Walking with Side Mount

[standingbear56]

OK, here I am with another question. Hopefully someday I hope to be able to give answers, but first things first.
I've read in several threads that walking any distance with your side mount cylinders attached puts undo strain on your harness/bungees/butt plate, and can cause failure. Does anyone have more information on this. Personally due to my back wreck, walking with cylinders attached is a no go, but what I don't understand is why the harnesses wouldn't be manufactured strong enough to begin with.
Thanks in advance,
George

[MedCop]

I am a sidemount newb myself, but have read / heard that all the weight would be on the butt mount area if just using a bungee to secure the valve. From what I have read / heard some divers use a strap around the neck or an actual stage type strap to secure the front (neck) of the tank to a front d-ring on the harness to take some of the weight. Then when in the water release this snap and use the bungee to hold the front (neck) of the tank.

I think this would also be good to sidemount off a boat, but that is just a thought.

[caving4funtime]

I am a sidemount newb myself, but have read / heard that all the weight would be on the butt mount area if just using a bungee to secure the valve. From what I have read / heard some divers use a strap around the neck or an actual stage type strap to secure the front (neck) of the tank to a front d-ring on the harness to take some of the weight. Then when in the water release this snap and use the bungee to hold the front (neck) of the tank.

I think this would also be good to sidemount off a boat, but that is just a thought.

You are correct on the bungee system, you do not want to stress the bungees.

[Kelly Jessop]

The only time I have had cause to walk with sidemount cylinders is during a close encounter with a gator,otherwise this is counterintuitive to sidemounting. My biggest concern is the strain that would occur with attachment points of hoses to inflators ie wing and dry suit. In back mount there is a very stable platform with no tank movement,not the same with sidemount.

[flyczek]

I have clips on cave line on the tops of my bottles. I just leave these attached at all times to my upper d-rings. I don't attach my bungees until I'm in the water with all hoses routed. The bungees will offload the clips and they just sort of hang there while I dive.

I figure there isn't undue strain on any of my gear for short walks. My hoses are routed to avoid strain and my tanks don't really move much with the top clips attached. The bungees aren't used and most of the weight is on my harness. If the harness can handle my doubles behind me I figure it can handle the SM tanks.

[Luxrok]

but what I don't understand is why the harnesses wouldn't be manufactured strong enough to begin with.

I will take a stab at the question. The point, for me, behind sidemount is to have a system which is very flexible. I mean that in the literal and figurative sense. My sidemount rig was design to make donning, doffing and adjusting the position of the tanks as efficient as possible in the water. With this level of optimization built into the system some other functions must suffer.

The load carrying capacity of the system out of the water was the biggest function to suffer. I am using soft and movable attachment points, therefore, by design they are not intended to carry the full weight of a tank out of the water. The system is strong enough for what it is designed.

If I wanted a system that could carry the weight of the tanks, I would have to add more features like extra clips or more strength which would to stiffen the system up. Neither of which I want to do. I don't want to fight with a really thick bungee when I remove it from the tank neck in a silty little hole. I want a system with a lot of elasticity and is forgiving.

If I need to carry my tanks to the water with the harness on, I throw one tank over the shoulder and the other in my hand. I use the bungees to carry my fins. They fit nicely in my armpits.

I am happy to report my sidemount system is working nicely. Dove three days in a row over the weekend and hit three sites, two of which were new to Allie and I: Mayan Blue and Cenote Xunaan. What a great weekend!

[standingbear56]

Thanks, a lot of good points. I was thinking in terms of a commercial designed unit like the Nomad. I understand that many of the others are side mount specific and may not be able to support the cylinders out of the water. The Nomad however is at it's heart a Trans Pac. I can understand the bungees not standing up, but I'm surprised about the butt plate not holding up. To me (and I may be completely wrong, and probably am) if you snap the cylinders off on a shoulder D ring and on the butt plate, you should be able to carry them no problem - at least for the harness. Any ideas on this?
Thanks,
George

[FW]

Thanks, a lot of good points. I was thinking in terms of a commercial designed unit like the Nomad. I understand that many of the others are side mount specific and may not be able to support the cylinders out of the water. The Nomad however is at it's heart a Trans Pac. I can understand the bungees not standing up, but I'm surprised about the butt plate not holding up. To me (and I may be completely wrong, and probably am) if you snap the cylinders off on a shoulder D ring and on the butt plate, you should be able to carry them no problem - at least for the harness. Any ideas on this?
Thanks,
George
The Transpac *will* support the weight of tanks out of the water, if you use the D-rings *on the waist band*. The "towel bars" on the butt plate were not designed to carry the weight of tanks out of the water. If you must carry tranks that way, support them from the waist band.

[standingbear56]

AHHHHH, sounds like a plan! ::joy
Thanks,
George

[Jerry]

If you have to walk with the tanks on; try putting a clip on the tank neck. Clip this to the shoulder d-ring. You can leave this clipped during the dive w/o issue.

Jerry

[FW]

If you have to walk with the tanks on; try putting a clip on the tank neck. Clip this to the shoulder d-ring. You can leave this clipped during the dive w/o issue.

Jerry

That will work too, but having the weight on your shoulders is really hard on your back, I know!