Need two LP95's

[Docc]

I actually like my backmount 104s. They trim and are more stable to me than the single 130 i dive. I don't think I'll ever just shuck the backmount completely so I still want to learn all the techniques that go with backmount doubles. The sidemount was very stable and balanced the first time I tried it in the water. Diving at least two days a week and for six weeks or so of vacation a year is ample oppurtunity to learn multiple systems, find what works best for different applications and then refine those rigs and skills. A year ago I was in a Scubatoys package set with a poodle jacket BC and cheapo regs (total cost less than ONE of the Atomic regs that I dive now) and wandering around in the front part of the cave at Vortex because I knew no better. A year later I know just a little bit more, have a ton more gear, and a much lighter wallet. I've also met a lot of incredibly friendly and intelligent people.

I'm fortunate to be able to dive regularly with a group of serious divers much, much better than I who are patient and willing to teach and share what they've learned. I hope I never stop that learning process so for me the backmount makes sense for these classes. If I'm fortunate enough to obtain a Full Cave vertification in the future, I'm sure that sidemount will be the rig of choice, just so I can get my big butt thru some of the tighter restrictions. Like Diveaholic suggested, I'm just gonna buy a bunch of cylinders and gear and set up rigs for whatever kind of diving I do, and keep trying to learn as much as I can.

 

[Dive-aholic]

One of the toughest things to do is relearn the modified frog kick once you go sidemount. Many new sidemount divers put in an extra "recovery" movement at the end that ends up making the kick much less efficient and creating silt. Like Mat said, there are many aspects of sidemount that are more difficult than backmount. I'm not trying to talk you out of backmount, but if you don't intend on diving backmount once you go sidemount, then to backmount now is just a waste of time.

 

[bigken462]

Many new sidemount divers put in an extra "recovery" movement at the end that ends up making the kick much less efficient and creating silt.

Hey Ron, I've not done much reading on this aspect of how SM changes a diver's technique. One of the biggest challenges I have had as a larger diver is doing a nice uniform frog kick. I think partially this is due to the constraints of a ill fitted drysuit, could be also how my 108's ride on my back. Would the frog kick techniques you mentioned above be better or even more challenging to overcome?

The only reason I have to consider SM is to preserve back and knees to somehow prevent a disabling injury which could land me unemployed. SM had been on my mind for the past year, however never actually considered giving it a try till the recent boom of Internet chatter regarding it.

Ken

 

[Dive-aholic]

Hey Ron, I've not done much reading on this aspect of how SM changes a diver's technique. One of the biggest challenges I have had as a larger diver is doing a nice uniform frog kick. I think partially this is due to the constraints of a ill fitted drysuit, could be also how my 108's ride on my back. Would the frog kick techniques you mentioned above be better or even more challenging to overcome?

The only reason I have to consider SM is to preserve back and knees to somehow prevent a disabling injury which could land me unemployed. SM had been on my mind for the past year, however never actually considered giving it a try till the recent boom of Internet chatter regarding it.

Ken

Whether the frog kick will be more challenging or not depends on what issues you're having now. If the issues are due to the ill fitting dry suit, then you may have the same issues, and then some, should you make the change to sidemount. There's really only one way to find out.

 

[kalik]

Ron I have some of the same problems as Ken I am currently diving with a single 95 with a duel manifold. My question is have you seen anybody using HP 80's on a sm. I have an excellent sac rate and have been considering this as a weight alternative?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I have a buddy in Pensacola who plans to use some HP80s for sidemount diving. Those are those ultra short tanks right? He hasn't swapped the yoke valves off for din yet, and I believe thats the only thing holding him up right now.

 

[kalik]

Yes these are ultra small and the valves come with the DIN valve already on them. They just have the insert that makes them adapt to yoke.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

This guy has some really old valves on them, infact, I think the tanks themselves sat for a decade or so. He has to swap the valves out completely, not just remove the insert. HP80s have been around for quite awhile, its not a new size or anything.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Ron I have some of the same problems as Ken I am currently diving with a single 95 with a duel manifold. My question is have you seen anybody using HP 80's on a sm. I have an excellent sac rate and have been considering this as a weight alternative?

I think HP80s might be a little on the light side. What type of diving do you plan on doing? And how good is your SAC rate? Keep in mind that different environments affect SAC and it might not be what you think in a different environment.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

HP80 is heavier than LP72s or AL80s, they are supposedly -9# full and -3# empty. I looked into them once because I have a buddy who has a set and they looked like really good alternatives.