Why You Should Dive Sidemount!
Vložit
- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- Why You Should dive Sidemount!
Friday Features - • Surface Interval
Reviews - • Gear Reviews
Teespring - teespring.com/stores/simply-s...
Visit our shop - www.simplyscuba.com/pages/scu...
■
Wind back the clock to around 2012 when a new trend in scuba diving is making the rounds and turning things on their side. I was a lowly divemaster back in those days and I was wowed by this new technical-looking way of diving so I signed up for a course in side mount diving. Sidemount is basically where you attach your cylinders to your harness either side of you with bolt snaps instead of on your back like most scuba divers.
Sidemount diving started in caves where cave explorers who had been using twinsets found them often too cumbersome to fit through confinements and restricted their movement so they experimented with mounting their tanks in a more flexible manner. After generations of cave diver testing and adjusting a common sidemount configuration evolved with a DIR style long hose set up and a unique BCD style, specialised to sidemount. Eventually, sidemount diving would become recreational because it has some solid merits to it and you tend to see the odd side mount diver on open water dives now, not so that they can fit through confinements but for other benefits of side-mount diving
So, Hi I’m Mark from Simply Scuba and let's look at Why You Should dive Sidemount.
■
Sources
Marks warped mind
MultiVerse Studio
• Arrows Green Screen►(M...
■
Simply Scuba Team
Mark Newman: Producer/Writer/Presenter
Shaun Johnson: Managing Editor/Producer/Writer/Presenter
■
Hashtags
#fridayfeature #sidemount #divingsidemount #scubadiving #simplyscuba
■
Let's Get Social
Facebook: / simplyscubauk
Twitter: / simplyscuba
Instagram: / simplyscuba
■
To browse our huge range of top brand Scuba gear and equipment for all ages, with fast shipping and 28-day returns, visit www.simplyscuba.com
For more helpful product videos plus expert scuba diving advice, head to / simplyscuba - Zábava
I've side-mounted, top-mounted, bottom-mounted, and pretty much mounted in every position in between. I've never side-mounted in a cave, but I did once in a Honda Civic hatchback...
LOL!! XD
🤢…🤮
😳
Better Trim, Greater Air Redundancy, Ability to access both Valves and 1st stages...I think it offers greater safety and is definitely the way forward for Recreational diving and not just Technical diving.
Another great video from simply scuba!
I have been using sidemount equipment exclusively for almost 10 years now.
Two backmount dives in total after the first sidemount dive within that decade.
Never had any regrets.
I am absolutly convinced I would not be diving anymore today if I had not discovered that alternative.
Every known 'issue' of scuba diving has been solved with the development of usable sidemount systems.
For 10 years now they have been sufficiently advanced to be used by any recreational or technical diver.
Less dangerous, less hard, less complicated...
And cheaper too.
My brain: yes
My wallet:no
Henry Crick Same problem, really want to switch to sidemount but even selling my old gear wouldn't pay for one set of regulators.
Cost is not an issue anymore.
The whole 'sidemount part' of the equipment I use in the video in the link below is available everywhere for less than 100 bucks in total, $ or €.
It has become a matter of sufficient information and training only.
czcams.com/video/P42FbKktcx8/video.html
Do not worry about the price tag.
Just find someone competent enough to show you what really is neccessary.
My prefered regs are still my old backmount regs, for example.
Since I was diving in cold water in Germany, my set already included two first stages.
Came from ebay originally. Less than €200 in total, different length hoses and service by a friendly pro included.
There is no need to sell or buy a lot of gear. Just adapt it, with small changes, mostly.
Some regs are more usable than others, but all work some way.
After a few hundred sidemount dives anyone can reasonably afford the equipment needed by then, but there is no reason to spend more than neccessary in the 'transition period'.
I converted to SM earlier this year and never reached back again(twinset pun).
Only time I wear a BM tank now is when I’m teaching a NAUI Scuba Diver course. Personal diving, SM all the way!
Great info Mark. As a sidemount instructor I approve this message. Lets all dive sidemount!!!!!
I'm a simple man. I see sidemount, I click 👍... 😉
All jokes aside, I've switched to sidemount full-time, after getting trained by Steve Martin last year. It's more complicated than single-cylinder backmount but I live the flexibility, redundancy and the ease with which to achieve great trim.
