"Sidemounting With Benefits" - Lessons from a newbie Sidemount Diver

[Marie13]

rol

rolled in a trolley? not on their own?

In a collapsible cart (trolley for you Brits). Bad knees/sciatica - the reason I took up SM.

 

[SlugLife]

Great discussion everyone, keep it going, I'm learning and getting ideas.

First day of my sidemount course (which I regretted most of my recent life decisions), my instructor identified that process as “death by a thousand adjustments”. ))

Hah! To me, this isn't "death" but rather quite a bit of fun. I love tweaking, adjusting, testing, DIY, trying new things, failing and trying again, etc!

Update #5 was over the course of numerous days and numerous dives, not a bunch of changes all at once. I definitely learned my lesson to not change too many things too rapidly.

I took my class and used loop bungee but the instructor used ring bungee. I have since switched to ring so that it would be easier to enter the water with the tank(s) clipped on me rather than taking up time having the tanks handed to me. Keep me posted on what you think, I'm going back out this weekend to try it again.

I'll definitely update this thread.

You're obviously doing something wrong. I've never had cambands move. I use the Dive Rite ones with the SS buckle that also has rollers to make the closing easier, but given even chepo plastic cams are used on BCD's and their tanks don't move, I'd say it's something you're doing.

Also if you're on ring bungees the weight of the tank out of the water is effectively being taken by the valve via the choker, so the cam bands are just supporting the floaty end

If I had dedicated SM cylinders I probably would have hose clips, like my stage tanks but not for travel, especially where there is a risk of the hose clip being damaged, where as a cam band is virtually indestructible

These were brand-new cam-bands, which tend to stretch more than used. I rigged my tank away from water, and then again 1/2 way through the dive because they were sliding.

I use loop bungees, but I also have a short leash around the neck I always clip on. All walk in entries (haven’t been boat diving SM yet), but it’s very handy having them clipped to me when I’m getting geared up in the water.

This is similar to how I had mine setup, before attempting ring-bungies.

As Marie13 says and even better with just a piece of rope and double enders you can remove when not necessary.
If you are small or tall enough, on a rocking boat, having to walk to the exit, you just attach.the top of the tanks to the dring waist, put the 1m reg in your mouth, and jump and do the setup in the water

THIS has been one of the exact major things I'd like to address. Thank you! Donning my harness is quick, while securing tanks before jumping in the water is slow. I'm about 5'11", and often have no bench or support available to get the tanks off the ground. So it's either (a) sit on flat surface, awkwardly, then try to roll in, or (b) awkwardly try to lift the tank and clip somehow. I've done both, it's just really slow, awkward, and I hate it. There's also (c) lowering tanks into the water, jumping in, then donning in the water. I like (c) but that's not always an option.

Anyway, I'm definitely going to try your idea. I'm thinking some 1/4-in (6mm) 1200 lb rated Paracord would do the trick. For length, I'm thinking a bend of the knees (even with fins on) to make the clip reach, but when standing/walking it should be several inches above the ground. I'll have to experiment with how to store/manage the excess rope, but that shouldn't be a big deal.

The clip-on-a-rope would also have dual-use, if I ever wanted to clip the tank to a ladder, ring, or other object either when entering or exiting the water. It would also be useful for doffing tanks, just before exit. You could pretty much unclip/doff entirely underwater before exit, while still keeping both regs within reach and both tanks secure.

 

[Marie13]

THIS has been one of the exact major things I'd like to address. Thank you! Donning my harness is quick, while securing tanks before jumping in the water is slow. I'm about 5'11", and often have no bench or support available to get the tanks off the ground. So it's either (a) sit on flat surface, awkwardly, then try to roll in, or (b) awkwardly try to lift the tank and clip somehow. I've done both, it's just really slow, awkward, and I hate it. There's also (c) lowering tanks into the water, jumping in, then donning in the water. I like (c) but that's not always an option.

Anyway, I'm definitely going to try your idea. I'm thinking some 1/4-in (6mm) 1200 lb rated Paracord would do the trick. For length, I'm thinking a bend of the knees (even with fins on) to make the clip reach, but when standing/walking it should be several inches above the ground. I'll have to experiment with how to store/manage the excess rope, but that shouldn't be a big deal.

