Sidewinder style counterlungs with BM doubles?

[lostsheep]

Does anyone have a picture of how a sidewinder style counterlung is configured when running with backmounted doubles? I don’t have a sidewinder nor am I trying to make this configuration just curious what has to be done. It seems like you’d need to stack backplates or use some kind of stand-off to create space for the CL.

I’m talking about this guy:

Screenshot from:

 

[inquis]

I've not done it, but I've heard putting the CLs between the plate and diver works well.

 

[grantctobin]

Iirc Vinzant has (had?) a spacer such that he could run his SW lung between his backplate and his Meg canister when using both. The ten or so times I’ve done the above in a pinch, I’ve ran the lungs between myself and the backplate, with the scrubber bottoms sitting outside the waist strap. It works better on a Gemini than a sidewinder because of the straight head piping.

Is it a good solution? Eh. Does it work in a pinch? Yes. Adding an inflation bottle is difficult on small doubles as inflating the wing can drive the scrubber canisters forward.

 

[lostsheep]

Do the weight of the tanks not cause problems with compressing the counterlungs?

 

[grantctobin]

The lung crosssection sits in the natural arch of the back. I didn't notice breathing being compressed but have only used it with sets of 40s and 50s. The slightest hint of excess gas in the lung is, however, more noticeable for me.

 

[Underwater Tourist]

Just found the same video and wanted to ask the same question but the thread already exists.

Does anyone know that guy who is diving his SW with doubles? Would be interesting to hear his experience. The set up looks very slick and would make diving sw/gemini off the boat way easier?

 

[grantctobin]

Just found the same video and wanted to ask the same question but the thread already exists.

Does anyone know that guy who is diving his SW with doubles? Would be interesting to hear his experience. The set up looks very slick and would make diving sw/gemini off the boat way easier?

I think it’s Vinzant. The setup works and breathes alright, but the placement of the suit inflation bottle on the left side + the optimal setup of the canisters means that there’s a high sensitivity to how much gas is in the wing. 8” cylinders like those worn in the video set the center of the inflation (or oxygen, if not butt mounted) higher away from the scrubbers and thus allow for some gas in the wing. The same placement on small cylinders is a little more difficult and doesn’t leave much room for the wing to inflate (and needs to be correct wing size).

Boat diving in a wetsuit without suit gas and a pair of doubled AL40s with a couple others of deco bottles? Super slick. Once you start adding things on top of it or move towards bigger cylinders, you’re much better off with a rack or a traditional 3L setup on a rebreather. If it’s a couple times a year thing and you only want to own one unit and can’t handle the SW on a moving boat, it’s good enough. Can’t really recommend it without hesitation though.

 

[J-Vo]

I've done it with double 40s. Lung goes between the diver and the plate. It breaths fine. I decided that double 40s are just as much of a PIA as sidmount 40s. Add to that how much nicer side mount is in the water and I abandoned the project.

I think somewhere in that video he has double 108s and side mount 108s. If you need that much gas and can't do setup dives, I guess it's viable.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Does anyone know that guy who is diving his SW with doubles? Would be interesting to hear his experience. The set up looks very slick and would make diving sw/gemini off the boat way easier?

I think I know the dude in passing, I've seen someone running a Gemini that way at Ginnie. Thought it was unusual so I asked how well it worked, ge said he was running his SW like that before transitioning over and that it works great.

 

[Underwater Tourist]

@Manatee Diver do you know if he is on SB? Sounds like he consistently runs that set up, so would be nice to hear about its pros and cons from a guy who actually dives it.