On my SMS 100 I have 8lbs under the harness next to my back. I just threaded the lead onto the webbing there and put some keepers on. In FL I only need half that.
I've dove in some pretty cold water, but I don't think I've ever needed to add 35lbs of lead. You can always add some on the harness then put a weight belt on first with the rest.
Today I just bought my second "Eddified" SMS 100, this one is for my kid. I haven't found anything better for my uses, but I don't do cold water or aluminum tanks either so I can't comment on those.
I have some LP 95's I can sell you... I didn't need more weight when I dove those. I needed a bigger wing!Originally Posted by nielsent
I have two sidemount specific setups that are both good.
First is an SMS 100 with a duel bladder and trim weight pockets added at the waist and onto the shoulder straps just behind the head.
The 2nd is a stainless backplate with a single SMS 100 wing, Hollis weight system, Diverite sidemount buttplate, 2 inch Zeagle crotch strap and a Zeagle back pad. The SMS wings shape lends itself well for proper sidemount positioning from the start and when attached to the backplate the waist strap keepers on the bladder along with the bungees keep the whole affair from taco effect. On the backplate rig also added two silicone surgical tubing bungees around the bladder and through the shoulder attachments on the plate to combat the taco effect and used the small d rings on the inside of the bladder to attach to the plate with cave or wreck line. I also used the center line grommets to attach four stainless screw together fasteners.
Both rigs also have 2 inch female fastex connectors on each side of the waist straps so I can add one or two thigh pockets when diving wet.
I have dove these rigs in salt and fresh water and in a range of wetsuits from shorty thru semidry and with both drysuits. Played with these in sidemounted 72's (old ones), AL80's, and even broke down the 108's and dove those as well.
The key to this evolution was modify and dive, then adjust and dive it again.
The SMS is pretty much stock and works very well. The franken rig made from the backplate base was my attempt to keep the familiarness of a backplate and just tinker until it achieved the same comfort and imediate positioning in the water as with the SMS 100.
The sidemounted tanks use 3 inch bolt snaps so I can handle them even when diving my CN dry gloves. The neck clips are tied to the modular left and right valves so that the clip gate is even with the DIN attachment. I started with the lower clips way down the tank but kept moving them up gradually to the point that they seem way choked up but they trim out nicely.
I dive these two setups quite a bit as I am always training ow, adv, and rescue students. I usually dive students on Saturdays and Sundays so that I dive doubles on one day and sidemount on the other. Keeps my sanity and allows the dive and modify to work it's magic.
Diving year round locally for training I get the full gamut of water and air temperatures and that means maximum flexibility for weighting and weight positioning as well as flexibility for type of tanks selected to sidemount.
I work in a dive shop so I have access to our onsite pool as well as any equipment I might want for my building projects.
For general information the SMS 100 bladder trims out high capacity single tanks (LP120's) very well but that bladder does not lend itself to use on doubles. When used with doubles the lift capacity of the bladder is reduced by the sandwich effect of the plate and the doubles and the extra bladder material trapped between the plate and doubles often times makes it hard to get the plate screwed on.
Depending on your needs I would recommend the DUI Weight and Trim system. I have used it from Semi dry suits and on dry suits down to 40 degrees. The weight will sit lower on the hips and I found that it made controlling the extra weight a lot easier. There are other version available in the market.
Web link- http://www.dui-online.com/bc_wt.htm
Happy diving, Andrew
I have the DUI W&T and while I didn't use it, my buddy did and found it interferred with getting the bottle to hang in close. What's your secret?
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