The clip-on-a-rope would also have dual-use, if I ever wanted to clip the tank to a ladder, ring, or other object either when entering or exiting the water. It would also be useful for doffing tanks, just before exit. You could pretty much unclip/doff entirely underwater before exit, while still keeping both regs within reach and both tanks secure.

I’m thinking some dumbbell or barbell squats might be your friend. Seriously. Can you hold onto your buddy or the side of the boat enough to do a wide legged squat to clip tanks onto shoulder D rings? My SMS75 has two D rings on each shoulder. Primaries get clipped to the lower one (about nipple height).

I’ve tried at home leaning down to clip tanks on while squatting holding onto something (a chair, the wall). But I’m also 6” shorter than you are. Dumbbell squats have helped me enormously.

 

[jale]

@SlugMug
Regarding the cam band/serflex, I am with Diving dubai. Serflex are light, easy to travel with (but still be carefull when you pack as, in a compressed soft bag (like on a plane cargo), they may "cut" the proximate equipment they are pack with) but really a bit of hassle on multi divedays.
Cambands should not slide. The trick is to wet them before putiing them on the tanks. They are also easier to readjust if needed.
Regarding the rope around the tank's neck you don't need such a thick 6min. Cave line or small climbing rope is enough. Length should be as shorter as possible (but not too short ) as, once you have removed the double ender, it should not interfere with anything.
To don the tanks, just do a kind of pseudo-lunge berween them and it should be fine or clip one first and let the bottom rest on some stuff like a bag, a pack of after-dive beers or whatever you have and then clip the second one. Everybody has a personal way.
Be carefull also when you jump in the water as the top may hurt your waist (another reason not to have a too long rope).With praxtice you will find the best way related to where you dive.
Get also a reg in your mouth before entering water. I use the left hose which is just long enough to get in my mouth when the tank is standing next to me. Make your choice.
And yes, a piece of rope at the tank neck and a double ender can help doffing the tanks in the water. Removing tanks before surfacing is also an option if you reclip them to the chest dring but it all depends of the conditions.
enjoy your dives

 

[SlugLife]

I’m thinking some dumbbell or barbell squats might be your friend. Seriously. Can you hold onto your buddy or the side of the boat enough to do a wide legged squat to clip tanks onto shoulder D rings? My SMS75 has two D rings on each shoulder. Primaries get clipped to the lower one (about nipple height).

I’ve tried at home leaning down to clip tanks on while squatting holding onto something (a chair, the wall). But I’m also 6” shorter than you are. Dumbbell squats have helped me enormously.

I suspect the height-difference and/or other factors might make a huge difference here. Strength is not the issue:

• Sitting: Imagine sitting on a flat surface (no bench). Legs are either straight ahead of you, or in the water.
• Standing: Or standing, with nothing to hold onto (no chair, pole, wall, etc), while waves cause the platform to move quite a bit, with you and your tanks moving enough to knock either over if you're not careful.
• Squat: Same problem as standing, except even harder to keep my balance. I'd have to do a full-squat (butt to ankles, past 90-degrees) to get the top of the tank to armpit-height, and when trying to stand, you'd need FAR more strength due to less leverage at a full-squat position, and of course keep your balance. I have the flexibility and strength to do this (with a LOT of effort), and have done it on a stable surface. However, I hated every second of it, being squatted over, clipping tanks, etc and then standing was a nightmare. In the waves, forget it, I'd fall on my butt constantly when squatted, and standing would be quite dangerous.

This is basically the kind of boat I'm dealing with:

@SlugMug
1) Regarding the cam band/serflex, I am with Diving dubai. Serflex are light, easy to travel with (but still be carefull when you pack as, in a compressed soft bag (like on a plane cargo), they may "cut" the proximate equipment they are pack with) but really a bit of hassle on multi divedays.
Cambands should not slide. The trick is to wet them before putiing them on the tanks. They are also easier to readjust if needed.
2) Regarding the rope around the tank's neck you don't need such a thick 6min. Cave line or small climbing rope is enough. Length should be as shorter as possible (but not too short ) as, once you have removed the double ender, it should not interfere with anything.
3) To don the tanks, just do a kind of pseudo-lunge berween them and it should be fine or clip one first and let the bottom rest on some stuff like a bag, 3b) a pack of after-dive beers or whatever you have and then clip the second one. Everybody has a personal way.
4) Be carefull also when you jump in the water as the top may hurt your waist (another reason not to have a too long rope).With praxtice you will find the best way related to where you dive.
5) Get also a reg in your mouth before entering water. I use the left hose which is just long enough to get in my mouth when the tank is standing next to me. Make your choice.
6) And yes, a piece of rope at the tank neck and a double ender can help doffing the tanks in the water. Removing tanks before surfacing is also an option if you reclip them to the chest dring but it all depends of the conditions.
7) enjoy your dives

