BAIV trip scheduled soon. Want to dive sidemount doubles but then am told BAIV doesn't "allow" it. Anyone know why this is? Makes no sense to me. Help me understand, please.
No sidemount doubles on BAIV?
- Thread starter Mo Air
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
- Messages
- 19,764
- Reaction score
- 18,620
- Location
- Philadelphia and Boynton Beach
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
I was recently on the BAIV. Nobody was diving anything other than backmount singles. That has been true for the 5 Aggressors I have been on since 2016.
I would contact them directly
belize@aggressor.com
info@aggressor.com
I would contact them directly
belize@aggressor.com
info@aggressor.com
Wookie
Proud to be a Chaos Muppet
Staff member
ScubaBoard Business Sponsor
ScubaBoard Supporter
Scuba Instructor
It makes perfect sense to them.
They don’t allow doubles in any format, to prevent bottom time abuse.
They don’t allow sidemount because 99% of divers can’t control their cylinders and end up clanging and banging and chipping the paint.
It’s easier to just say no, please don’t try to explain how you aren’t like the other divers.
They don’t allow doubles in any format, to prevent bottom time abuse.
They don’t allow sidemount because 99% of divers can’t control their cylinders and end up clanging and banging and chipping the paint.
It’s easier to just say no, please don’t try to explain how you aren’t like the other divers.
+1 to what Wookie said… if I had a dollar for every every sidemount diver who claimed that they were different than every other one I’d be a rich man.
If you really want to dive sidemount, nothing saying you can’t dive single tank sidemount
Not to mention then they have to find another place for a cylinder and deal with the fill logistics….
If you really want to dive sidemount, nothing saying you can’t dive single tank sidemount
Not to mention then they have to find another place for a cylinder and deal with the fill logistics….
I was once on an Aggressor trip out to Cocos Island where a young German guy used sidemount. That's the only time I've ever seen it on one of their boats.
CycleCat
Contributor
The issue may be less with sidemount and more with doubles. They need everyone coming out of the water at more-or-less the same time so they can stay on schedule. If everyone is waiting on ONE DIVER who dives twice as long as allotted their schedule is FUBAR.
- Messages
- 20,561
- Reaction score
- 14,946
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
On top of that, it is almost always unnecessary extra work for the crew if you need your bottles handed to you and taken from you vs. hauling out on your own and generally screws up the surface scenario.
I've been sidemount diving for the better part of 15 years, the VAST majority of sidemount divers and instructors are nowhere near as good as they think they are when shore diving. Boat diving is a laughable and painful experience for everyone else and it is just not worth it for the boat to risk having a bad one on there. @Mo Air I'm not saying you aren't one of the good ones, but for the operators it is just not worth the risk of added hassle. They MAY let you dive single tank sidemount, but for stuff like this, backmount singles are the king for a reason....
Paul M
Contributor
I have experienced some operators that said I can not dive SM doubles. They don't want a scenario where some divers stay down much longer than others.
I wouldn't worry about it. You can comfortably dive a single AL80 strapped to your left side. Remember to attach both of your regs on the left 1st stage.
I wouldn't worry about it. You can comfortably dive a single AL80 strapped to your left side. Remember to attach both of your regs on the left 1st stage.
OP
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I get it potentially messing up the flow. I felt that way at tines with the sidemount divers on my Egypt trip, more particularly when they were getting into the ribs when the water was rough.
I don't at all fancy myself as a great sidemount diver or different from anyone else, but really wanted the practice over a bunch of dives in a week. Oh, well. It is what it is. Total First World problem.
I don't at all fancy myself as a great sidemount diver or different from anyone else, but really wanted the practice over a bunch of dives in a week. Oh, well. It is what it is. Total First World problem.
- Messages
- 19,764
- Reaction score
- 18,620
- Location
- Philadelphia and Boynton Beach
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
Hi @Mo Air
I have taken 5 Aggressor boats, 2 of them in the Caribbean, Belize and Cayman. I have seen nothing but back mount singles on any of these Aggressor boats. I have never seen a diver with a pony on any of these trips.
I have taken one Nautilus boat to the Revillagigedos and went on the Ferox to Malpelo. Again, all back mount singles, no ponies.
The most commonly used cylinder is an AL80. 100s seem to be generally available by request, I have seen both AL and steel.
Let us know how your trip goes and whether you used a side mount single.
Similar threads
