UTD's New Sidemount Configuration

[The Chairman]

Lip service... just because you claim something is DIR, doesn't make it so. I've never seen a UTD class, so I cannot comment on their teaching acumen, but I've seen this sidemount manifold evolve over the years and am still quite taken aback at how non-DIR it is.

 

[berndo]

and I had the amazing privilege (Haha) of taking out one of their now freshly minted instructors who at the time had only ~20 dives beyond his open water.

freshly minted instructor 20 dives beyond his OW? What?

 

[L13]

Given the priorities he had, that is a good design. But his priorities are all wrong, so the result is an abortion.

for example I think regularly swapping 2nd stages is an advantage, not a disadvantage, of side mount.

 

[Jhathaway]

freshly minted instructor 20 dives beyond his OW? What?

At the time several years ago, now an instructor.

 

[berndo]

At the time several years ago, now an instructor.

Your story doesn't make much sense.

 

[lexvil]

I think it looks cool, wow so many things to play with …

I don’t side mount but even I was left wondering what the problem (perceived) that this is a solution to.

 

[L13]

I think it looks cool, wow so many things to play with …

I don’t side mount but even I was left wondering what the problem (perceived) that this is a solution to.

His apparent priorities:

• must have cross-connect
• long hose 2nd must be for alternate only
• short hose 2nd must be primary only
• BC inflate must come over left shoulder
• dry-suit inflate must come under left arm

Normal DIR priorities come after those.

 

[The Chairman]

Except the Long hose is the primary until needed by another diver.

 

[TheCatFish]

His apparent priorities:

• must have cross-connect
• long hose 2nd must be for alternate only
• short hose 2nd must be primary only
• BC inflate must come over left shoulder
• dry-suit inflate must come under left arm

Normal DIR priorities come after those.

Seems even more strange when he starts this whole demonstration off with "platforms are tools with specific purposes"... then proceeds to put his inflator hose and his isolator (too many o-rings, but that's another story) right where they will be scraped and abraised when traditionally using sidemount.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

So mixed teams ... so OC can never dive with CC by that logic.

I used to think that the only application of the UTD sidemount system was solo diving photographers who didn't want to let go of their camera. I realize that is wrong due to the failure points. There are too many failure points where the diver can lose all available gas.

Just switch the dαmn regs from time to time. It isn't rocket science.