1) I might give cam-bands another attempt eventually. For now, I don't mind the hose-clamps.
2) I'm not sure how thick cave-line is. I have 550-lbs and 325-lbs paracord, and will use one of those.
3) I like the lunge idea, and can manage that. 3b) Anything I put on the back of the boat has some risk of falling off & then I need to ask someone else to move it after I jump in. However, I could use my pelican-case as a support when shore-diving.
4) Will do. And I'll try to make it as short as practical.
5) Definitely. Only way I jump in the water without a reg in my mouth, is if I have no tanks on me & am neutral-to-positively buoyant.
6) Precisely what I was thinking
7) Thank you!

Anyway, I'll probably re-rig for this setup either today or tomorrow, and can practice on-land & at-home. Mostly seeing that I can easily clip cylinders standing/lunging and lift them.

 

[Marie13]

You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. No way would I dive off such a non-diver friendly boat. I can’t remember if you’ve tried going in with NO tanks on and clipping both on in the water, tanks being suspended from different lines.

Refresh my memory about what tanks you’re using. 50s or 40s likely best for this.

 

[SlugLife]

You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. No way would I dive off such a non-diver friendly boat. I can’t remember if you’ve tried going in with NO tanks on and clipping both on in the water, tanks being suspended from different lines.

Refresh my memory about what tanks you’re using. 50s or 40s likely best for this.

It's my friend's boat, which I ride on for mostly free (I give him some of the sunglasses I find to help pay for gas). Not a commercial dive boat. He's friendly enough, but he's also usually in the water lightning-fast and gone before I know it.

I haven't really tried the clipping to a line yet, but intended on doing that... and forgot! I intended to do that about 2 weeks ago, but the line was too short, and since then forgot to create that line. I should try doing that next time I'm on his boat and yell "TANK OVERBOARD!"

I'm using 2x AL80s, or AL80 + AL19. 50s or 40s would be great, just more expensive (tank + fill cost).

If using the pony, that's obviously no problem clipping on the AL19 and jumping in with air. I usually top off any lost PSI using a tansfill-whip I made between dives, so using a few PSI from that tank is no big deal.

 

[Marie13]

If you’re determined to make this work, you really need to cough up the cash for smaller tanks. 40s will be more plentiful and cheaper used. Sounds like you’d struggle a hell of a lot less.

 

[MichaelMc]

Diving my 40/50s is great, but the fill tax can get annoying.

Definitely work out a drop line for that boat. Rigging and de-rigging from it should be very easy and give you more bottle handling practice. The tank will swing at 'anchor' from it, so watch the boat side; maybe have it attach just a few feet down.

 

[stretchthepenn]

Genuine Question: Why not ring bungees where you already have the direct connection to your top D-rings? Without the added faff and no doubt discomfort of a bit of rope.

I'm going off the setup pictured on the DiveRite website (https://www.diverite.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Ring1.jpg), so correct me if I'm mistaken, but..

The ring system has more parts than a loop system.

The neck chokers on a loop system are simple--they just slip over the valve--whereas the stage strap on a ring system requires tools to install/remove.

The neck chokers on a loop system are independent and don't affect the bottom leashes. You can lift a loop-system's tank by its neck choker, but if you lift a ring-system's tank by a stage strap, you can torque or dislodge the strap's bottom loop.

The top clip-in point on a loop system is adjustable. On my Hollis 100D, I've got three options (sternum strap ring, bottom shoulder D-ring, top shoulder D-ring) instead of just one ring.

The loop system holds my tanks up and into my armpits where I want them to be. The ring system looks dangly.

Snapping on the bungees isn't a big deal. Stick your thumb into your armpit, snag the bungee, and pull it forward across the valve handle. Boom. Done. Reverse the process after the dive.

Redundancy. If either the loop or the choker fails, the other will (literally) take up the slack.