RAID Cave 1 - Good Course?

[StefinSB]

no idea about a video, however you could in the same manner you can feather a tank valve and breath directly from the tank (not recommended by the way, because unless carefull you could potentially overexpand lungs).

I would isolate offending side and then when the tank I am breathing from gets down to say 400psi or so take that reg and put on the other tank. Takes all of 30 seconds) and just breath normally if solo, if with a buddy/team (preferred and recommended) just isolate the offending reg and go on the long hose.

Thanks. Sounds a lot easier than closing the offending post in BM indeed.

 

[cerich]

Thanks. Sounds a lot easier than closing the offending post in BM indeed.

it isn't easier than shutting the offending post in BM , but it is easily managed. Diving thirds you will have enough gas in the non offending SM cylinder anyway for an exit provided more snowball doesn't happen.

 

[helodriver87]

Thanks. Sounds a lot easier than closing the offending post in BM indeed.

Swapping out a reg underwater sounds easier than just...breathing the non broken one for the rest of the dive?

 

[helodriver87]

it isn't easier than shutting the offending post in BM , but it is easily managed. Diving thirds you will have enough gas in the non offending SM cylinder anyway for an exit provided more snowball doesn't happen.

And when that snowball inevitably happens, do you really want to be in a position where you have to hot swap a reg underwater, potentially in limited to no visibility in an overhead environment (and likely stressed out)?

That's ultimately my issue with the "sidemount is the superior configuration" crowd. Can you solve any issue in sidemount that you could solve in backmount? Of course. But some of those solutions are significantly more involved than the backmount equivalent. There are times and places where those drawbacks are outweighed by the advantages and there are times they aren't. Pretending otherwise is dishonest.

 

[cerich]

And when that snowball inevitably happens, do you really want to be in a position where you have to hot swap a reg underwater, potentially in limited to no visibility in an overhead environment (and likely stressed out)?

That's ultimately my issue with the "sidemount is the superior configuration" crowd. Can you solve any issue in sidemount that you could solve in backmount? Of course. But some of those solutions are significantly more involved than the backmount equivalent. There are times and places where those drawbacks are outweighed by the advantages and there are times they aren't. Pretending otherwise is dishonest.

honestly, there a host of things that can happen in BM as well, and if thing have snowballed that far, either rig isn't gonna be the solution per say.

 

[helodriver87]

honestly, there a host of things that can happen in BM as well, and if thing have snowballed that far, either rig isn't gonna be the solution per say.

Completely agree. I just look at it as a game of tradeoffs. What does this buy me? What downsides does it bring? I've taken my doubles places where I probably would've been safer in sidemount. I've also had stuff break on my doubles that was super easy to resolve that would've been, if not more dangerous, at least a lot less comfortable in sidemount. There isn't a perfect rig, there's just the best one for what you're doing, and that's basically a (fuzzy) math problem

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I've also had stuff break on my doubles that was super easy to resolve that would've been, if not more dangerous, at least a lot less comfortable in sidemount.

Just out of curiosity, what were those things.

 

[helodriver87]

Just out of curiosity, what were those things.

Blown o ring on the right post first stage and a torn diaphragm on the right post second stage that caused it to deliver more water than gas. Happened several months apart. The blown O ring was about 1000' back in a cave at 80'. Torn diaphragm was at stage drop about 2000' in (still not sure what happened there, it wet breathed fine in predive checks). Simple solution both times. With the blown o ring, I just shut down, swapped to the necklace, and called the dive. With the diaphragm, I just swapped right back to the stage and called it, but all of the backgas was still accessible from the left post. I don't know that I could've handled breathing off the busted reg, even in an emergency. It was bad.

 

[CaveSloth]

The exact strengths and weaknesses (failure and recovery scenarios) of both sidemount and backmount need to be enumerated in an FAQ somewhere.

 

[helodriver87]

The exact strengths and weaknesses (failure and recovery scenarios) of both sidemount and backmount need to be enumerated in an FAQ somewhere.

That would be a long list with a ton of situational modifiers. That's why this debate never really ends. I'm a firm believer in choosing a configuration based on the requirements of the dive. Other than the "X configuration is absolutely superior" types, most people tend to fall into that category. But there's a lot of contention regarding the tradeoffs and cost/benefit analysis.