Is Sidemount Diving something you have been thinking about trying? Why would you want to dive Side-Mount: 1. Comfort: Many divers find that a backmounted tank interferes with their ability to look up or forward. A smaller diver may find that the tank valve and regulator on a backmounted tank has the tendency to push uncomfortably on his head or neck. Sidemount diving solves this problem. 2. Compact, Light-Weight Systems: Airline luggage restrictions are becoming increasingly stringent. Many divers have difficulty packing an full set of scuba gear without exceeding airline restrictions on luggage weight or number of bags. Sidemount systems tend to occupy less space in a divers luggage (and weigh less) than backmount systems. 3. Ability to Don/Remove a Tank in the Water: Most sidemount systems do allow divers to back-role or giant stride off a dive boat, just as a diver would do using a traditional BC. However, sidemount systems offer an additional option: a diver can enter the water wearing his harness/buoyancy compensator, weights, fins, and mask, and then clip the tank onto his harness in the water. Divers who cannot carry the weight of a tank for physical reasons may find this an advantage over backmount diving, which requires that a diver either enter the water completely geared up or enter the water without a buoyancy device, and then don the BC and weights in the water. 4. Access to the Regulator First Stage: A sidemount diver can see and access his regulator first stage, unlike a backmount diver. This allows him to visually diagnose (and sometimes solve) leaks or other problems underwater. 5. Access to the Tank Valve: A sidemount diver can both see and easily turn his tank valve. In some emergency scenarios this is an advantage, such as when managing a free-flowing regulator. In the completely avoidable event that a diver enters the water with his tank valve closed, he can easily access the valve and open it himself. 6. Streamlining: A properly configured sidemount system will place the scuba tank in-line with the divers body, with the tank valve tucked under his armpit. This reduces a divers vertical profile and drag as he moves through the water. 7. Protected Tank Valves and Regulators: Most sidemount systems place a divers tank valve and regulator in a more protected position than backmount BCs. A diver using a sidemount configuration reduces the chances of damaging his tank valve and regulator because he can see where they are and because they are protected by his arm. 8. Sidemount Allows Access to Tighter Places: I hesitatingly place this in the advantages section. For cave and wreck divers who have completed technical sidemount training beyond their initial cave or wreck certification, a sidemount configuration may allow them access to spaces that would be impossible to enter with a backmounted tank. For recreational divers, however, this is almost a disadvantage because it gives unqualified divers the ability to enter tight spaces beyond their certification level. Never enter a wreck, cave, or other closed environment without proper training. Sourced from scuba.about/od/typesofdiving/p/Sidemount-Scuba-Diving youtu.be/8ahQYqho7w4
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 02:46:45 +0000
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