Sidemount and helmets in open water

[shoredivr]

Huh, been using SMBs in the non-shipping lane of the St Lawrence River for ten years now. Works perfectly, send it up from 30 ft and the charter boat sees you easily.


(Don't use one in the shipping lanes though, the St. Lawrence Seaway hands out fines for this.)

 

[Razorista]

The largest river in Germany is the Rhein, @shoredivr .
It has a shipping lane depth of 3.5 meters, water speed can be more than is easily survivable though and visibility is less than 20cm where I live, so you really cannot survive diving there for long.

The river yesterday is a lot deeper in places, found up to 7m.
Shipping lane depth official minimum depth there is about 1.5m and would be even shallower if not for the harbor (they load steel cable rolls of about a tonne each to barges there) and a weir close by.

There is no river in Germany where using an smb would be reasonable, except in special small areas and none of those is 'close to home' for me.

In the river I was diving yesterday there are some areas used for diving by local clubs.
Officially you are required to tow a drift buoy behind you.
I have never seen a diver there using one not to become entangled or endangering the group at some time during the dive.

 

[Razorista]

btw: Do you see that?
Beginners mistake, too many boltsnaps on a wrist bungee, nearly lost me my favorite backup cutting tool

Highest recommendation: Spyderco Ladybug H1 Salt Hawkbil fully serrated
Has been with me from around my second dive in chlorinated, salt, freshwater and also in heavily polluted water where everything made of steel rusted and many titanium knives proved to have steel components in their looking mechanism.
'Saved the dive' several times and never failed to cut through something realistic to be cut without support from a floating position, was never rinsed or sharpened.
Works perfectly for years now.

It is the tiniest, sharpest and most secure knife I have found or can imagine to be used with 5mm neoprene gloves.

 

[toby43]

I can't take any more...

 

[Razorista]

I am getting fed up here too.

I can't take any more...

Ah, found someone else to explain sandwich sidemount systems to you?

Looks to me like another forum for loudmouths and bullying

 

[Razorista]

So you are saying you can not use an SMB in a river or that you don't know how to use an SMB? Is there absolutely nothing you will not debate?

Actually, no, there is nothing I will not debate (almost). We are on a discussion forum here.

I am saying you cannot use an SMB above a certain minimum depth.
In a current the line becomes a hazard above about 3m, it pulls you along uncontrollably, hinders you when trying to turn to see the group.
Changing depth while using an SMB isn't easy or fast anymore and often the line gets longer during the dive and more horizontal, entangling with equipment, hands and fins on any diver close by.

I rarely use SMBs myself, I freely admit, do not like all the hastle.
Several times I only inflated it after surfacing to wave to the boat, I rarely mind drifting a few minutes, mostly surface below the boat anyway and when the boat is needed urgently I mostly wave and use the whistle and give the SMB to the buddy to hold on to for support.

I my opinion proficiency in using an SMB is an essential skill however. Excellent training and a good method for testing ones own skill and development.

 

[toby43]

I am getting fed up here too.


Ah, found someone else to explain sandwich sidemount systems to you?

Looks to me like another forum for loudmouths and bullying

Thank you for posting about the sandwich system. I dont offer advice as i dont have enough experience. All i found for myself was that learning technical diving and later full cave broadened my experience and enjoyment of this sport. I found it useful, especially in northern Europe where, inland, there isnt much to do recreational diving wise. There are lots of good instructors around but am very happy to make a recommendation if asked in a pm

 

[Razorista]

Why the flaming then?

Personally I am fully occupied with rec diving.

Tec diving requires traveling here.
I learn as much as possible to about it, but I do not have much chance to put that knowledge to practical use.
I like decompression diving, but most of the time people get cold too fast (myself included) to exceed recreational dive planing requirements.
I like wreck diving, but inland lake wrecks are small and do not require dedicated planing, on vacation guides are always available...

Anyway:
I do not see any connection between using a helmet and technical diving anymore.

 

[Johanan]

I didn't read the entire thread, but my 2 cents to the OP. Most of times I dive sidemount, also in open water. Usually I'm the only SM diver on the site and it makes me look weird to others. A helmet doesn't add much to that. When I entered my cave training, there was no question about wearing a helmet or not. Having one was the standard. I like the lights mounted on the helmet in order to have free hands, therefore almost every time I carry lights I wear a helmet. So far I have encountered just two disadvantages: 1) it is more complicated to exchange a mask; 2) I cannot scratch my head or touch it when freezing.

 

[shoredivr]

And how do you do that in a river?
First of all, it would not work and pull you along sideways, second it touches the surface without using a line.

Your flat generalization "it would not work" in a River is disproved yearly in a specific location, the St Lawrence.

Now, I wouldn't want to send up an SMB in the St Clair River due to current strength, nor the Welland River (Chippawa Creek) due to all the boats that will use the SMB as a turning point.

But depending on River speed, one can send up an SMB. Sure, you drift along in the current with the marker, the same as you do in any current. A 100ft/30M reel is adequate for the task of deploying an SMB from 40 ft.

Maybe you should practice deploying an SMB on some of your dives, it's a good skill to have.

You might learn something, broaden your horizons, you never know. Goodness knows the only reason I'm posting is because others may read alternate experiences and broaden *their* horizons