Disadvantages to sidemount?

[Puttzer]

If you're short you may find the tanks hit the sides of your thighs and that can get uncomfortable/annoying real quick.

Also short arms will have a longer stretch in handling the tanks: getting on, off.

I'm one of the short people that prefer back mounted tanks?

[Craig G.]

I think everybodys said it, side mount is the way a cavers cavediver prefers to dives. It takes a lot of work to get your system the way you want it and learn how to trim your self. But after that, you will open up a new world of cave diving to yourself. There are so many sidemount sites in comparison to back mount sites that only have side mount entrances and bore hole after that. I feel side-mount configuration is a cavers aproach to cave diving and back mount is more of a divers aproach to cave diving. Not all cavedivers are cavers! some lean more toward the diving end while some lean more toward the caving end. In my personal opinion if you lean towards the cave end sidemount is probably for you

[aainslie]

Gary makes a good point about sidemount not necessarily being as cave friendly as you'd expect. The commonest is probably the SPG - most sidemounters have these sticking forward like antennae. If you're not careful (and I've made this mistake) they can ride too low and cause drag. if the bottom is soft, you run the risk of leaving a long ugly trail in the clay. This also destroys vis for anyone unlucky enough to be behind you. In general you have to be very aware of how your hoses run, both HP and LP.

My experience has been fantastic. I went sidemount almost immediately after finishing my training, and loved it - I haven't done a BM cave dive since. I now do a fair percentage of my sea dives sidemount also. It's fun watching the DM's face when I gear up.

The "gas management" issue I find to be a non-issue. Amongst other things, your trim tells you whether to swap over once you're used to it. Which brings up another advantage of sidemounting - with stages, you can "load balance" by breathing stages and the SM cylinder on the heavy side until everything balances out. This often is not only good for trim, but a sign that your gas management is going well too.

I think some people give up too soon. It takes 10 or so dives to "dial in" before you're comfortable. A bit like drysuits - initially they seem worse, but then you wonder how you did without them. Some of my friends started and then gave up which was really sad for me as it's left me diving solo sometimes even when we're in cave country at the same time.

[Dan Thoms]

I am thinking about setting up a sidemount rig in the near future.I have never tried it and would like to hear any disadvantages some of you may have encountered,other than having to switch regs after breathing thirds.I saw a nomad for sale on the gear exchange and the post read,sidemount is just not for me.I sent him a pm asking him why but he never wrote back.I have a petite daughter who wants to do basic cave next summer,and thought clipping on single tanks in the water would be so much easier than having to listen to her gripe about the weight of a twin set out of the water.

I guess I dropped the ball on not responding. I do not see disadvantages per se, it is just not for me. Some things in life just do not sit well. Like eating a baked potato, is also not for me. Something being 'just not for me' does not mean disadvantages, it is a preference thing.

Good Save- No potato eating person

[Walter Pickel]

I have primarily sidemounted for the past year using an Armadillo and either 104s, HP 100s or AL80s. I have learned that there are caves where side mount is best and where backmount is best (to me...I know Joel will fight me on this).

I just got back form Mexico and was diving backmount. I realized that because a lot of early exploration in Mexico was done in backmount there are a lot of restrictive areas that lend themselves to being in backmount (tall and narrow). If you were in sidemount you would either superman or turn 90°.

The systems and cenotes we explored in previous trips to Mexico (all sidemount) were new so the restrictive areas are short and wide

[billyf]

Well if you’re interested you should plan to attend Bill Rennaker’s REACT
http://www.caveexcursions.com/t-react2007.aspx
Dive Rite will be there and I’m sure they’ll have the NOMAD out for display.
Bill also has killer deals during REACT

[Randy Thornton]

I am fairly new to side mount. I have found Wayne Kinard at Amigos Dive Shop in Fort White, to be a very good resource for "all things side mount". He has been doing it for quite a while, and has been known to give the "side mount manufactures" a lot of much needed feedback on their designs.

[MichaelAngelo]

WOW folks what a great thread. Its been a pure pleasure reading each and every one of these posts. I think I learned alittle something more about the sport I love with each post. Bravo folks bravo.
Heres my new side mount story. I am currently out on tour and stuck in San Fran. ( yeah I ##### and moan about not being able to cave dive but truth is it don't suck out here). I did my first sidemount dive in Monterey bay this past monday. The Dive shop guide was alittle concerned about this strange cave rig but he had heard my name before so off we went. Well it worked just fine. Entering with my tanks already attached was great. The wieght being on my hips lowered my center of gravity so the surf was far more easier then with back mount. Less drag thru the kelp. The only odd thing was that the elephant seals which are used to single tank back mounters got really curious about me. They keep circling me poking at my tanks on the side. I truely think they were wondering why they weren't on my back. Dumb animals I think not.
MA

[aw]

Related to disadvantages . . My experience has been

1) It takes twice as many trips to the water before and after the dive than in backmount. So you're trading off one heavy trip with two kind of heavy trips to get to the water.

2) Once in the water, you have to put everything together. This can be aggravating when you've got 20 people trying to get in at the same time, or the water basin is deep and you are flinging tanks on with little place to stablize yourself till you get it on.

3) Another issue in deep water basins is where to put your tanks till you're in the water. It's a little aggravating in PI for example.

4) I only have a set of LP 95's I'm using for sidemount. My backmounts are E8-130's. So if I want more gas to do a longer dive, I've got to either go backmount or eventually break down a set of 130's.

5) I HATE switching regs to the hose that has the 7 ft on it. I have to pull some length out to get it to my mouth. The hose is bungied to the tank. When I switch back to the shorter hose, then I've got to tuck that excess back in. Then my hose doesn't lay perfect like I set it up on the surface. In my opinion, the 7 ft hose does not abode well on a sidemount rig. But I don't have but maybe 25 - 30 dives sidemount. So some of mine may be lack of experience or a better way to configure it. If you don't switch regs more frequently than thirds, you risk getting off balance. I usually switch at 6ths.

6) Oh . .and watch out when using swivels on the second stages. The movement can cause them to unscrew from the hose. This happened to a guy in Little River. It also happened to another on the surface. And it happened to me when I was walking with my reg in my hand at home. The damn second stage just fell off. Make sure you check the tightness before dives.

[chimie007]

If you don't switch regs more frequently than thirds, you risk getting off balance. I usually switch at 6ths.

I'm a bit confused with this part. In backmount, we all have staged tanks (multiple) on our left side and we all carry can lights that weight a few pounds at minimum. Breathing a third of a cave filled 108 is only at most 4# lighter. Enough to create off balance ? Is it an issue because in SM the wing is not laying up around the double and creating a left and right side to balance like in BM?