Reverse Mount? Blonde Question....

[IowaCaveDiver]

I've been debating posting this question for a little while now, but as some of you know my past posts I usually don't think before typing, so here it goes. Why not wear a set of doubles upside down? I havn't completely thought this one through, but as I sit and visualize this type of configuration it seems to make sense.... here is what I came up with. Flip the backplate and wing around... adjust hoses as necessary... not sure about how to route the long hose, I'd have to actually put it together to figure that one out. But the benefits... not worrying about wacking your valves on the cave, easier to reach your valves and manipulate them, more streamlined configuration for hoses... directly from the hips up to the mouth, etc, etc..... potential problems: Getting into the gear, you would have to make some sort of tank rack/holder so your manifold wouldn't take the pressure of the weight of the tanks.... longer dip tubes for valves to prevent and debree/dust/moisture (hope there is none of this in tank from entering regulator.
Remember, I am very blonde, especially in the summer when I'm doing most of my diving.... this was just a thought, I've not had a chance to even try to see what this would look like, but I thought i'd toss it out here first to see what you guys thought... just a little food for your cave deprived brains to munch on. Post away!

-Matt

[Michelle]

Matt:

Umm, do you think perhaps a very crucial link between your air and something else got crossed? Because if you are serious, I am thinking one of three things: a. this guy must be a philosophy student; b. he's a bit blitzed, playing around (no shame in that); c. this is a person I would never, ever cave dive with.....let alone the fact that I'm answering this. Please you guze doant disaowne me. Dude, think of what happens when you go positive....check your nuts? Do you really want to worry about an inverted-tank switch, as your apparent need may be? Butt dependent, you'd also have to have the arms of an orangutan to reach most of your gear (it'll still be a bit bouyant), and even then, while you are jutting up, reaching for your croch, you're most likely going to hit some extremely fragile cool stuff, which will P.O. (Cindy, I know) everyone else. Plus, what happens if you hit bottom or rock, and have to snake through? I'd rather be able to reach my valves top-side without added guck or crap than reach through my crotch; I think you just need side mount, wait it out. The perils are too great, the rewards too little. As a token of my depreciation, if you manage this config in any cave, post, but my opinion: if you've got a $2.5 lifer, kids, and a plant, cool, if not, I wouldn't plan on any heavy betters. Have fun, and for the sake of JC and the boys, man, don't dive ass backwards.

[Kelly Jessop]

I've been debating posting this question for a little while now, but as some of you know my past posts I usually don't think before typing, so here it goes. Why not wear a set of doubles upside down? I havn't completely thought this one through, but as I sit and visualize this type of configuration it seems to make sense.... here is what I came up with. Flip the backplate and wing around... adjust hoses as necessary... not sure about how to route the long hose, I'd have to actually put it together to figure that one out. But the benefits... not worrying about wacking your valves on the cave, easier to reach your valves and manipulate them, more streamlined configuration for hoses... directly from the hips up to the mouth, etc, etc..... potential problems: Getting into the gear, you would have to make some sort of tank rack/holder so your manifold wouldn't take the pressure of the weight of the tanks.... longer dip tubes for valves to prevent and debree/dust/moisture (hope there is none of this in tank from entering regulator.
Remember, I am very blonde, especially in the summer when I'm doing most of my diving.... this was just a thought, I've not had a chance to even try to see what this would look like, but I thought i'd toss it out here first to see what you guys thought... just a little food for your cave deprived brains to munch on. Post away!

-Matt

Need to ask Forrest,he did this for years (where are you Forrest?)

[OFG-1]

I've been debating posting this question for a little while now, but as some of you know my past posts I usually don't think before typing, so here it goes. Why not wear a set of doubles upside down? I havn't completely thought this one through, but as I sit and visualize this type of configuration it seems to make sense.... here is what I came up with. Flip the backplate and wing around... adjust hoses as necessary... not sure about how to route the long hose, I'd have to actually put it together to figure that one out. But the benefits... not worrying about wacking your valves on the cave, easier to reach your valves and manipulate them, more streamlined configuration for hoses... directly from the hips up to the mouth, etc, etc..... potential problems: Getting into the gear, you would have to make some sort of tank rack/holder so your manifold wouldn't take the pressure of the weight of the tanks.... longer dip tubes for valves to prevent and debree/dust/moisture (hope there is none of this in tank from entering regulator.
Remember, I am very blonde, especially in the summer when I'm doing most of my diving.... this was just a thought, I've not had a chance to even try to see what this would look like, but I thought i'd toss it out here first to see what you guys thought... just a little food for your cave deprived brains to munch on. Post away!

-Matt

YOU WILL NOT BE D-.I-.R. LIKE THIS, AND WILL BE SHOT!!!!!!

Give this madness up, and start sidemounting.

[Cave Ranger]

I've said it once, and now I'm gonna have to say it again.......Make drug testing mandatory for all C.D.F. users.

[IowaCaveDiver]

I love you guys.... can you tell it was my day off yesterday? To answer one question, I do sidemount, pretty much exclusivly now, except for open water ocean dives and such. Very good points on the buoyancy characteristics and tight squeeze senarios. I guess this idea popped into my head mostly in regards to scootering and avoiding knocking a valve on a rare occasion. I'm sure someone will come back with, you shouldn't be scootering if you are ever hit the ceiling, so I'll save you the type time on that one. I'd love to hear from Forest on this one if he did use to use this configuration. I think I remember an issue of sport diver or something with an old Cousteau picture on the front in a frogman suit with tanks mounted this way.... not 100% sure though. I doubt you'll ever see me trying this since I really don't feel like wasting a dive or day in the water playing with this, but more than anything I like to see what type of responses I get from people when I stir the pot a bit. Calm down you all... i'm just making small talk.
-Matt

[DeWayne]

Try searching the archives as this topic came up not too long ago and Forrest chimed in then. (This is what you get since you took away my option of saying you should not be scootering if you tend to hit the ceiling )

[IowaCaveDiver]

I go sidemount most of the time now, that way I have to fear the ceiling because the only thing that will hit it is my head.

[Duncan Price]

On the rare occasions I wear back mounts I run them as inverted independents. The wing and backplate are up the right way just that the cylinders are upside down and the taps are by my butt where I can reach them. Apart from longer LP hoses nothing else is much different. Some people have protective supports over the first stages so that you don't sit down on them. I don't bother.

Its not an uncommon configuration for open water divers in the UK though it usually brings out the worst in the holier-than-thou types.

[IowaCaveDiver]

Thanks duncan... at least I know I'm not totally weird for thinking this one up... guess I'll have to move to the UK now? How do you route a long hose? Are you using one?

-Matt