Sidemount and boat

[jerrwhy01]

Z-system by any chance? The QD does make getting in very quick. My procedure is exactly the same as yours.

Nope just 2 plain old LP hoses. One for my wing and another for my drysuit if I'm wearing it.

 

[KNDiver]

You can do any water entry technique from a boat, but it's wise to add a solid connection at the top of the cylinders.

I use a 550 cord loop for this attachment, clipped to the shoulder D-ring via double-enders. I remove and stow the double-enders once I've entered. Some divers like permanently attached bolt snaps at the cylinder valve. I find they annoyed me, dangling around the whole dive or taking up real-estate on the D-rings.
QUOTE]

Thanks for your answer. Do you have a picture of your attachment?

 

[victorzamora]

If the boat is really rocking and everybody is gearing up in place, at their bench, don't you take up a lot more width on the bench with SM doubles?

You can but you don't need to. On tight boats, I put my tanks right next to eachother...like the bm guys. I'll kneel down next to my "left" bottle (on the right) and clip it in, get the reg in, and plug in my inflator. If I'm diving two tanks, I'll turn around and kneel next to my "right" bottle and clip it in and plug in my inflator. If there's still time, I'll route my long hose, do a modified S-drill to check it, and then hang out. If I have to wait like that long, I'll wait with just my left tank clipped on (weight supported by bench) and then clip my other tank in. Then, even on narrow boats, it's easy enough to walk at a 45-degree angle. Keeps you narrow but does take up a little length down the aisle. In the water, I throw on the bungees and am good to go.

Gearing down is the same but backwards. I undo bungees in the water, unplug inflators, get my short hose out from behind my neck, and sometimes unclip tail leashes. This makes tanks "swing" a bit, but is often called for with narrow ladders. Then I get up the ladder and walk to my spot. If tails unclipped, I plop both tanks in at once. If not, I'll kneel on my right knee and drop off my right tank, turn around, and repeat for my left tank.

Of course, that depends on the boat as well. For backroll entry I'll clip off one tank, get on the edge of the boat before I do the other, bring it up and clip it off, and then roll in. On one dive off a small boat in Mx, I was FULLY geared up, noticed an o-ring failure, geared down, grabbed my tools and spares, fixed it, geared back up, rolled in, and I was still waiting for a couple of folks with a BM single tank.

 

[stuartv]

I confess I am getting more and more interested in trying sidemount. I think once I get my BM doubles skills fully squared away, I will put together a SM rig and try it with my pair of HP100s. Having basic proficiency with BM and SM seems like not a bad idea. Flying with a SM harness instead of a BP/W definitely seems like it would be "easier".

 

[KNDiver]

I use a 550 cord loop for this attachment, clipped to the shoulder D-ring via double-enders. I remove and stow the double-enders once I've entered. Some divers like permanently attached bolt snaps at the cylinder valve. I find they annoyed me, dangling around the whole dive or taking up real-estate on the D-rings.

Sometimes I'll enter with just one cylinder attached (left cylinder) and either hand-carry the 2nd cylinder or have that passed down.

Thanks for your reply. Do you have a Picture of your attachment?

 

[olphart]

Where possible I hang my tanks on a line off the side of the boat and hook up in the water. Takes up no extra space on the boat before putting the tanks in and getting ready on the boat is very quick since not dealing with tanks. Once in the water, I'm out of the way while hooking up. Getting out is just clipping the tanks off on the line and climbing out.
Otherwise, I try to make sure my tanks are as close to the exit as possible, hook up and go.

 

[Mike1967]

Do you have a Picture of your attachment?

You weren't asking me but this is what he was talking about