Sandwich Sidemount

[Bennno]

Ok, that's, again, just not true. I don't dive a sandwitch and I can dive any kind of rental tank. I works great you just need to know HOW.
The sandwitch doesn't have anything to do with what tanks you can dive.

I would like to comment on the other 'stuff' as well, I would also like to ask the people posting, if they have ever used the rigs they are talking about or ever dived in a cave (which is the topic), but a certain user would go and whine to the moderators ... and of course the mods will quickly delete to please the whiner for some reason ...

Dear reader, this post won't be here when you refresh the site.

I have to go now and argue stuff on a skeet shooting board... I have never done it, but I have seen youtube videos about it.

 

[Bennno]

I'd be awesome if we had a board were divers could talk to other divers about stuff... that would be interesting.

 

[tbone1004]

how is it more useful?

to answer bent's post
My main rig is an original Nomad, albeit modified. I also own a modified Razor 2.0. technical cave certified, in sidemount, for almost 6 years now. Have experience with multiple other rigs and have no reason to even consider the sandwich style harness because the ratchet effect is unsafe. It also follows the same general principal of the Nomad which is taking in this case a soft backplate, and putting with harness over the wing. Provides absolutely 0 advantages over the Nomad XT that is available today, but comes with a safety risk of getting stuck

 

[Bennno]

I wasn't talking about you, Tom. I agree with pretty much all you said.

 

[tbone1004]

I figured, was just for the record

 

[nakatomi]

Tbone1004 summed it up nicely. A rigid backplate in SM passages is bound to cause issues and will end up getting someone keyed into the ceiling and killed in the process.
As to Bent's comments about gathering experience before posting about certain endeavors or scenarios, I do have to agree!
This has been a major dispute between myself and a certain poster in this thread (who shall not be named) for many years.
He posts advice, tips and tricks about cave and technical diving, yet himself pretty much dives exclusively in shallow ponds and considers two water lilies and some duck weed as a major restriction.
Please be advised that this person has zero technical training and certainly no cave training at all. Take what he says about technical diving (the forum area we are posting in) with a bucket of salt.

 

[bamafan]

I really appreciate the entertainment provided by these threads. It is entertaining to get off work and read this dribble. Tom and Bent I give you credit for hanging in there with this guy. I agree the hard backplate is a bad idea in a sidemount cave. It works for just diving in sidemount configuration but it is just a matter of time till someone gets hung up with this system.

 

[Razorista]

Matter of which amount of time? One accident in a century?
Toddy is reported to have been using it in Sardinian Caves for about 10 years in a form comparable to the one he uses today.
Seems awfully healthy considering...

 

[JohnnyC]

....considers two water lilies and some duck weed as a major restriction.

Jesus man, not while I'm drinking chocolate milk!


Interestingly enough, none of the guys I know doing real exploration in sidemount-only passages are using a sandwich system. When asked about their opinions, all of them specifically speak of the dangers of using one. These guys have names on cave maps and in National Geographic, I trust their opinions even though the closest thing I do to sidemount is a buttplate and bungee for my stage/deco/bailout bottles.

 

[nakatomi]

Matter of which amount of time? One accident in a century?
Toddy is reported to have been using it in Sardinian Caves for about 10 years in a form comparable to the one he uses today.
Seems awfully healthy considering...

You are making assumptions and jumping to conclusions.
You are not a cave diver. You have never experienced the Sardinian caves so you don't know what they are like and what their impact may be regarding a sandwiched backplate (and vice versa).
Much more of the same is true for Florida's caves, some of which are made of very soft limestone that is prone to having a rigid backplate dig into.
The Florida caves we (here on the thread) also have some experience with, as opposed to you.
You might as well take our word for it. Or go ahead and get cave trained and do your 100 or 500 dives and then post about it again.