Razor 2.0 or 2.1 or SMS75

[Razorista]

Germany is inland diving only (the few exceptions are not near where I live). For a boat you would have to wait a year for my next vacation.

I do not put my own pictures into forums anymore after some very bad experiences last year, but I could not make myself remove the videos that are mostly uploaded for family and friends.
You won't be impressed but if you cannot resist you can have a look at my youtube channel.
This one is one of the rare sequences showing me for a second during a dive you might consider 'serious', but I did that on two tanks of air because we had a 60 minute limit: razorista Rosalie - YouTube

It's very hard for me to come by videos showing me that I have not made myself during an experiment or test.
So most look horrible, but the Razor itself does not show any weaknesses even when worn by someone inept.

 

[MSargeant]

If that is how you configure cylinders, hike the lower attachment point up the cylinder a few inches.

 

[Razorista]

What I'd like to see is a higher res photo of Razorista diving his Razor in his "typical" configuration.

OK, then have a look at the videos mentioned.
But please stay fair when commenting. I do not take the camera out in challenging situations and none of those is a technical dive, or meant to impress anybody but family.

His avatar looks like his wing might be beachballing pretty badly, but it's hard to tell.

Actually that was shot at 12 feet. If I needed air in the wing then I would not have used steels for the dive.
Rob Neto once commended me on that pic without knowing me otherwise, so I am quite proud to say that you will not find a significant flaw there.

I'd also like a picture of Razorista diving with EXCESS weights and see how it works.

That one I can probably offer in a few days, depends on finding someone to hold the camera.

Oh.....and one of him standing, tank necks being held up by nothing but bungees.

You will just have to believe me when I say that since I started making videos I never have used anything but the bungee.
You will not find a choker or boltsnap in any video I have ever uploaded, not even on other diver's sidemount tanks I think.

---------- Post added August 8th, 2014 at 02:37 PM ----------

If that is how you configure cylinders, hike the lower attachment point up the cylinder a few inches.

Those are cam bands, they just look low because they are so wide with the black stickers below them.
The lower attachment is just right (I moved it even further down a few dives later actually because the cylinders where so old and buoyant), the bungee was damaged during that dive without me realizing though (panicked diver at the surface leaning on my tanks).
Was elegant enough for my taste and I am unselfconscious about it, as long as it works perfectly and that dive was perfect in many ways (while being very bad for the rest of the boat, we got quite close to losing the mentioned panicked divers former buddy with empty single tank and an hour of accumulated deco).
For me it was a very relaxing close to 40 meter rule of thirds dive with a few moments of overhead situations and mostly solo (solo dive to a nice wreck was a small dream come true, even if all fell apart when I met the others at the line).

 

[victorzamora]

Razorista.....watching YouTube videos of Steve Bogaerts or Steve Martin won't help me. I'm curious in YOUR setup. The one video you posted showed very little good, but I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt on a lot of those.

As for standing on the surface with tanks hooked up, I can't/don't believe you. Hence why I'd love to see the video of it.

 

[djcheburashka]

Agreed --- enough with *other* people's videos and pictures. Razorista where are yours?

---------- Post added August 8th, 2014 at 12:42 PM ----------

If that's you in the last video posted (which I doubt), your tanks are completely misconfigured and close to a foot out of trim. Given what you said about your size the bands should be close to the neck. But either way you either didn't switch them to the front d rings or something else has gone terribly wrong in the setup.

We discussed this earlier in the thread and you disagreed when I said getting the tanks balanced was very tricky. You said it was easy if you know what your doing. Well...

You're also yourself not maintaining your balance, body position, or trim in the water.

 

[Razorista]

Razorista where are yours?

As I said, here: http://www.youtube.com/user/razorista/videos

You're also yourself not maintaining your balance, body position, or trim in the water.

That's new to me, where do you see that?

If that's you in the last video posted (which I doubt),

Why do you doubt that?

your tanks are completely misconfigured and close to a foot out of trim.

You are right, that looks horrible, but it does not feel like that if its just neutral tanks and no current at all.
I had been holding the camera in the right hand for 5 minutes and that left no chance to clip forward (and I did not want to anyway).

Given what you said about your size the bands should be close to the neck.

I put cam bands about a 20cm from the bottom of the tank on 80cft. But I sometime push them up or down for a dive or during a dive.
When using them I am on holiday anyway, so I do not care that much.

