Sidemount in the NW

Rooinater · Post by **Rooinater** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:39 pm

I know some systems work and some don't in coldwater... I've been intrigued by sidemount since before I started cave diving 3 or so years ago, along with the fact I have some really tore up knees... While we were down in Florida for 16 or so days this month (trip report to follow as I get done editing videos, or if I ever get around to it...), I was able to sneak into a class with Edd at Cave Adventurers, and got an SMS 75 with the current Ed Mods, which is basically the SMS 100 with most of the old Ed mods for the SMS 100 factory incorporated. We dove the rig with Worthington 100's and Faber FX-100's while in class so I got starting measurements for dialing in my tanks back home.

1) Who keeps their skills up with diving sidemount locally, occasionally or full time?

3) Any tips in general for moving to coldwater and adding in the drygloves?...

4) Where are you adding the weight without messing up the balance for compensating for the undergarment and saltwater diving? A weight belt since it's close to center mass of the tank's balance point anyhow?...

5)Anyone using those collapsible wagons for shuttling tanks at shore dives with long walks?

6)For diving from inflatables, are you tag lining each tank to a separate tag line, or clipping both to one tag line?

I understand there will be a lot of adjusting, but will try it out in coldwater to stay proficient and see how I like it here. I hate doubles on shore dives anyhow, so why not try something different. I loved it in cave country! The mobility was amazing! and my knees were WAY happier making more trips vs doing it in one fell swoop. I know it's not for everyone, but neither is doubles, rebreathers, caves, or a lot of things in life. Rigging stages, and deco bottles with scooters in the surf isn't all that fun either on shore dives... Thanks in advance for any helpful info!

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:59 pm

The problem with sidemounting a shore dive tends to be the shore itself. If you drop tanks at the waters edge of even someplace like cove2 a wave or wake will come in and toss the tanks around, pack crap in the 2nd stage, or smash the 2nd stage under the tank. Coming out you end up needing to one arm each tank - hanging them off your shoulders basically. If you drop them in shallow water you very well might be challenged to find one again. If you stagger out with them still attached you might as well be in backmount, its all hanging on the BC/shoulders anyway.

I use SM when I need to, for local Puget Sound of Lake WA diving I think its a pointless gear masturbation

The dive rite or hollis weight plates with pouches on your upper back work well for the lead. I think they retail for about $85 and typically hold 16lbs max. The rest goes on your waist. Without bands and manifold you need a bit more than with doubles.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:01 pm

I've been diving sidemount for a few years now, including here in the PNW. I'm diving HP100's, which trim out beautifully for cold water diving, and give me plenty of gas for pretty much any dive I would want to do ... been down to about 250 feet in that configuration on a Lake Superior trip a couple years back.

1) I mostly dive singles backmount, but do keep my skills up by diving sidemount from time to time.

3) Not sure what kind of tips you're looking for for adding drygloves ... maybe some different clip sizes, but for the most part there don't seem to be any inhibiting factors.

4) I'm using a Nomad XT with the back weight pouches ... I use 16 lbs of weight distributed in the four pouches. I've also seen people attaching trim weight pouches.

5) No wagon, but I used to use a collapsible 2-wheeler. I now mostly just carry the tanks where I need to.

6) Don't do a whole lot of diving off of RIBs, but the few times I have I've tried different methods. The easiest seems to be to drop the right tank on a tag line, clip the left one on and backroll overboard.

Question ... what happened to 2)?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:02 pm

PS - maybe the best way to get your questions answered would be in person ... let's hook up for a dive sometime ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

GearHead · Post by **GearHead** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 4:00 pm

I dive Sidemount in Puget Sound occasionally to stay in practice. I have the Xdeep Stealth system. Most of my sidemount diving has been in warm water with a wetsuit (in caves), rather than with a drysuit.

The drysuit requires a different weight pocket setup and a much looser harness. For convenience, I got a second harness last year, and set it up just for warm water. Since I only need 4!lbs to stay submerged in fresh water with a 3mm wetsuit and a pair of Alu 80s, the warm water harness only needs the center weight pockets down the spine and is very streamlined.

The cold water harness is adjusted for the bulkier suit, and has extra weight pockets on the waist belt and trim pouches in the chest straps. With this setup, I carry 14 lbs on my back, 10 lbs on my waist and 2 to 4 lbs in the trim pouches, depending on the tanks. I started with a pair of Faber FX100s and another pair of Catalina neutral C80s. I now dive locally with either Alu 72s or Faber LP85s. The previous sets are now used as backmount doubles. Even in cold water, I prefer tanks that swing around neutral buoyancy.

