Small Questions Thread

[moody]

Nah, I'm AOW single cylinder, though my uncle has offered me his backmounted doubles setup. I'm kind of weird about taking that though, and aside from the tanks themselves, not sure it would be relative to what I want to dive with. I think I just like SM better as an outsider looking in. Something about being able to have every bit of my gear in sight and accessible one way or another seems sweet. What do you do in a freeflow emergency situation in backmounted doubles?

You would do a valve drill, same as in SM it's just different and might be more difficult at first but no reason why can't be able to be just as proficient in both. There is big difference between sidemount diving and diving sidemount. Sometimes this is where doing to much research or overthinking it before having any training doesn't always help. It is just a tool and as such should be employed when it is the best option. There are many people that vary their set up based on the dive they are about to do. Small gnarly SM/NM restrictions, diving solo, yeah maybe you go with 2 short hoses, leisurely dive with a buddy and some restrictions maybe you go SM with 1 long nose. Massive penetration of a large cave where you need multiple stages, maybe BM and stages is the way to go. Find a good instructor and focus on the fundamentals. If I had spent half as much time focusing on propulsion, trim and buoyancy instead of what gear to buy or what the best configuration would be it would have stood me in much better stead.

[Scubaru]

Should I dare ask a list of everyone's most recommended instructors with a mandatory included reasoning clause? Let the silt fly. So tired of hearing all this advice to seek out the best instructor and then go with what they advise, but how can I find the best instructor for me if everyone's out to offer only the negatives for people or simply not discuss the issue to keep peace? I'll be happy when political season is over so I can stop hearing all the mudslinging. Somebody recommend an instructor for a white 6'2" Christian male that supports gun rights, eats meat but also loves animals, sings in church but also listens to death metal, dubstep, soft rock, and cher, supports gay rights, but isn't gay, likes the beach but hates sand, rides a harley that he built with his own hands but also dailies a Camry due to reliability, fuel conservation, and safety from all these Baton Rouge idiot drivers, has a wife that doesn't dive but I'm trying to convince her, has two large breed dogs but hates pet dander and shedding, is brunette but has a red beard... what else can I tell you that's obviously going to make a difference?

Some of you are quick to say wait for instruction from an instructor and do what they advise, but I've called instructor(s) and many say I should know my gear before class.

[RGU]

If you're flexible enough, isolate with one hand and shut off the likely culprit valve with the other. And hum the Lord's prayer while you're at it.
or
Signal your buddy and have him fix it for you...

I run with the isolator 1/2 turn open. Then again in 25 years on Poseidon
regulators, I have never had a free flow.

[patpicos]

it all depends on your SM intentions. If you plan just to dive with tanks on your side...most instructors will do.

If you plan on doing serious SM stuff, then I'd recommend guys that are pushing the limits in SM. Both Neto and Sorrenson are strong on that front and the 2 names that comes to forefront for me. Disclaimer: I have trained with neither.

If you go to MX, the kit changes and the list of instructor grows quite a bit.

[FW]

I certainly don't advocate or practice that. However, I was just trying to post objectively regarding his question. My point was that there are lots of ways of skinning the sidemount cat.

If I remember correctly, the "tank donate" paradigm has been taught by a fairly influential German instructor "Toddy" Wälde. There's an entire "Toddy style" established and documented, and I think some European shops even advertise selling "toddy style" equipment setups.

Makes one wonder if he actually ever tried doing it.

[FW]

it all depends on your SM intentions. If you plan just to dive with tanks on your side...most instructors will do.

If you plan on doing serious SM stuff, then I'd recommend guys that are pushing the limits in SM. Both Neto and Sorrenson are strong on that front and the 2 names that comes to forefront for me...

I would add Tom Johnson, Paul Heinerth, and Jill Heinerth.

[bamafan]

What I find amazing with the Tody style is the use of 2 backplates sandwiching a wing. This just seems like a great way to get stuck to me.

[Scubaru]

In the video I posted, they take a tank off and set it down and simply readjust bouyancy, the practice "winging the tanks" and "gunning a tank". Is it just a wetsuit vs drysuit thing? OW vs Cave thing? Aluminum vs steel?

[FW]

In the video I posted, they take a tank off and set it down and simply readjust bouyancy, the practice "winging the tanks" and "gunning a tank". Is it just a wetsuit vs drysuit thing? OW vs Cave thing? Aluminum vs steel?

Mostly an aluminum vs steel thing. Most steel tanks are very heavy, and if you remove one, you remove half the weight holding you in the water. Of course this is worse with a drysuit, since they tend to be more buoyant.

[Kelly Jessop]

Mostly an aluminum vs steel thing. Most steel tanks are very heavy, and if you remove one, you remove half the weight holding you in the water. Of course this is worse with a drysuit, since they tend to be more buoyant.

That is one problem that occurs with people who dive a sidemount configuration without being sidemount trained, they depend on weighting to come from the tanks, and when they attempt a sidemount dive and have to do tank removal, they get in trouble. People will say I am overweighted when they pick up my harness,but I can remove all tanks and still have some negative buoyancy, so when negotiating major restrictions I never have to add buoyancy issues to the problem.