Sidemount NooB Zone

[CamG]

Greetings Jakeb826 I have been SMing for about 4yrs.
Started with a converted DR Trans Pac with bungee / butt plate kit.
Now I have tried 3 varieties of Nomads, still choose my custom Nomad made from my Trans Pac.
I own a Razor clone that I dive with AL 80's for shallow wet diving.
I also have a Hollis SMS 100 SM BC that I have dove with a single tank, just added tank bands.

My advice if diving DRY SMS 100 with steel LP 85's.
Regs are up to you HOG will work fine there are some killer package deals from Cave Adventures.
They have a package deal for around $1000 SMS 100 / Hog regs ready to SM.
The only addition you would need is a dry suit inflator.
I have a friend shopping right now that is why I know the price. Search it out and you can look for yourself.

If you wish PM me.
I was in your shoes 4 years ago just know that it takes a while to get your rig tweaked just right for you.
I struggled for about a year on my own then took a class. TAKE A CLASS SAVE TIME AND HEART ACH!

CamG

 

[Dive-aholic]

Thanks Rob and Mikko and everybody. I snorkeled the Antilla in Aruba, gf at the time wasn't certified to dive. Dove a bit in Roatan too but other than that I've only had crap visibility.

I've been looking more at all of the major players and reading what you guys have said. I'm kind of leaning now towards the Nomad to have the colder water capabilities and option of dual bladder. Cost seems decent, too. DGX seems to have a decent deal on a Dive Rite side mount reg package that I can can theoretically swing, too, so the cost benefit factor is there. The reviews I have found seem decent so far. I know there are probably better regs out there but am I doing BAD starting with those?

I realize that I need to not suffer from paralysis by analysis and start getting wet. So unless there is a huge no I'm missing I'm pretty sure that is where I'm headed. I need to keep some gas in the tank for training and travel costs, seems I'm looking at least at some mid range trips to find instructors with the experience that you are speaking of. I can start locally in the pool working on trim and basic configuration work, as well, without risking safety while I fiddle with stuff.

You can also find an instructor with several rigs available for you to try. I have 8 different sidemount rigs, 3 of which I use regularly. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. You won't know what works for you until you try it.

 

[Jakeb826]

Colliam - If you have any local instructors you would hold in high regard would you mind letting me know, pm is ok if you don't want to give names publicly. I called up to a shop in Raleigh today and found they have a PADI course in June. Guy at the shop was very cool and emailed my the course dates. I went to both Wilmington shops today, one had zero SM at all and one wasn't sure although they had tech gear. I figured they'd know for sure but it very likely could have just been the particular guy working who didn't know. I like both shops in general and definitely not bad mouthing them.

My disappointment, I guess, is that I went in expecting a world of information and a training time next week.....my own over zealousness to say the least. So I figured I'd do the best I could by staying in the pool and following info like Andy's site and several others until I could get to a proper course.....open water would be strictly standard rec scuba gear until then. I do possess the discipline to stick to that course of action. My other issue is that I am a single parent. My kids are old enough to be self sufficient during the day while I am local but definitely not two hours plus away underwater. This is my biggest issue with heading out of state or country, as well.

I found this type of diving in reverse from reading about and looking into wreck diving and how to safely aspire to some of the well written about wrecks on the east coast. I figured SM would be a great lead in to the serious gear those guys use, as well as a better primer to the required mentality to get good and be safe. I had originally planned to go the dive master/instructor route but this path seems more solid in the practical application for what I want to ultimately do. I also got the idea of the redundant bladder from the later tec course requirements and the Nomad made sense to my uneducated mind.

Sometimes in my zeal I lose my filter a bit, what I see as a quest for knowledge sometimes makes me a bit of a kook. Forums let me extend my crazy worldwide!!! Thank you Al Gore for the internets. -

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

I would add that if you are diving dry, then you can go with a minimal trim device. The amount of lift you need is only enough to offset the weight of the gas in your tanks, especially with AL tanks. You can even go lower than 30lbs of lift with AL80s, but only if you dive dry.

Your drysuit takes care of the adjustments for depth. A drysuit is considered "neutral" or "self compensating" for purposes of "balanced rig" calculations.

This advice presumes that you are properly weighted in the first place. You should be able to hold a 10 foot stop with minimal gas (~500psi) in both tanks, an empty trim device, and just enough air in your drysuit for comfort.

On the other hand, you will need a big trim device with a lot of lift if you're diving cold water in a thick wetsuit. And even then, you would be unsafe in the event of a trim device failure below 60 feet or so. Dry is definitely smarter and safer, for many reasons.

 

[bada3003]

I can only add my cents to your first question and a personal observation. I'll be using my SMS 50 Sport in a few weeks in a cavern course. I did checkout dives to gauge how trim/buoyancy was with a single tank. In a number of posts/threads (but not all) the overall impression conveyed was that there wasn't an issue. In my case, with the tank mounted on the right side there was a slight but clear pull toward the right side, which, of course, isn't surprising. It was an AL80 cylinder and I was wearing a 7mm wetsuit with 2 pounds each in the SMS side trim pockets. Trying to horizontally hover with breath control alone was, for me, difficult. I had to fin a little to compensate for the asymmetry in the weight distribution (full tank/negative buoyancy). I have weight pockets attached to the belt and putting a couple of extra pounds in the left pocket did the trick. So my impression is that if you're not too concerned about "perfect" trim for overhead environments, then the small weight bias with an AL80 may not matter. Otherwise, it may be something to take into consideration.

One other trim related note: the SMS 50 Sport does not have the weight pocket in the neck area because of the location of the inflator dump valve. I missed this point before buying it. In my case, having 2-3 pounds there helps more easily maintain horizontal trim (otherwise I arch my back a bit more than I'm used to). I think this will vary based on one's physique. Strapping 1-pound weights to both shoulder straps, however, does the trick.

Personally, I like the SMS 50 Sport a lot. With an Aeris Accel Fin, everything, including a 7mm wetsuit and two pairs of regs, 7 foot hose etc. are carry-on (with clothes for a weekend trip). A standard overhead bin bag plus a backpack which counts as a personal item assuming it fits under the seat. No specialty scuba bags needed which, oftentimes, advertise with a 3mm wetsuit which is a fraction of the volume of my AL 7mm.

1. Do you always dive with two tanks, even for shallow recreational dives? I'm assuming a trim issue but not sure.

 

[Jakeb826]

Thank you everybody for the replies and information. I am definitely going to use and train/practice with my drysuit. As of now I am going to start with a Nomad LT X/dry/AL80x2 rig and branch out from there as experience and preference permit. I think I have found a group of instructors with some pretty heavy experience and not a prohibitive distance away to get a good start with, time will tell but I'm stoked for the chance to get started soon.

Another preference question......... For the foreseeable future I have no need or intention for any gas past Nitrox......my current computer is a Mares Mission Puck in a console, my backup timing device is a simple analog dive watch. I clearly don't need a high speed trimix computer at this point, is there anything past what I have that anyone here sees as necessary? I would also like to wrist mount the puck but am having a hard time finding either a Mares replacement wrist console or an aftermarket wrist/bungie setup specific to the puck. The bungie setup would be my first choice.

Again, I thank everybody for the help. I haven't seen many areas where the highly experienced are so helpful to the new guys. I look forward down the road to being able to help some newbs of my own when I can.

 

[rongoodman]

Have you contacted Deep Sea Supply to see if any of their mounts would fit your computer? If it's the standard "hockey puck" size, they might have something which would fit even if the brand name isn't listed on their site.

 

[Jakeb826]

I will, thanks Ron.