Wreck Diving on Sidemount or Backmount Doubles

[cklaus]

I primarily dive wrecks in the Great Lakes. I am penetrating within my training, experience, and comfort. As I'm becoming a more experienced diver, I'm wanting to move into Sidemount OR Backmount Doubles.

I see a lot of advantages to SM but the community seems to largely dive BM. Why? I've done some try-dives on both and have found each to have strengths and weaknesses and things I've liked and disliked.

Which would you say I should focus on (at least first)? And the bigger question, WHY?

Cheers.

 

[Angelo Farina]

I do not get this. How are you diving in wrecks now?
Usually people starts in back mount, as for normal rec diving, and after a while they step up to side mount, for better penetration in narrow passages.

 

[cklaus]

I do not get this. How are you diving in wrecks now?
Usually people starts in back mount, as for normal rec diving, and after a while they step up to side mount, for better penetration in narrow passages.

Sorry, I have been diving recreational setup with a pony. I need to edit the post to read "backmount doubles."

 

[NothingClever]

Why not get trained in both? Different horses for different courses. You can split the twinset into SM bottles and if you use 5th port first stages, you can also use those in either configuration.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Sorry, for me backmount IS doubles, as this is how we used to dive in past century. Only becoming old and reducing the depth I switched to the 15-liters single I am using now.
On the other side, I do not see any practical difference between diving a single of reasonable size (15 liters) and a double of almost the same size (8+8 liters)...
Same BCD, same regs, same everything...
Only thing which changes is the fixture between the backplate of the BCD and the tank. Which actually is much simpler with the doubles...
So I never understood why people think they need to get some specific training for switching between backmounted single and backmounted doubles. If you actually dive with a pony, you can get rid of it with doubles: you will have a lighter, more streamlined setup, you will have only two regs instead of three, etc....
So this will be an easy step from what your are doing now. And, as it has already been suggested, when you want to try side-mounted you simply separate the two cylinders and get some proper harness for attaching them to your BP+Wing.
This setup will be quite different, instead and will require some proper training.

 

[grantctobin]

Why are you penetrating anything with your listed experience/training?

If it’s off a boat, use BM.

Source: hypocritical sm ccr diver that no longer owns doubles

 

[cklaus]

If it’s off a boat, use BM.

Why? What makes BM the choice off a boat?

 

[grantctobin]

Why? What makes BM the choice off a boat?

Why are you penetrating anything with your current experience/training?

 

[Angelo Farina]

Some boats captains are not happy passing cylinders down or up, they assume you should enter fully equipped and climb the ladder carrying your own tank(s).
However there are exceptions.
It also depends on the size of tanks.
If you use doubles or side mounted twins of reasonably small size (7-8 liters each) then diving from a boat is easy.
For reasons I do not understand, divers in US tend to use a small single tank (10-11 liters) and instead much larger tanks when using doubles or SM twins.
This is strange for me. When using a single tank I never go under 15 liters, and instead I never use doubles larger thsn 10+10 liters: my twin tank is 9+9 and weights almost the same as my 15 liters single.
So climbing on the ladder is usually easier with the doubles (or using the SM) than with the single...
In my experience, problems arise when people use tanks which are too large and heavy.
Also for penetration small tanks are better, particularly for BM.

 

[cklaus]

Why are you penetrating anything with your current experience/training?

Wreck certified. Dive Master. 300+ logged dives (many in Lake Michigan). "I am penetrating within my training, experience, and comfort": I'm currently staying within natural light and while keeping line of sight to my entry point into the wreck. If I'm not mistaken, I'm very much within what PADI and SDI give as guidelines for wreck penetration.

As I look to take Intro to Tech and Deco Diver come spring I'm prepping into the style of diving I want to continue with.
So why BM doubles?