Sidemount rig crash course :D

[Greenwood_60]

I just found out I am going to be doing a dive at Devil's Den with some OW friends. As you may know, they don't allow doubles down the stairs. So I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to set up a OW single tank SM harness.

The basis of the harness is going to be Matt's plates (Bonediver, matt@deepstopdiving.com), a MSR bag, and an AL80. I have a crap-ton of d-rings, webbing slides, webbing, cam bands, 8" hose clamps, etc., so I figure I have enough to put it all together minus what ever I use to hold the tank to my side (bungee, inner-tube, idk?).

I will have the rings at my back, and on my hips. I understand that you use one for when the tank-ass wants to sink, and the other when the tank-ass wants to float, easy enough if that is all there is to it.

For a home made rig, what should I use for the valve end of the tank? That's biggest piece I don't have a full grasp on, the schemes of securing the valve end of the tank. What's the best want to do it? Where do I want the valve to sit?

[Wizard]

For AL 80's just use a piece of 1/8-1/4 inch line about 10 inches long. Put a bolt snap on it and make a loop. Wrap the loop around the valve and put the snap though the loop and tighten. The 80's are light and it takes nothing to hold them. Clip to top shoulder D. I use a D on belt high next to wing and another D where you normally have one on waist for BM. Use the high one under edge of wing to start with and then clip to lower waist D when tank starts to float. It always stays level that way. For a restriction just unclip tanks or tank at rear and swing them in front of you.
OW dove that way for 2 years now.

[stairman]

I wouldnt trust the stairs there, or my knee with doubles. An old friend used to repel down from the top before the entry was made and he said it had a pretty cool cave system now grated off of course. I think Id just poodle jacket that one with a single backmounted 80. Entry prices are crazy there as well as Blue Grotto and Paradise.

[Greenwood_60]

For AL 80's just use a piece of 1/8-1/4 inch line about 10 inches long. Put a bolt snap on it and make a loop. Wrap the loop around the valve and put the snap though the loop and tighten. The 80's are light and it takes nothing to hold them. Clip to top shoulder D. I use a D on belt high next to wing and another D where you normally have one on waist for BM. Use the high one under edge of wing to start with and then clip to lower waist D when tank starts to float. It always stays level that way. For a restriction just unclip tanks or tank at rear and swing them in front of you.
OW dove that way for 2 years now.

10" inches of Cave Line? Not bungee? Sounds easy enough. Thanks.


I wouldnt trust the stairs there, or my knee with doubles. An old friend used to repel down from the top before the entry was made and he said it had a pretty cool cave system now grated off of course. I think Id just poodle jacket that one with a single backmounted 80. Entry prices are crazy there as well as Blue Grotto and Paradise.

They tell you its a horrible, tight, silty mess, that divers who like that kind of thing, don't like. I believed them 10 years ago. Knowing what I do now and how crazy some of you are, I would bet there are people who would like it. I'm sure it's one of their ways of detracting you from trying to get in. The grates are in such poor state of repair, it would not be hard.

The entry prices don't bother me so much... at least for a few more weeks :D

[Garth]

Make sure you think about weighting. I tried this setup with two al80's and well... a drysuit. I had to carry a ton of weight which made the system a pain in the Arse. If you are diving wet you probably will do great. Have fun.

[Greenwood_60]

I will probably dive with my 3mm shorty because of weight. I don't expect to need weight, but I always bring extra just in case.

[JerseyJersey]

there are 4 caves there. "It is down the passage known as Chamber 3, at approximately 70 feet that there have been discovered the remains of extinct animals from the Pleistocene Age over 2 million years ago including a salamander, some anurans, a slew of turtles, an alligator, a lizard, and a bunch of snakes and along side of these, the bones of early man from over 75 thousand years ago."

The caves have been blocked off for both the saftey issues and to preserve the abundace of artifacts and fossils found. I believe another cave held a fire pit and human bones, and the others were treasure troves of fossils for the archeologists. Some place I read the log of items found in the caves.....

[Dominic]

Where do you put weight on a razor style harness like that?

[Greenwood_60]

Where do you put weight on a razor style harness like that?

on the webbing, where ever its needed.