But either way you either didn't switch them to the front d rings or something else has gone terribly wrong in the setup.

Is it really that bad in you opinion?
I am only keeping the scene because it is it one of only a few I have, perhaps I am a bit biased.

 

[djcheburashka]

I doubt it'd you because that person isn't 4' tall as your prior posts suggest. I see your balance and trim off from your position and motions-you're off-balance, out of position, and struggling to maintain.

Whether it "feels" horrible or not, in sidemount the tanks HAVE TO BE TRIM SO YOU CAN FIT THROUGH THINGS. That's kinda the point I know you can't *feel* when the tanks are out of trim! that's one of the reasons getting it right is so hard.

You know, you spoke extensively in post after post after post about how easy it is to get tanks in trim, how you learned how to do it, how they balanced out with this kind of tank and that kind of tank... Now we see you, and not only do you have it completely wrong, in a way that no ms diver would find acceptable, but your reaction is "what's the big deal?"

As for what you had in your hand -- that's the worst excuse ever. I'm not even going to tell you why. Every sm diver with even a little experience who reads this will know why. I'm going to let you sit there and wonder what everyone but you knows about what your excuse says about you as a diver.

As for your band position--that video isn't you on holiday. You're in a multi-tank configuration, you didn't take a cam band and go tropical. So, lousy excuse again.

And as for your question "is it that bad" the answer is YES, not only is it really bad, it shows that you're completely clueless, with all the questions you answered, about what the people asking those questions were trying to accomplish, and why.

At this point I'll give you a chance to retreat and save some face; or you can double-down again Think it through,

 

[Razorista]

Razorista.....watching YouTube videos of Steve Bogaerts or Steve Martin won't help me.

I am sure someone of your experience cannot learn much there, but they helped me a lot.

But I did not link to other people's videos the last time.
I was actually stupid enough again to openly show my lacking talents.
Those videos are by me, just a few are of me and I cut a few snippets showing me out of other people's videos.

I'm curious in YOUR setup.

This it is for example:
But I only have video with 7 and 8 liters and only with one or two at a time.
Sidemount Spass - YouTube

The one video you posted showed very little good, but I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt on a lot of those.

I used this video to link to the channel above. It was the shortest snipped showing other things than fish or other divers.
I do look a bit better at the Salem Express I think:
Salem Express - YouTube
But actually I am not interested in looking especially good in videos, most people cannot tell the difference anyway.
I am not good enough to qualify for my own HP. ;-)

As for standing on the surface with tanks hooked up, I can't/don't believe you. Hence why I'd love to see the video of it.

Will have to wait, do not have one and only have access to a single big tank this weekend, I assume showing 7 liters would not help in the discussion.

---------- Post added August 8th, 2014 at 10:24 PM ----------

I doubt it'd you because that person isn't 4' tall as your prior posts suggest.

I wrote 182cm, that's a bit over 6'

struggling to maintain.

A bit short to show that, isn't it?
Anyway, I was not struggling, just videoing and the slow motion snipped does not even contain one complete fin movement to judge.

Whether it "feels" horrible or not, in sidemount the tanks HAVE TO BE TRIM SO YOU CAN FIT THROUGH THINGS.

That's kinda the point

You do not always have to fit through something, sometimes it's just a bit of 'advanced Monkey diving' for me.
But yes, you are right there.

I know you can't *feel* when the tanks are out of trim!

Actually you can. But you would not believe me anyway.

that's one of the reasons getting it right is so hard.

Wouldn't deny that it is hard.
From my point of view: If you are done with it you're done!
Having it absolutely right stopped interesting me very much.
I want it to be very stable and secure, but nothing more.

Sometimes I still do the Video and mirror checking, but I do not need that much precision that often and if I do I can correct it by feel in the water.

You know, you spoke extensively in post after post after post about how easy it is to get tanks in trim, how you learned how to do it,

Yes I did that and mean most of it, some meaning could have been 'lost in translation' though.

how they balanced out with this kind of tank and that kind of tank...

They do and I can.
I do not always require them to.
I am also not a very talented diver.
The Razor still enables me to do things many more talented people cannot imitate without diving their own Razor.

Now we see you, and not only do you have it completely wrong, in a way that no ms diver would find acceptable, but your Reaction is "what's the big deal?"

There is a difference between 'completely wrong' and 'a bit off'.
I like a good tank position as much as anyone, but I am not fanatic about it, sometimes I just don't care.