The only time I've dived off a RIB was in Mexico, and I was using a single Alu 80. It was a breeze. While the other divers were struggling to maintain balance, I sat with my harness and BC on with the tank between my knees. When it was time to dive, I clipped in the tank, threw the hoses around my neck and back rolled into the water. If I had been using two tanks, I would have rolled off with the left tank on and had the boat boy hand down my right tank.

spatman · Post by **spatman** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 5:13 pm

Rooinater wrote:1) Who keeps there skills up with diving sidemount locally, occasionally or full time?

Though I haven't been diving much over the last year, I pretty much dive SM all the time since I started, about 100 dives or so ago.

Rooinater wrote:3) Any tips in general for moving to coldwater and adding in the drygloves?...

Just know your gear well and practice a lot and it's the same in SM, BM, singles, etc. Drygloves just take getting used to, period.

Rooinater wrote:4) Where are you adding the weight without messing up the balance for compensating for the undergarment and saltwater diving? A weight belt since it's close to center mass of the tank's balance point anyhow?...

One of the factors that led to my purchase of the Nomad XT was the weight pouch "plate", which holds 20lbs of lead right along the center of my back.

Rooinater wrote:5)Anyone using those collapsible wagons for shuttling tanks at shore dives with long walks?

Like Bob, I sometimes use a cheapo collapsible two wheeler for longer distance.

Rooinater wrote:6)For diving from inflatables, are you tag lining each tank to a separate tag line, or clipping both to one tag line?

ORdiver and I kit up fully sitting on the tubes of his RIB and backroll in. The only thing I leave to do in the water is attach the bungee loops to the tanks handles. Coming back in, we clip off the tanks to two hanging lines on each side (total of 4 lines), and then remove and clip off the inflated Nomads before launching ourselves into the boat.

Rooinater wrote:I understand there will be a lot of adjusting, but will try it out in coldwater to stay proficient and see how I like it here. I hate doubles on shore dives anyhow, so why not try something different. I loved it in cave country! The mobility was amazing! and my knees were WAY happier making more trips vs doing it in one fell swoop. I know it's not for everyone, but neither is doubles, rebreathers, caves, or a lot of things in life. Rigging stages, and deco bottles with scooters in the surf isn't all that fun either on shore dives... Thanks in advance for any helpful info!

Like you, ORdiver and I (and I think Bob) went to SM to save our knees/backs/etc. Plus I love how comfortable it is in the water, I don't miss backmount in the PNW at all, singles or doubles.

Desert Diver · Post by **Desert Diver** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 5:34 pm

We have one of the overpriced aluminum wagons. It works fine and will haul a lot of gear. I think it has a 300lb weight rating. We don't use it a lot but always bring it to the coast with us.

Jeff Pack · Post by **Jeff Pack** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 8:10 pm

theres a nice collapsible wagon for around 75$ that carries 2 tanks and scooter in one trip. Essentially for us RB guys that carry twin 80's for Bail Out a distance (Like Magnuson Park for example), they are awesome. Can cary all the above in one trip.

Rooinater · Post by **Rooinater** » Thu Apr 23, 2015 10:09 am

Grateful Diver wrote:PS - maybe the best way to get your questions answered would be in person ... let's hook up for a dive sometime ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Sounds good to me! Waiting on the opposite side valve for my fabers from Add Helium... Adding the hip D-Rings, and center butt d-ring to the rig, along with starting to rig all of the suicide clips for the tank rigging.

Yeah, #2 was going to be splitting the any cold weather considerations and dry gloves adding issues... Then in my haste, forgot to renumber them since I worked on typing that post during breaks throughout the day...

Rooinater · Post by **Rooinater** » Thu Apr 23, 2015 10:17 am

Jeff Pack wrote:theres a nice collapsible wagon for around 75$ that carries 2 tanks and scooter in one trip. Essentially for us RB guys that carry twin 80's for Bail Out a distance (Like Magnuson Park for example), they are awesome. Can cary all the above in one trip.

similar to these?
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/it ... aQodPg4Acw

Costco has some currently, 150-ish lb weight limit. Marcie and Larry were carting around their sidemount tanks in Florida with them, and it looked so easy for the long haul over to P3 from P1.

Northwest Dive Club