SM and rec charters

[DwayneJ]

Can anyone point me to some information on mounting a tank like Tegg did? I've dove with a stage bottle and an empty backplate, but I'm unsure how I'd mount the tank with just webbing.

I'm not sure if Tegg's is home grown but a webbing only harness is the Razor seen at Go Side Mount - Steve Bogaerts

In no particular order, commercial side mount systems include:

Dive Rite Nomad EXP
Dive Rite Nomad XT
OMS SMS with Tesseract BC
Steve Bogaerts Razor
Hollis SMS100/SMS100D
Oxycheq DiveOps Recon 1/2 Extreme
Oxycheq DiveOps Recon 1/2 Signature
Unified Team Diving Z-Side Mount Harness

The Razor and Z are probably the two systems which are closest to webbing only. Personally, the Z system seems awfully like Steve's Razor so since Steve got it right first, Steve gets my support.

Dwayne

 

[udtfire]

catone, was great to meet and work with you. I think as we discussed that the mind set for the true diver needs to be one of problem solving and diving a head and not waiting for an event to happen in order to solve it. and thanks to ed at cave excursion for sending a student ready to learn ed did a great job on your basic sm hope you learned a few things and hope to see you in the water. here in atlanta we travel , teach and dive. hope to see you in the water stay safe

 

[Wookie]

From an operator's perspective.

I don't care if you dive backmount, sidemount, monkey, nekkid, freedive, solo, or whatever, as long as you don't dive with your head up your butt. However, you have to consider a couple of things. First, we (and many boats) have 24 or so divers to get in the water, a somewhat limited time to do it, and only a couple of deck staff to help you of recreational charters. Second, although we have a spacious back deck, if everyone wanted to bring 2 cylinders on every charter, the deck would be awash in cylinders very soon. So, on rec charters, you get 1 80 or 2 40's. I have had recreational SM divers be very successful slinging 2 40's (for trim and redundancy) rather than 1 80. The 2 40's are easier to clip yourself into as well. Tech charters are different. With tech charters, we have 6 deck staff to help folks get into their gear, and it's more of an open deck. We only carry 12 divers on a tech trip.

So, while we welcome SM divers, we do place a few restrictions on them. Call your operator first. You may have to educate them, you may not like the restrictions they place on you. And ALWAYS bring your own tank rigging. You might not like mine.

 

[catone]

So, on rec charters, you get 1 80 or 2 40's. I have had recreational SM divers be very successful slinging 2 40's (for trim and redundancy) rather than 1 80.

I've never been on a boat that only allowed one single tank, except for a liveaboard where the only tank provided was filled in between dives. Nor ever had a problem bringing my own steel tanks, so not being an AL80 was not an issue either, as long as I didn't stay longer than about one hour per dive.
In my opinion, the 2 40s would be messier as they wouldn't fit properly in the tank slots and might have to be stowed under the seats. But I saw udtfire diving his 2 40 (his standard gear) and what a pretty sight that was! Nice and shiny, small light tanks, very nice. My only issue with that would be that, diving 40s off of a boat would either limit your dives to 40cf per dive (at best) or one would only be able to do one single dive. Unless one brings 4 40s, which would be silly.

As I said in my previous post, my one and only experience with SM off a rec charter was not so great because of my limited experience, but the boat staff (cpt and dm) were extremely accommodating and helpful.

 

[Wookie]

I've never been on a boat that only allowed one single tank, except for a liveaboard where the only tank provided was filled in between dives.

We're a liveaboard.

Wouldn't slinging a single steel really throw your trim off? And you're right, 2 40's are kind of a pain, but they lay down on the dive bench, or hide under it just fine.

 

[DwayneJ]

We're a liveaboard.

Wouldn't slinging a single steel really throw your trim off? And you're right, 2 40's are kind of a pain, but they lay down on the dive bench, or hide under it just fine.

I just appreciate that Capt Frank spent the time to share how it works on his boat. Every boat is a unique configuration and better to know up front. We may or may not like it but better to know. SM is still a very small community... I have seen very little side mount in my neck of the woods.

Dwayne

 

[TSandM]

Lots of things to think about . . . on our PNW recreational charters, people bring the number of tanks that matches the number of dives (our boats don't fill). So bringing two tanks on board is not a problem. But I do see one -- I can't envision diving sidemount with tank boots, and our charters are set up for tanks that will stand up and can have their necks bungied in. I don't know how well that would work with round-bottomed tanks. Maybe it isn't an issue.

The thought of sidemount with double 40's is VERY intriguing! I think you'd feel as though you hadn't got any gear on at all

 

[catone]

We're a liveaboard.

Wouldn't slinging a single steel really throw your trim off? And you're right, 2 40's are kind of a pain, but they lay down on the dive bench, or hide under it just fine.

So you're a liveaboard, that explains it
I've slung a steel tank across my chest (valve left clipped to my left shoulder D-ring, bottom clip switched to my right belt D-ring) after donating my other tank and while my trim was just fine, the buoyancy needed some adjustment to account for being lighter.

 

[catone]

I can't envision diving sidemount with tank boots

Slight extra risk of entanglement notwithstanding, why not, if there's no other way to secure the tanks on the boat (some boats have the plastic cylinder to put your tank in, without the bungie, in which case the boot use is moot)? And if really an issue, one can just remove the boots prior to gearing up. Just remember to add a mallet to your tool box.

 

[Tegg]

1st pic : Harness on table
2nd pic : Single tank in the water prior to D-ring change
3rd pic : adjusting the d-ring that the tank is attached to (when the tank gets floaty, it gets dropped down a d-ring)

(safety disclaimer: Do not attempt to dive outside of standard equipment you can purchase from store shelves. If you make your own rig and dive it in ways not approved by retailers, you might die.)