bamafan
Contributor
Edd is an excellent instructor. Just call him up and tell him you are thinking of buying a Stealth or Razor. After a few seconds you will know he doesn't like them. Edd doesn't dive aluminum tanks that I know of. He goes to the Bahamas a few times a year where they have steel tanks but I don't recall him going to Mexico and I have known him since '08 or '09. As with anything your instructor should be enthusiastic about what they are teaching and Edd is anything but enthusiastic about the Razor / Stealth. The Hollis SMS's work great with steels but suck with aluminum tanks. Now the Razor / Stealth work great with aluminum tanks but suck with heavy steel tanks and multiple stages. Both types if rigs are good for what they are designed to do. There is no magic one sidemount rig that works great in all conditions and with all tanks. Get a rig that will fit the type of tanks you will be diving the most and get an instructor who is enthusiastic about the rig they are teaching you in. I am sure there is a good Razor / Stealth type rig instructor somewhere in Florida who dives the rig almost exclusively but I have no idea who it would be as our conditions aren't very favorable to aluminum tanks. The only instructor I know in Florida that even sometimes dives a Stealth / Razor rig is Rob Neto. He goes to Mexico several times a year doing exploration on Cozumel. I keep saying this but it seems no one is listening. When in Rome do as the Romans.