tinkering with the idea of sidemount for rec diving (cold and warm water)

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As I'm not familiar with FL dive boats, why is this?
It's true with any boat, anywhere. Clipping your tanks off on a line beneath the boat, where there's not much rocking, means you ascend a good bit without air. However, trying to climb a ladder with swaying tanks on your side is equally as ridiculous.

I made my living for several years as a mechanic. I have more tools than most believe is possible. Sure, I had my favorites, but why use a Phillips Screwdriver when the fastener needs an Allen wrench? Why force anything to work, when there are better solutions.

I'm certainly not afraid of sidemount and have been diving it far longer than many of the "experts" have been diving. It's an awesome tool, but it's not the only one. Not by a long shot. I use the right tool for the job as I see it. You're definitely free to dive as you wish... as am I. Dive and let Dive.
 
I have more tools than most believe is possible.
No, no I believe. I was a truck mechanic when I left school. I sold all my 1" drive and larger stuff, but I still have a 5' tall tool box here - and still have to deal with teh wife asking why you need so many tools *sigh*

However, trying to climb a ladder with swaying tanks on your side is equally as ridiculous.

We predominantly dive Ali rather than steel and mine like most use ring bungees, so climbing a ladder out up on a boat (without fins) is no more hassle than say having a slung pony or BM doubles or a rebreather. It's the normal way here on our boats.
 
We predominantly dive Ali rather than steel
So, it's not the boat, then.

When I'm on a liveaboard (RIBs), I sidemount Al 80s. No biggie and it's easier than a single 80 on a BC for the dive tenders. If I'm in the Keys diving wrecks, then sidemount causes me to have to move tanks around to get through most of those hatchways. Ergo the "wide mount" moniker we have for sidemount in the Keys. However, if I'm looking to really extend my bottom time, but not on a rebreather, I like sidemounting my LP 120s aka, "da water heaters", but not on a boat. A cave fill on just one of those gives me the air of two AL80s. If I'm doing 'tech light', then a single one of those on a back inflate BC gives me all that I need, especially if I add an AL40 full of O2. If I want to do tech OC off of a boat, then I'll put a cave filled 85 twinset on my back, with an AL40 of O2 and go have fun.

We did a wreck trek with @Wookie on the Spree a few years ago, and he was flabbergasted that I showed up with twinset LP85s. He was expecting me to be on sidemount, but that's way, way too much work for me. I own a dozen or more BCDs in more than a half dozen configurations. I don't have a BCD agenda to win on the internet. I dive to have fun... and to be the laziest (ie the most neutrally buoyant) guy on the boat. :D That's how I back roll.
 
I switched over to sidemount last year and prefer it to the twinset. Full redundancy, trims out nice and takes the weight of your back if you do a lot of shore diving. I dive lp 85 tanks so with healthy fills I can get some pretty long dives in.
 
How would you BM independent doubles as a traveller if you want to utilize the easily available AL80s? Bring BP & doubles wing and hoops and 2 reg sets & mounting HW and weight pouches and then mount two regular right hand valve AL80s together as independant tanks?
Any worries to get confused during an S-drill especially if it's not a drill with both valves being rh? Or no issue?
Would you still shut down the tank loosing air i.e. in a free flow even so you cannot use the air through the other reg (no manifold) - or? I mean the air could still come in handy, even feathered (for me that's hard behind the back so) or maybe you could resolve the free flow... or?
How to think of it?
...
And in the same scenario, traveler making do with rh AL80s only, would you still think independent BM is better / easier than SM?
...
@tbone1004 ?
 
@Schwob easiest way to do it is to backmount a single tank, and sidemount one. Easy as putting a loop bungee on the left side of the backplate.
It is possible and relatively easy to mount bottles with an independent doubles kit though those are relatively hard to find. You do have a wrong valve on the left bottle which makes valve drills weird and it is not IMO a solution for any sort of dives that require that sort of redundancy. Basically using it as a glorified pony bottle or gas extender
 
@Schwob easiest way to do it is to backmount a single tank, and sidemount one. Easy as putting a loop bungee on the left side of the backplate.
It is possible and relatively easy to mount bottles with an independent doubles kit though those are relatively hard to find. You do have a wrong valve on the left bottle which makes valve drills weird and it is not IMO a solution for any sort of dives that require that sort of redundancy. Basically using it as a glorified pony bottle or gas extender

Thanks. All that is pretty much what I thought too, except I am not sure I yet understand why 1x BM AL80 + 1x SM AL80 would be easier than just 2x SM AL80.

I do think that the extra SM tank so would be more streamlined than the same tank slung like a pony w/o a bungee pulling the valve in. So I get that part, if that's what you meant.

For travel one sort of would have to decide ahead of time which kit to bring (SM or BP&W and a little HW to SM another tank and if bringing a pure SM kit, BM is not an easy option.

My experince is limited however to mostly BM (with slung AL40 mostly, sometimes AL80... or w/o if buddy diving) and I played a very little with BM doubles. But I recently also started SM to see what I think (just warm water so far and also learning wreck penetration in SM (both properly in a class). There definitely is a learning curve, but It felt pretty comfortable I'd say. Lots of improvement potential of course. But that just pretty much describes my diving in general, likely for eternity.. I see that in part as the fun part...

Anyway coming from there I guess I haven't yet scratched the differences that make so many say that BM doubles is easier than SM.
I do get that getting up a narrow ladder space with both SM tanks on if handing off one tank is not an option (sea state or boat rule or...) is hard. Outside of that?

So, not questioning what you or others say, just looking for the insight so I know what to, pre-emptively, look out for and to make good choices before stepping on the boat (Shore diving wise I also don't see the SM disadvantage yet). What is it really then that makes SM sometimes the less opportune choice and other options the better choice?
 
@Schwob easier to get on and off the boat for most people, especially if the boat has narrow gates, etc. Less gear movement as well if you breathe the "stage" during the dive and leave the backmount bottle as your bailout.

going thru ship passages is typically a lot easier in doubles as well. The bulkheads are often not wide enough to get thru without rolling when you're in sidemount. In doubles you are no wider than a normal person would be so passages are much easier to navigate.

I don't think the redundancy in OW is really worth the hassle so I only dive a single tank. If the dive warrants true redundancy due to penetration, exposure, or environment, then it's a different discussion and will come back to what makes the most logistical sense based on the area that I'm diving
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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