Sidemount Instruction/Gear

[Kevrumbo]

The learning curve on UTD's Z-system sidemount is not any more worse than starting out on conventional backmount manifolded doubles for the first time --the valve drills on z-system are actually much simpler; distribution block failure drills take some practice, but since this is a low pressure manifold (i.e. compared to standard HP backmount manifold & isolation valve and the catastrophic all gas lost event of shearing-off an isolation valve) you've got some time to hook-up a QC6 back-up regulator or deploy a redundant hosed 2nd stage reg from a sidemount tank before you disconnect both QC6's from the distribution block (and besides, you've always got a buddy for donation, even if you're in a restriction/narrow wreck corridor) . The advantage is that you still retain fundamental dir/hogarthian long hose w/ necklaced secondary technique while implementing sidemount configuration --which is more important for me and my mixed team of SE Asian Indo-Pacific Wreck Diver Buddies in backmount.

I used the Z-system sidemount for the first time for a three week trip in Chuuk Lagoon & Palau last Nov-Dec '11 --even a Razor2 SM diver was impressed with the sturdier wing & harness attachment design of the Z-system, and commented on the poor placement of the oral inflation valve on the Razor2 . . .too exposed, vulnerable to cutting and an entanglement/snag hazard in a wreck overhead.My Razor 2 buddy initially pointed out these faults --ON HIS OWN WING-- in comparison side-by-side with the Z-system. . .

kevrumbo's Photos - Unified Team Diving

 

[Karl_H]

Hi Karl
For warm water diving you may be happy with 9 kilo of lift. Once you start diving with stages in caves or cold water diving with steels, then this is by far not enough lift. The BAT-wing has 22 Kilos of lift, fits EVERYBODY and can be used in cold and in warm water conditions and equipment.
As well because the BAT-Wing can be placed anywhere on the harness you can place it excately where it has to be on the diver. A thing that is impossible with any UTD wing.

Just to check - so basically thats what I said in the original post right? The post was intended for recreational type side mount diving in the Philippines, so the 9kg (i.e. Z-Trim) seem the right option.

A Swiss army knife comes with a great screwdriver, I wouldn't plan on using it over a regular screw driver though - the option of two harnesses, one for warm water, one for cold seems much more logical to me? It's generally going to be a different harness set-up for warm or cold in either case (wet suit vs dry suit, large d-ring vs low rpofile d-rings, etc.) so why so much effort to keep the bladder the same for both conditions?

The Razor harness was really the breakthrough in side mount and no one can ever take that away, and it's certainly been used as a template for most of the warm water harnesses out there - although when it comes to BC's wasn't the Z-Trim released before th BAT wing? I just feel other BC systems have evolved while the BAT is not far off being a bigger MSR pack with an extra fixing point at the top and bottom.

Yep - I dived a lot with Tom and he originally did the side mount course with Steve. We've learned a lot ourselves since then here in the Philippine caves and wrecks also (no cold water but we have a lot more silt!), that said next time I'm in Mexico I may arrange something so see what else is available. Maybe you guys can convince me otherwise on the BAT wing.

I'm not fully convinced on the side mount manifold design either, it certainly has some benefits but also has a lot of draw backs - although for recreational open water sidemount the manifold seems a good idea in principle. I think you'll find if you look into the UTD manifold the main aim is to enable a team of divers in sidemount, back mount and CCR to dive together with the same basic configuration.

Cheers,

Karl

 

[break4]

@ Kevrumbo: ok, first if you don't have a distribution block, you don't have any failure to cover on it. On a low pressure hose failure you lose yoour air way faster than on a high pressure hose. Anyway on all our basic courses we are teaching with the long hose on the right tank. Switching regulators on the dive balances the tank pressures and makes sure as well, that both 2nd stages are working all the time. This is something that a serious BM-diver does as well. SSo in case of mixed team diving you can share air from your long hose easily. Having two INDEPENDENT air systems are making a scenario of being out of air immedialltely nearly impossible. Having the tanks connected over a distribution block, that is placed again out of sight and in dry suit diving with thick undergarment nearly out of reach makes no sense whatsoever.
In a real Side Mount cave or in parts of a wreck your buddy can't help you at any time of the dive. As well in case of a low pressure hose failure the possibility, that you end up in no viz is pretty high, which makes it even harder for a buddy.
The oral inflation hose you are mentioning is from the backup wing. The BAT wing is the only streamlined wing on the market, that ist a two bladder wing. So in the unlikely case that your primary wing should fail, you have a backup wing with the same amount of lift like the primary. Properly placed the oral inflator works perfect and is streamlined on the shoulder. As well the finger dump on the inside is extremly streamlined. I guess Steve and me are diving enough in pretty nasty cave to know, where you get entangeled or not.

@ Karl: Why buying 2 equipments if one does the job perfect? I'm diving in Switzerland at the moment with drysuit and thick undergarment and I'm using the same harness setup like in Mexico with the 7mm wetsuit. If you are using a 3mm shorty you have to adjust the harness slithly, but you have to do that with any harness anyway. Divers who are switching a lot between different enviroments are buying sometimes a second harness, but they can use the same wing by just unscrewing two bolts from onee harness to the other. As well a lot of divers are diving normally in coold water during the year and are coming over to the Phillipines to spend their vaccation. So with the complete Razor System, they have already verything for both scenarios.

You are right with the Z-wing. It came out to public about 2 month before the BAT-wing. At that time we were diving the prototypes and finishing a process, that we started about 3/4 year before releasing the BAT-wing. We tested 10 different shapes and forms before we ended up with the form of the BAT-wing, that you are seeing today. The reason why UTD was earlier here would be a completely different story and I dont want to talk bad about other people in public.

Another great part of the BAT-wing is, that because of the size the air gets deployed perfectly which gives you a way more stable position in the water. So a bigger wing is ffrom that point of view as well better. The separation of wing and harness makes it possible as well for my girlfriend (cave instructor and explorer as well) 1,55 m and 48 kilos to be extremly happy with the Razor.

You are anytime welcome in Mexiko. Actually there is a big potential, that Steve Bogaerts will be in the Phillipines beginning of August.
Have a great day guys!
HP

 

[Kevrumbo]

Z-system integrates perfectly with my team of SE Asia/Indo-Pacific Wreck Divers; we use scooters to help get down in current on the deep WWII wrecks in the South China Sea (as well as getting out of the way of the big container ships in the busy shipping lanes to Singapore) --another one of the reasons why I went with the Z-system SM is that you always breath the long hose primary in nominal situations. All I have to do when alternating tanks is turn one on and shut down the other --all easily done on-the-fly & on-the-trigger while scootering in open water at depth. i.e. --I don't have to swap/deploy/stow regulators if I went with a traditional/conventional independent SM set-up, which would be much harder to do on-the-fly and on trigger (with a Super Tanker bearing down on me

!). [Think about the potential free-flow problems using conventional Side-Mount independent tanks on the now swapped-out un-used tank & regulator while scootering on-the-fly/on trigger, against current because you did not or forgot to shut it down]. . .

So yeah, I've given it a lot of thought and understand the mechanics & contingencies of the distribution block connections --Z-system conveniently and objectively applies to my type of diving. . .

 

[Pao]

Update: I just finished the course Karl Hurwood. Had a great time with a great instructor .

 

[Hapkiman]

I have seen karl in the water and he scares mme he floats like giant manta with trim that is unreal , he is a great teacher and it does not matter side mount, back mount ,singles, doubles, rebreather he is the man .......