As for what you had in your hand -- that's the worst excuse ever.

It is, but that's the way it is for me with the GoPro. Either I concentrate on it and do long sequences of video or I miss most good shots.

I'm not even going to tell you why. Every sm diver with even a little experience who reads this will know why. I'm going to let you sit there and wonder what everyone but you knows about what your excuse says about you as a diver.

How do you do it? Right hand occupied, too much shaking to be avoided.
I just ignore the tank position than until I am done.
I also push the tank valve down with my shoulder do get more freedom of movement for the extended arm.

As for your band position--that video isn't you on holiday.

It is me on holiday. What else? Tropical waters are not that easy to come by in my area.
So it's tourist boats in Egypt.

You're in a multi-tank configuration, you didn't take a cam band and go tropical. So, lousy excuse again.

Actually that is me diving off a boat with a total 25 divers with single tank and one other sidemount diver and one instructor for the rest of the group with backmouted doubles.
I just do not see why I should reconfigure for single tank in most situations.

And as for your question "is it that bad" the answer is YES, not only is it really bad, it shows that you're completely clueless, with all the questions you answered, about what the people asking those questions were trying to accomplish, and why.

And can you explain how you have come to that conclusion?
Most of the things you hinted at above are wrong, and not based on enough information, so I do not know what to make of it.
I like to improve, but I do not see that to be your goal in saying this here.
So now you have a bit more to criticize.

I am still a sidemount beginner. Had a few hundred dives but I think there is still much room for improvement.
Personally I am quite satisfied with the current sage and unselfconscious.

I do not have anything to prove and am just very happy with the way everything is working out for me at the moment in the water.

 

[djcheburashka]

Your tanks are mostly in trim in one of those videos. It looks like you're able to maintain tank trim (albeit with your tanks rotated in a position where it's unnecessarily hard to reach the valves), when your diving steels or at the beginning of dives with aluminum. But you have trouble when the tanks become buoyant.

I don't understand at all your excuse about not being able to manage more tanks; you seem perfectly normal size to me.

Here's one of me in my double-40s shore diving configuration; I may post with larger/more tanks later, but those aren't on my ipad.

 

[Razorista]

Your tanks are mostly in trim in one of those videos.

Thank you!
I had not thought you would be able to concede that much. Looks like we could still get somewhere in the discussion.

It looks like you're able to maintain tank trim

I am, but as I said, not always a requirement, one or two videos on that channel I even made to show mistakes on another forum some time ago.
I can look even more horrible if I try to.

(albeit with your tanks rotated in a position where it's unnecessarily hard to reach the valves),

This one I do not understand.
The rotation is what makes it 'Bogaerthian', mostly.

when your diving steels or at the beginning of dives with aluminum.

I am notorious at filling stations for coming in with empty tanks.
The small ones do not rotate much anyway.
Many of the videos where made with completely empty tank on a side from the first dive with only the other one refilled and complications like that.

But you have trouble when the tanks become buoyant.

No, at least with a drysuit and 5th-port first stages I would not even have to go to so much trouble.
Tank position is quite fixed then and only getting the tank-bottom down is required and accomplished easily.
The bungee could do that on his own however and I have been using first stages without that useful feature until recently.

I don't understand at all your excuse about not being able to manage more tanks;

Seems to have been one of those 'metric/imperial' misunderstandings.
I am 182 cm, so about 6'
Since growing to that normal size my weight stayed fixed at 64 Kilograms for decades now, so about 120lbs.
That's about 18 kilograms or 36 lbs less than ideal - 30% less body than required is not always easy to live with ;-)

I am physically unable to lift much more than by own body weight without risking damage (as are most people not specially trained).
Four 80cft alone are 60 Kilograms empty and they are close to neutral, I would need weights for them in my drysuit even in Egypt (old and worn 250gr undersuit).

About double my body weight and I am unable to move on my own at all.
Scooters with their batteries are something I would never even think to carry more than a few meters.

you seem perfectly normal size to me.

You do not see it in the drysuit, but my legs are probably thinner than your arms.

I am in perfect health according to my doctors, I am just very thin and not very strong as a result.

Here's one of me in my double-40s shore diving configuration;

Looking ok to my eyes.
Now I understand why the wing bulge is a more important problem to you than me
I find the other thing this shows much more irritating by the way: pouch movement and buoyancy.

I may post with larger/more tanks later, but those aren't on my ipad.

Do so please, I am very interested to see those configs.