Still get some weird looks on liveaboard and rec dive trips but hey I enjoy a challenge. 😄 Definitely worth learning, even more so if you're planning to get into Tech. Get an experienced instructor!
Yggdrasil42 when you go on liveaboards, do you do single tank SM or two tank SM?
Steve Martin the Canadian comedian taught you how to side mount? lol Interesting....you know Steve Martin plays the banjo he once said, "Do you know the difference between a banjo and a guitar? Well the banjo has a special attachment on the neck near the top there and a guitar will get you laid!"
I got into Sidemount diving when I was ready to switch to Doubles. My back did not like the weight and I physically couldn't reach the valves on the Doubles. I enjoy Sidemount now to the point that I do not see going back to Back mount ever again.
Great video Mark but then I might be a little biased...
🤣🤣🤣
I enjoy sidemount as a mission-essential type of diving, I also think its wonderful in open water for disabled divers, but I only use it in caves that require sidemount rigs, everything else is usually rebreather, although I have been playing with a sidemount rebreather for a while as a bail out breather. Its all good, dive everything, just get in the water!
The modularity is also one of the negatives. You can learn backmounted doubles off a web guide, but sidemount really requires professional training, and constant adjustment. I remember my first sidemount dive, I was taken to a point in the cave and the instructor had me swim a little, adjusted the setup, swim again repeating the process until everything was streamlined and I was properly in trim. You get out of the water and take photographs of everything, so you know how everything needs to be positioned.
Please please please put that graphic on a T-Shirt!!! Best drawing evar!
Your wish is our command!
Shaun Johnson I just saw the teespring link and placed my order! Now Mark is my second favorite Simply Scuba presenter.
@@Njwanta 😲 I don't know what to say... I'm honoured!
@@shaun085 is there an estimated time frame for these Tshirts?
@@marshdj2009 it all depends on where you live, if it's the US then @teepring says 2 to 3 days out side of the US i'm not too sure! Sorry!
I dive single tank when teaching so that things are like same, when it comes to fun dives. I do enjoy my twin set for the simplicity. It is easier to walk up to them out them on, do gear matching and modified S-drill while sitting on the boat or at the back of the jeep before jumping in. Also using backmount with a stage and or two deco cylinders is a little cleaner up front. I also enjoy sidemount for the balance and the fully independent redundancy. When I am solo diving I sidemount dive for that reason. I also use sidemount for sites that are hard to get in and out of due to a long walk or steep trail. So really for me it's about using the right tool for what I'm doing at the moment.
Yes yes yes! I did my sidemount a couple of weeks ago 🙆♀️ I had wanted to do it for a couple of years but as couple of months ago, I ended up having a back operation so it was the perfect option 😊 no more bad back!
@OmaKicks I'm not too sure because there still would be a harness on your shoulders BUT some people do dive only with one cylinder as a sidemount set up. So you could put the tank on the good side. The only downside that is that to complete the training you have to use 2 and also you would have to spend a long time getting your weights sorted so your buoyancy is not off. :)
I can try sidemount maybe in february, i'm very excited :)
Sidemount for pretty much any oc five. Even recreationally as I then am fully redundant as I often solo dive or slip inside an overhead environment outside of fully planned tec dives. I love how streamline it is and my favorite tanks are my lp50’s for recreational dives.
The cave divers that experimented and invented the side mount didn't use side mount harnesses, I'm with Shaun 😄
I started side-mount around 3-4 years ago, I sold my 12-year-old Blackhawk BCD to get an Apeks wrx45 I think. I should I've gotten the Razor but since I'm not doing tech the Apeks is just fine. I wouldn't recommend side-mount to anyone that doesn't have a quite amount of dives under their belt. The setup a trim isn't easy like I've spent quite some time trying to find my sweet spot, but once you find that sweet spot on your rig it's just awesome. The other reason I love side-mount is that I love wreck penetration and living in South Florida the capital of wreck diving I'm still surprised that people don't use side-mount on wrecks and get weird looks at the boats but I enjoy my rig.
