Sidemount reg options

[Cdncoldwater]

Sparklemuffin,

I SM with the Dive Rite XT set up; I'm only doing rec diving but I like these regs and know a few pers who dive them in Tech as well and they like them too. I dive BM in an Apeks DS4 so my only experience with turret 1st stages Apeks or ScubaPro is as a service technician but they are well built and dependable regs from what I've seen and heard.

 

[Colliam7]

I suppose I'm just looking for additional thoughts and opinions based on the above. to help with my decision. Do you dive with a turret first stage, have you found it useful? If you have a 5th port do you really use it? If your diving is predominantly not cave in the immediate future but you do want to travel to dive, how much do you value lower weight regs? Do you value reversible second stage hose routing, why?

My responses (for reinforcement as much as anything):

1. Do you dive with a turret first stage, have you found it useful?

YES (I dive with Zeagle 50Ds, as well as Apeks DSTs). YES, I find the turret useful for hose routing

2. If you have a 5th port do you really use it?

I have a 5th port on a couple of my Apeks first stages, not on the Zeagles. YES, I find it useful, but NOT essential.

3. If your diving is predominantly not cave in the immediate future but you do want to travel to dive, how much do you value lower weight regs?

My diving is predominantly not cave. I travel to dive, by air at times, by car at times. I place NO value on lower weight regs. I have had no problems traveling by air with my Zeagles or Apeks regs.

4. Do you value reversible second stage hose routing, why?

NO, I place no value on reversible second stage hose routing. I use Omni Swivels (360s, not fixed angle adapters) on all my SM regs - both sides. Hose routing is not a problem for me.

BACKGROUND:

These comments reflect my preferences, which may not be the same as yours (or others). They also reflect what I teach in my SM course. Frankly, I can make almost any reg configuration 'work', but I find turret first stages easier to use in SM.

I dive a long hose (7 ft)on the right cylinder, and a short(er) hose (34"), with the second stage on a bungee necklace, on the left side. I started SM that way as I came to it from BM doubles. I tried different configurations - dual long (5') hoses) for example - and ultimately came back to what I started with. I use 6" HP hoses on both cylinders - positioned 'up' or 'down', depending on whether I am teaching or not, and my preference that particular day. I use 15 inch inflator hoses.

This configuration is also a matter of MY personal preference, and may not be that of others.

 

[rjack321]

My responses:

1. Do you dive with a turret first stage, have you found it useful?

YES (SP mk20/25s for me). YES, I find the turret useful for hose routing

2. If you have a 5th port do you really use it?

I have a 5th port is super useful for me. I could live without but why would I want to?

3. If your diving is predominantly not cave in the immediate future but you do want to travel to dive, how much do you value lower weight regs?

None, a few grams is inconsequential. The truly lightweight titanium 1st stages are hideously expensive and incompatible with O2 so I don't want them around

4. Do you value reversible second stage hose routing, why?

None. I don't reverse any second stages. Having special gear is a recipe for problems when you need to borrow, rent or exchange broken bits (and everything breaks at the worst possible time of a trip)


I dive a long hose on the right cylinder, and a short(er) hose (on a bungee necklace) on the left side. I started SM that way as I came to it from BM doubles. I tried different configurations - dual long (5') hoses) for example - and ultimately came back to what I started with. This approach is also a matter of MY personal preference, and may not be that of others..

Ditto, my configuration mirrors a backmount doubles diver with long hose on the right and a bungied necklaced backup from the left cylinder going behind my neck. Doubles divers intuitively understand this rigging as well