Sidemount questions

[fixxervi6]

What do you side mounters do with your argon bottle?

I've seen a lot of side mounters wear their can light on their butt plate, doesn't it get the hell beat out of it like that?

[RN]

The water temps in the springs don't really dictate an argon bottle for me. If the water is much colder than that then you probably won't find me in it.

I don't mount my can light on my butt plate, but I've seen that set up and it rides low enough that it doesn't look like it would be a problem. I haven't seen any busted can lights from that configuration.

[EGIB]

What do you side mounters do with your argon bottle?

I've seen a lot of side mounters wear their can light on their butt plate, doesn't it get the hell beat out of it like that?

What do you need argon for? Just climb the grate :D

Does this mean you liked the sidemount?

[fixxervi6]

What do you need argon for? Just climb the grate :D

Does this mean you liked the sidemount?

I can only climb the grate in Lake Travis, and I'll need grate climbing instruction from the original grate climber first.

I hated side mount with a passion, however I think the issue was the rig was far too small for me.

The more I look at the maps and see SM here and there it burns my hide so I need to give it another shot in a rig that fits.

I'm partially torn however as I don't live in florida, I dive mud holes out there in the desert, some of these mud holes are very deep and very cold on the bottom.

My rig is nice, dialed in, I'm comfortable in it like a second skin, but damn it, I can't fit everywhere.

[RN]

How big of a bottle are you using for argon? If it's small enough, just attach it to your waist harness opposite where you carry your can light. It should tuck in nicely in the groove between you and your side bottle.

[AMW]

I tend to just feed my suit of one of my side mount cylinders, the cave water I dive in is around 7C to 8C (England and Wales) in the winter and with a 6mm compressed dry suit and a good furry suit with base thermals under that I stay warm. It is the hands that start to suffer first (after about 70 minutes). I do now use dry gloves for some sites. The coldest cave water I dive in is in the Doubs ,France as it is snow melt and around 4C the other problem is some of the sites are at 1400M altitude :smt100

Andrew

[Line Squirrel]

I still have my argon bottle from my Great Lakes days. I was going to mount it on my rear end like people mount their light since my canister [light] is small enough, I mount that on my hip.

So far, I haven't tried it. As RN said, the water temp's are warm enough. I have been tapping into my 50% deco bottle for suit inflation. You just have to remember [obviously] if/when you drop your 50% to disconnect and switch hoses to a sm bottle.

I do this in places like the shallower areas of Eagles Nest, Alachua, etc. By the time I drop the 50% I don't think I need to add "that much" back gas in my suit where it makes a big difference.

That said...I've been doing it with 21/30...we'll see how chilly I get when I try it with 15/55 or 10/60.

[FW]

Lake Travis is deep, and cold. Argon would be useful there. What protects butt mounted gear is the fact your legs are higher than your butt, so you tend to protect anything back there. I am sure it drags in real tight passages sometimes. I mount an AL14 in the V between my body, and side tank. It only drags in real tight passages.

FWIW, I have seen a guy in backmount get his argon bottle stuck in the restriction at Cow.
He had to get help from sidemounters to get un-stuck :-D

[Tegg]

How big of a bottle are you using for argon? If it's small enough, just attach it to your waist harness opposite where you carry your can light. It should tuck in nicely in the groove between you and your side bottle.

This is the way I do it.

[Ward Beecher]

I agree with RN. If I need argon, I place a small bottle on my left waist band. My light is on my right waist. It tucks in nicely behind my SM bottle and has never gotten in the way.

Usually though, I will just strap it to my 1st deco bottle and use it then.

Ward

[fixxervi6]

So how hard is it after your used to sidemount to switch around between backmount and side mount?

is it like having to re learn backmount or several warm up dives before performing a serious back mount dive?

[FW]

I used to switch back and forth. The only issue I had was remembering to switch all the essential gear. It turns out that fins was the bigest issue. My heavy backmount fins made me very tail heavy in sidemount, and my light weight sidemount fins caused me to pitch forward in backmount. Eventually I realized that backmount didn't offer enough advantages to offset the hassle, so I broke down all my sets of doubles.

[Line Squirrel]

I haven't had a set of doubles on my back in almost 3-1/2 years, save the trip to Akumal where they insisted on doubles and a few deep mix dives.

