Dr Bill dives in a bunch of kelp. Hugs the bottom and goes pretty deep sometimes, I'd be more concerned about maxing out on NDL than running out of gas. Besides, I want to watch him get up that first step in low tide...
Side Mount and Videography?
- Thread starter drbill
- 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
How do you get in and out of the water? Sidemount is different if you want to walk in your tanks, you have to use some clip at the neck...I'm not a user of that type of system, but that's because I use sidemount in places where I can set the tanks in the water and put them on in the water while standing or kneeling on something...
I really like sidemount for photography, it keeps you very nice and level and stable. I use the clip off method of reg management, if I needed to switch faster or smoother, I'd use the bungee method. I do not clip off until the other reg is in my mouth and working for alteast 2-3 breaths.
Mess with the setup until the tanks are out of the way. Depending on how you run your setup, the bug antennae SPG setup leaves room for kelp to get entangled, or silt stirred up...the stage bottle SPG method works better for that but can make gauges less easy to read. Once you know your tanks, I've found you can tell when it's time to switch because of the weight difference side to side.
I love sidemount, but for surf entry or exit, I'd be diving backmount. For ocean diving, I am in backmount 99% of the time.
I really like sidemount for photography, it keeps you very nice and level and stable. I use the clip off method of reg management, if I needed to switch faster or smoother, I'd use the bungee method. I do not clip off until the other reg is in my mouth and working for alteast 2-3 breaths.
Mess with the setup until the tanks are out of the way. Depending on how you run your setup, the bug antennae SPG setup leaves room for kelp to get entangled, or silt stirred up...the stage bottle SPG method works better for that but can make gauges less easy to read. Once you know your tanks, I've found you can tell when it's time to switch because of the weight difference side to side.
I love sidemount, but for surf entry or exit, I'd be diving backmount. For ocean diving, I am in backmount 99% of the time.
JamesK
Contributor
Regarding the one handed reg switch. What I do is grab the reg I am switching to and have it in hand, give it a quick purge and then spit the other reg from my mouth and place the new reg in mouth. If I was on the bungeed reg I am done. If I was on the long hose I grab it and clip it off. Simple.
Mark Michaud SELAUSAR
Contributor
FWIW....I think the most important thing, if you decide to go this route, is to learn to sidemount from someone who has real experience in sidemount. What I mean is learn, whether through a class or a mentor, from someone who dives this system on dives that are not, just, teaching dives. I have seen some horrendous "sidemount instructors" that basically hang 2 stage bottles and call it sidemount. Unfortunately, many students, who do not have your extensive experience, will never know any better. It is an easy system to adapt to, with a bit of task loading at first. It is a very relaxing position to dive in, especially in open water with no overhead. Your back will thank you for sure. Like I said, FWIW. Mark
Last edited:
And I do it differently. I pull the reg out of my mouth then grab the reg I'm switching to and put it in my mouth. If I'm switching to my bungeed reg it's a little easier because it's just a matter of reaching under my chin for it. If I'm switching to my clipped reg I have to unclip the reg but I've done it enough that it's not an issue. I would not suggest doing this unless you know you are absolutely proficient in unclipping that reg.
CWSWine
Contributor
..........
beanojones
Contributor
- Messages
- 3,204
- Reaction score
- 348
I have found few advantages to mounting the gauges up, and kelp seems to offer a real reason to point them down.
JamesK
Contributor
I point my gauges up but use the compact gauges and use bike inner tube strips to hold them tight in to my harness at my shoulders. The inner tube practically covers the gauges, yet they are still very easy to see.
beanojones
Contributor
- Messages
- 3,204
- Reaction score
- 348
Got Pics?
(It seems like that is almost always needed for sidemount)
I had the guages up, and then I had them stage rigged, and then when I started adding more than one cylinder per side, it all just got in the way. (Not to mention the way the Nomad Ring Bungie makes them ride, they end up needing fumbling for anyway, so might as well fumble for them along the tank, I thought.
Similar threads
