sidemounting wet

Hey all,
Im thinking about getting into sidemount, but I dive wet and am not planning on getting a drysuit soon. Does anyone who sidemounts dive wet and use a dual bladder? I adhere to the redundant bladder concept, and I currently use two independant bladders, and if i sidemount I would like to stick to the same principles. Do you recommend getting a dual bladder wing, such as a dual rec wing? Or get a drysuit and use a single bladder? Itll be at least another month till i get into it, but its the main thing i need to decide on. Any input is helpful.
-Andrew

I sidemount wet all the time, but mostly in sumps where you could crawl out.

A dual bladder would work, *IF* you can get one with some way to keep it from floating above your back, like a Manta Ray. The ones with bungees can be made to work, or ones with loops sewed onto the outer bag. The latter were usually made specifically for sidemount, but most weren't dual bladder.

I use a customized dual rec wing on my sidemount setup and it works great.

I was sidemounting wet with the armadillo for awhile, it was abit scary because with 108s I was using just about every inch of lift the whole dive. You can do it, but I just got my brand new TLS350, so Im going to retire the wetsuit now :wink:

I've used a dual rec wing on my sidemount harness for a few years; hundreds of dives in caves, springs, and oceans and put the 2nd bladder to use only once. I was wearing a wetsuit that day, in a spring following FW and Cindy down a hole somewhere in Suwannee State Park. The inflator started to leak bad on the left side so I switched the hose to the right. It was a hard stretch, but it resolved the issue immediately. It was a bit of a pain getting use to it, on that dive, since I wasn't used to looking for the inflator on the right.

All said, I like the security of it, even though I'm mostly in a drysuit. Its a redundancy that adds to mental well being.

http://cavediver.net/temp/dualrec.jpg

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Originally Posted by tj

I've used a dual rec wing on my sidemount harness for a few years; hundreds of dives in caves, springs, and oceans and put the 2nd bladder to use only once. I was wearing a wetsuit that day, in a spring following FW and Cindy down a hole somewhere in Suwannee State Park. The inflator started to leak bad on the left side so I switched the hose to the right. It was a hard stretch, but it resolved the issue immediately. It was a bit of a pain getting use to it, on that dive, since I wasn't used to looking for the inflator on the right.

All said, I like the security of it, even though I'm mostly in a drysuit. Its a redundancy that adds to mental well being.

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I will second the Transpac with the dual Rec wing..that is the side mount set up that I use too.
Lee

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Originally Posted by akcaver

Does anyone who sidemounts dive wet

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Wetsuit is great for SM in FL unless you have unlimited cash to repair drysuit. BTW compressed neoprene would be my choice in that case. And if it doesn't tear up you suit on SM dive then there was no real need for SM admit it.

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Originally Posted by akcaver

and use a dual bladder? I adhere to the redundant bladder concept

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i used car tire innertube with ziptied ends to build second "bullet proof" bladder. Only once i stucked it in OMS 55lbs wing as a second bladder (w/only oral inflation).

The weekest part in SM wing however is not the bladder but corrugated hose, it needs bike innertube protector, doubled zipties and visual inspection before each dive. I would consider very short 7" corrugate hose. Also you can flip the wing upside down so the elbow is protected between wing and your back. This places inflator on the right unusual side but s-mounting is for perverts anyway so the one may get used to non standard complex configuration. Another alternative is to swap inflation hose with pull-dump valve, the way Armadillo does.

Hey guys,
Thanks alot for the input, this is really helpful stuff!

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Originally Posted by ARY

The weekest part in SM wing however is not the bladder but corrugated hose, it needs bike innertube protector, doubled zipties and visual inspection before each dive. I would consider very short 7" corrugate hose. Also you can flip the wing upside down so the elbow is protected between wing and your back. This places inflator on the right unusual side but s-mounting is for perverts anyway so the one may get used to non standard complex configuration. Another alternative is to swap inflation hose with pull-dump valve, the way Armadillo does.

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I agree. I wrap my inflator hose with several layers of missle tape or duct tape and replace it as it wears. Especially at the hose/BC interface. SM is for perverts! That's funny. :-) I'm not so yet perverted to try an upside down wing--perhaps someday it will make more sense.

FWIW, it IS scary diving with only a single wing and wet. I broke my wing once in the CornFlakes at Ginnie (in backmount) and used a lot of gas to get out.

The second time I 'popped' a wing, I was in a drysuit exiting Madison. The bouyancy control wasn't the best but the exit was far easier. I use a neoprene drysuit so I can patch it in the field -- it's not worth the expense of something that I'm going to tear up anyway. Of course I don't mind being more semi-dry than dry after a few years in a suit. Warm and extra lift when needed is what I care about.