[sskasser]

So how hard is it after your used to sidemount to switch around between backmount and side mount?

is it like having to re learn backmount or several warm up dives before performing a serious back mount dive?

IMHO, it's a matter of how much time you spent, and how comfortable you were, in doubles before switching over. If you have your doubles config "down" and are comfortable with it, switching back to it won't be a big deal. Kinda like switching between an automatic and a stick...if you're good with both, neither will be an issue. YMMV

[RN]

I broke my doubles down about 1.5 months after going sidemount. I really don't see the point in diving back mount anymore. I'll be in Mexico in 2 weeks and have already arranged for sidemount tanks for my dives.

[AMW]

I tend to switch the cylinders from side to back cave dependent. I trained on (in 1983) and used side mount for all trips until a trip to the Lot (1994) were we used twin 12li it was more comfortable to back mount them. I now select what will be best for the job (back mount OC or CCR or side mount OC CCR).

Although I have never used back mount in a English or welsh cave :smt081.

Andrew

[fixxervi6]

With a nomad is there really any reason why I could not equip the tanks at my truck and walk down and giant stride into the water and same for exit at someplace like peacock? getting out was a PITA in side mount.

[EGIB]

With a nomad is there really any reason why I could not equip the tanks at my truck and walk down and giant stride into the water and same for exit at someplace like peacock? getting out was a PITA in side mount.

You don't want your nomad to get stressed out...like certain grate climbers we know.

Seriously it puts a lot of stress on the bungies.

[fixxervi6]

You don't want your nomad to get stressed out...like certain grate climbers we know.

Seriously it puts a lot of stress on the bungies.

Hmm, what about not doing the bungies until you are in the water, let the weight hang entirely on the butt plate and chest d rings.

Actually if its properly adjusted the bungie shouldn't be holding the tanks should it? most load should shift to the butt plate, my understanding is the bungies are there mainly to hold the wing down and keep the tanks up close when your in proper trim.

[fixxervi6]

What are some of the caves that are side mount only in Florida, and does anyone have links to videos that have side mount diving in them? (pref. cave vids).

Just picked up a used nomad to keep the wife at bay and ordering mine tomorrow.

Sometimes I hate scuba, if anyone sees a kidney on ebay its mine, I'm healthy so bid well :-)

[EGIB]

Hmm, what about not doing the bungies until you are in the water, let the weight hang entirely on the butt plate and chest d rings.

Actually if its properly adjusted the bungie shouldn't be holding the tanks should it? most load should shift to the butt plate, my understanding is the bungies are there mainly to hold the wing down and keep the tanks up close when your in proper trim.

If you do like the grate climber suggested and put rings on the tank necks and then clip those to the chest d rings then it would be somewhat stable...but if you are out of the water with just the bungies then that is all that would hold the tank up.

Man I can't wait until you guys come back to Florida...make sure Kurt gets a nomad too.

[fixxervi6]

If you do like the grate climber suggested and put rings on the tank necks and then clip those to the chest d rings then it would be somewhat stable...but if you are out of the water with just the bungies then that is all that would hold the tank up.

Man I can't wait until you guys come back to Florida...make sure Kurt gets a nomad too.

He already has a transpac, he is looking at accessories to finish it out.

[FW]

Right now, you wouldn't have to do a giant stride into Peacock :-D

When the water is low, I sit on the bottom step, and hook up my tanks, then do a forward roll into the water. Much less stress on the harness.

If you have trouble climbing out with your tanks on, tie them to the deco bottle lines, and pull them up when you get onto the steps.

[RN]

With a nomad is there really any reason why I could not equip the tanks at my truck and walk down and giant stride into the water and same for exit at someplace like peacock? getting out was a PITA in side mount.

It's not that easy to walk with the tanks leaning against your legs. I don't do this that often, but every now and then I just get lazy and do it. By the time I make it back to the van I'm thinking "this would have been easier with the hand cart."

As for sidemount only caves - there are a lot in the Marianna area. However, most of them are boat only access.

[Mike Edmonston]

Be careful with letting the tanks hang on the Nomad Buttplate. I have seen a diver rip one of the screws clean out of it. It's really not designed to hold the weight of the tanks out of the water.

Safe Diving