Newbie question

[toby43]

First post here and a couple of questions; I have booked to do full cave in Europe using back mount cylinders because that's what I am used to. Question is will I have to learn side Mount or is back mount ok for the majority of novice cave diving? I will not be diving in UK. I know that in the old days back mount for cave was common ( not uk)

Second question is a helmet looks a pretty useful item but have been lead to believe that for back mount it is not generally used as it may hinder deployment of long hose from back of neck, does anyone have experience of this?

Very grateful for an advice. Thanks

[FW]

First post here and a couple of questions; I have booked to do full cave in Europe using back mount cylinders because that's what I am used to. Question is will I have to learn side Mount or is back mount ok for the majority of novice cave diving? I will not be diving in UK. I know that in the old days back mount for cave was common ( not uk)

Second question is a helmet looks a pretty useful item but have been lead to believe that for back mount it is not generally used as it may hinder deployment of long hose from back of neck, does anyone have experience of this?

Very grateful for an advice. Thanks

Backmount is used a lot in large European caves. There aren't many large caves in the UK, so they generally dive sidemount. I have dived backmount with a helmet, and had no problems. You should go with what your instructor recommends, until you finish all the classes.

[bent]

Where are you located Toby? Are you going to France for training?

[toby43]

Where are you located Toby? Are you going to France for training?

Not to France but to Spain for training, I live in Hesse.

[toby43]

Backmount is used a lot in large European caves. There aren't many large caves in the UK, so they generally dive sidemount. I have dived backmount with a helmet, and had no problems. You should go with what your instructor recommends, until you finish all the classes.

Many thanks, sounds good

[bent]

Where about Spain? Please don't say Mallorca!

[toby43]

Not Mallorca. Near Alicante cueva del Agua.

[diver42]

Skip the helmet unless you swim like Aquaman. You can do a lot of cave diving in backmount. Many cave divers never move to sidemount. I don't quite understand why so many people are diving sidemount with apparently no need for it. But to each his own. In any event, if—as a newbie—you find yourself in a cave that is so small it requires sidemount, you should probably reconsider your choices.

[toby43]

Skip the helmet unless you swim like Aquaman. You can do a lot of cave diving in backmount. Many cave divers never move to sidemount. I don't quite understand why so many people are diving sidemount with apparently no need for it. But to each his own. In any event, if—as a newbie—you find yourself in a cave that is so small it requires sidemount, you should probably reconsider your choices.

Sounds good to me, thanks