I'm not that expierienced but i think both sidemount and backmount have their place. For example on boat dives or diving with more than one deco cylinder i would rather take backmounted twins as for diving with strong current or in tight restrictions i'd take sidemount. In my opinion it's also based on the dive environment,i.e. sidemount in flat, broad florida caves and backmount in tall, sometimes tight european caves. But like all diving the setup should fit the personal and environmental needs and demands, you shouldn't dive only either of these and think the other system is worse because someone told you so.
Safe diving everybody
OMG thank you so much for finaly make that video
I like diving sidemount for recreational dives. Why? Practice makes perfect. The better and more comfortable with my gear I can get the better I will be in any stressful situation. Also the redundancy is awesome...far better than a pony bottle with backmount. And once you have it dialed in it is very comfortable. I'm still pretty new so I've tried out a few different rigs. Ended up buying a Hollis Katana and building a "Toddy Style". I like them both for different reasons. I've added Dive Rite's ring bungee system to both my set-ups and like it far, far better than a bungee alone. I've been using a short 2' hose on one side and longer 7' on the other...but am seriously considering going 2' on both. Why? Because if you really need to donate one it's better to just clip it to them than to try and swim through anything connected together, IMO. But yes, I will definitely continue to use sidemount, even for my recreational dives. For me scuba is about enjoyment and relaxation. And I'm far more relaxed in a sidemount rig and far happier knowing that I've got redundant everything!
Great info Mark
I just got home from diving in turkey yesterday. While there one diver girl from Sweden was diving side mount. I watched her a lot and would like to play with it in the future.
Ron Feulner With the Swedish girl or Sidemount?
@@ultimatdestroier427 Yes
My dive buddy has had back surgery and he literally has to dive side mount. I am giving it a ggo later on just to improve my skill set.
Doing my OWSM course in December!
Since starting back in diving side mount has been my main goal. But first I had to just get my scuba gear though whenever possible I looked at the use of that gear for sidemount especially when I bought my first set of new regs, which can easily be switched between left or right configuration. As I am still pretty new back I bought 15l cylinders but now looking at what to get for sidemount. I don’t understand why more divers do not dive sidemount especially when compared with twinsets.
Create your own Munkey diving rig for next to nothing. They're lightweight & ideal to travel with. No courses required or added expenses.!
Best style of diving overhead or open water
Wow, lots of great comments here
I’ve never tried or even heard of side mount before but now I really wanna try it
Side mount has merit for newer diver's. You learn to multitask underwater. As a recreational, technical and commercial diver I personally want to carry all my gas with me, Murphy's law right.
My personal diving tends to be outside of recreational limit's I.e. beyond 120' or time constraints.
My bottom gas are twin 95's back mounted and over pressurized usually.
My side mounts are all back up gas or decompression gas, 40% EAN and 80% O2
So I can see teaching side mount diving would open up a new world to beginners and novice divers.
Not a side-mount config, but depending on the recreational diving, I have dove my rig with a steel backplate and 20 CF bottle in tandem with a 120 Steel or an 80 AL. I have used it more than I like to admit, but the redundancy of a separate / supplemental tank and complete reg setup is reassuring. Having the weight redistributed would be a huge benefit. Probably not necessary for shallow recreational diving (reef), but I can see def benefits for deeper / more challenging diving (below 120 / Black water / def in overhead environments). Thanks for the insight-
When you're going to do, why you shouldn't dive Sidemount?
Side mount what's that can you eat it?
Thank you 🙏🏼 for informative videos 👌🏼
Would you please make a video for the Multi-use BCD’s that’s can be used for one tank & Sidemount
Abo faisal Alabdulbaqi even though there are BCs designed for both, I’d recommend getting a separate BC for each
Simply does not work.
The concepts are so different that sidemount can be compared to diving without any BCD much better than it could be done with any equipment that can carry the tank on the back.
Everything that makes a good conventional BCD is useless or an hinderance for sidemount diving.
