be too cold, and if I do, that is why I have a drysuit.

 

[shoredivr]

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!

Well compared to here the temps are positively tropical!

 

[mrmccoy]

68 degrees isn't too bad but much less then that you won't catch me in the water(I dive wet).
I have been through Robs ow sidemount course and he had me trimmed out way faster then I would have thought. By the end of the course it looked like I had been in sidemount for a while or at least I thought so.
Just having video and an extra pair of eyes and hands makes it a lot easier to get everything in the ballpark.

 

[shoredivr]

Just having video and an extra pair of eyes and hands makes it a lot easier to get everything in the ballpark.

Exactly!

 

[Dive-aholic]

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

Cold?? 68 degrees is not cold. 67 on the other hand...


Thanks for the kind words shoredivr and mrmccoy!

 

[Ursus]

I have been reading your blog. I took a Sidemount class from Paul Murphy (Texas). The reason for the intro class was to determine what method I wanted to do my Tec training...SM or Traditional (Back Doubles). I have opted to do Tec in SM.

In one of your earlier posts you mentioned issues with the sizing/length of the bungee cords (chocker cords). I am fairly broad. Regardless of the standard lengths offered by Dive Rite Nomad or the Hollis SMS, it can feel like a constrictor as the valves start digging into my ribs. Simple solution is to place a double ender as a spacer between the snaps of the two chockers in front of your chest. This will give you an extra 4" as well as a double ender available in case of an emergency need.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

I have been reading your blog. I took a Sidemount class from Paul Murphy (Texas). The reason for the intro class was to determine what method I wanted to do my Tec training...SM or Traditional (Back Doubles). I have opted to do Tec in SM.

In one of your earlier posts you mentioned issues with the sizing/length of the bungee cords (chocker cords). I am fairly broad. Regardless of the standard lengths offered by Dive Rite Nomad or the Hollis SMS, it can feel like a constrictor as the valves start digging into my ribs. Simple solution is to place a double ender as a spacer between the snaps of the two chockers in front of your chest. This will give you an extra 4" as well as a double ender available in case of an emergency need.

I have been working with the 6" ring bungees from Dive Rite, which you can add quick links to adjust the length. I started off by adding one link to the one that they start off with because I could feel the one was a bit too short. With two links the tanks feel comfortable in the water, but it is difficult to clip in. I added a third link, and found it easier to clip in, but did not like that it felt like the tanks were flopping around. I am going to go back to the two links and more than likely remove the choker from the top bolt snap.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Personally, I don't like the standard bungees that come out of the box...or now in some cases, as an add on item. For much less, you can make a bungee that works much better to keep the tanks in a good position.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

Personally, I don't like the standard bungees that come out of the box...or now in some cases, as an add on item. For much less, you can make a bungee that works much better to keep the tanks in a good position.

Well I was considering making a continuous bungee to run across the back, I saw it done somewhere and I think I may give that a try as well.

 

[Dive-aholic]

It's not the attachment point in the back that's an issue. It's the attachment point in the front that causes issues. Clipping the bungees onto d-rings allows the tank valves to ride too low.