Seeing an actual side-mount set-up or a little actual footage of it being used would have made this video much better and easier to visualize
I have been diving sidemount for a few years. I do love it. I am a self-reliant diver (2 diver computers too etc). If i cannot go sidemount, i bring a pony bottle, but this is heavy airplane luggage, and many dive shops/boats do not have this. All shops/boats have aluminum 80s (i.e. normal scuba tanks). The only down side is my SAC rate is nearly double. I am too a ‘student’ of Steve Martin (online courses 100 hours sidemounting.com. It is well worth taking his courses (does some back mount and regular scuba stuff) as he covers very useful things no one ever covered before. I am a A scuba instructor and have 20 plus certifications, 20 years diving, so i speak from experience. I personally wish sidemount was more popular as i think it ads additional safety to diving. Free flows can easily be controlled ( called feathering). Thank you for this video. I do agree with another commentor that some sidemount video would have been nice.
Ay first comment
Keep up the good work
I love your videos ❤
Than k you Sebastian! :D
So...
I’m looking to upgrade to either a BP/W or to go down the side mount route at some point in the near future. Always used a jacket and want to start down the tec route at some point in the future!
I do a fair bit of diving in warm water around the world, and have seen lots of people diving SM with a single tank. Anyone got any thoughts on this??
I also dive in the UK so obviously in dry suit etc.
BP/W looks easier and more flexible in terms of changing between singles/twins down the line, but obviously more bulky. Plus I won’t have to invest in a new set of regs...
I keep flip flopping between the two!
Do I have to use two tanks or will it work fine with one tank only, too?
Works with any number of tanks.
You only get the redundant air supply if you use at least two, though.
Is there any other way to dive.
Interested.. Never tried
Twins are still better for deep wreck dives with an additional deco tank.
My only thought as a pretty experienced but warm water colorful reef only diver: why bring 2 tanks with all the complexity of it when one is in 99% of the dives the better solution and on 1% where you need to give air to a buddy, etc. the advantage is minimal. I think for typical recreational diving is pure show off and I tend to not wait for side mounts to finally get their act together...
Take one tank then.
Two tanks are not mandatory for sidemount diving.
It is just so easy to use two that most people want the redundancy even for pool dives after a while.
The primary difference is that you can decide to take the second one with you or leave it behind in seconds, without reconfiguring anything.
@@razorista I think that's self betrayal. I have yet to meet a side mount diver taking less that twice the time go get ready for the dive 😉
The sidemount video! czcams.com/video/5JIbXg2VTRU/video.html
What are the costs one vs the other?
Identical, with a slight edge to the sidemount configuration.
A lot of sidemoumt equipment sells at a premium now, however.
@@razorista Thanks, I would think side mount would be more expensive...I just bought all new conventional gear, so not changing now..
@@johnmichaelsaraceno7339 Your loss ;)
@@razorista No losses here, been diving since 1965...Actually went back to a double hose reg, no bubbles in your face or in your ears...The Argonaut KRAKEN...the water is blue, crystal clear and quiet in my world.
So with sidemount does that mean that you have to dive with two regs, two octo’s, two SPG’s and two LP inflator hoses, or does having two regs negate the need for any octo’s?
I get sidemount diving for caves and other penetration dives, but to do it just for recreation………ya I’m not buying that.
I haven’t done it so my comments are only based on “looks”, but it looks cumbersome, awkward, and a little over the top.
It also looks like the tanks would get in the way of free movement of your arms, and limit you to reaching for things.
Hey people scoffed at the Internet when it was being talked about, so what do I know?
You can dive a single cylinder. I will never go back to back mount. Side mount is lighter to travel with, easy in and out of the water, and all around better. Check out Steve Martin or Steve Bogaerts channels
Two 1st stages, two 2nd stages, and as many inflators as are required for your setup. SPGs are a touchy subject, you have two camps the always SPGs all the time, and the AI crowd that ditch SPGs or use button gauges.
Sidemount is just one tool in the tool box, it isn't appropriate for every diver or situation. For example wreck penetration, if the wreck is upright it is easier in backmount.
Takes a little getting used to, but the freedom you feel after converting is liberating.
You only need one first and second stage, short inflator hose, and a small SPG for each tank. You only need two inflator hoses if your diving a drysuit though.
i wish we saw more of an actual side mount diver and the setup rather than a crayon drawing
No thanks.
Ok so I'm not really diggin' Mark's beard here, I prefer his hair and beard from 2016.........just sayin', it's a bit millenial shaggy....not a hockey player and it's not the playoffs....