Skipping Backmount?

[apitkin]

What the hell is this, and what are you smoking...

It's called irony.

[Scott]

PADI now has a SideMount specialty as well.

[icestac]

PADI now has a SideMount specialty as well.

WTH? No online course for it! I know it is new and all, but even more reason to create the materials for the online course work to better meet my schedule. They even require dives (4) to complete the specialty. I guess I'm going to have to fork over some more money so I can get another card.

Ugh,
~Jeff

[IowaCaveDiver]

I'll try to share my opinion without coming off jerky.... just my opinion and practice of the past few years... take it with a grain of salt.

I started as everyone else does... singles, doubles, scooter, then into sidemount. I love sidemount for several reasons:

-easier to move gear/tanks
-I can dive BM passages with SM but I can't dive SM with BM... I like to be prepared to do anything that sparks my interest on a dive...
-For scootering I know I move faster (hydrodynamics so to speak).... more streamlined
-Safety... huge... I solo a lot, I like knowing I have two independant systems... no isolators or need to manipulate valves behind my head... if I have an issue, I kill the bottle and exit. If myself or a buddy have an issue we can easily swap bottles to share air rather than being attached by a long hose (I still use a 6' hose on my right bottle for my BM buddies)
-My trim is better in the water
-everything is right in front of me.... I can deal with equipmet issues easily, especially when alone.

My girlfriend started diving not too long ago... I was absolutly amazed at her progression of skills and comfort level in the water. Thankfully she bought a transpac and decided to go into sidemount instead of doubles... she is small, cannot lug big tanks around alone, and more than proved her skills in a backmounted single h-valve in her cavern and basic courses. She began sidemounting in open water for a good length of time before entering in the overhead. She will be taking full cave this spring with a sidemount instructor in NFL. I'm sure my influence has helped her decision a bit, but I have fully explained the pros and cons of each configuration. She now dives 100% in sidemount, has approximately 40 dives in the overhead in this configuration, is extremely comfortable and proficient with her skills and equipment use.

So... I say, if you have the desire, why not? I believe it to be safer (tell me why it isn't...as long as you are exhibiting self controll), easier, and much more enjoyable. Diving doubles has helped my skills, but I don't own any sets any longer, and haven't dove any in at least 3 years. Those whom enjoy boasting about being totally backmount, sidemount, or whatever, it is a matter of opinion and preference and I agree with the abovementioned.... do whatever you like, as long as you are first and foremost, safe.

(sexy isn't she??)

[Scott]

WTH? No online course for it! I know it is new and all, but even more reason to create the materials for the online course work to better meet my schedule. They even require dives (4) to complete the specialty. I guess I'm going to have to fork over some more money so I can get another card.

Ugh,
~Jeff

do I note a hint of sarcasm?
They now offer an "aquarium diver" specialty if you dive at the Baltimore Aquarium.


that reminds me of a joke:

Three instructors and their students are on board a dive boat
in the middle of the ocean. There is a NAUI instructor, a PADI
instructor, and an SSI instructor. Everything is going fine until
the boat springs a leak and starts to sink. The SSI instructor
says to his students, "Okay, we're in the middle of the ocean,
so we might as well do our deep dive." The NAUI instructor
says to his students, "Okay, we might as well do our
navigation dive, so let's get our compasses out and swim
towards shore." The PADI instructor says to his
students, "Okay, for $125 extra you guys get to do a wreck
dive!"


Ok, now back onto topic:

I dive Backmount because I have doing it that way for years, but this spring, when I have more $$, I am breaking up a set of my doubles and buying a Nomad. I have already set aside a set of regs for SM. For No other reason except for it is another way of diving that could come in handy for me in the future. I dont think I would have done SM without doing BM first.
I am trying to convince my dad to try SM (he is not a cave diver, but does technical diving with doubles) because of his back. We will see....

[jpdiver]

I see nothing wrong with going straight to sidemount. I did start with backmount but haven't done it in caves in long time. Getting the tanks on and off gets easier the more you do it. In addition, if you are diving with a buddy who uses smaller tanks and less air, you don't have to worry about tank matching or sac rates if you are both sidemount. You can both go to 3rd's. For solo diving, it is all I would do.

[runawaylobster]

I was just talking to a buddy of mine and we were talking about if anyone skiped backmount doubels and just went straight to sidemount. Can you?? We are still young to cave diving and just wonted to know if anyone does or has. Thanks

Joseph

Hola,

well I am not really sure why everyone thinks that learning to cave dive directly
in sidemount is skipping something?

Every configuration is a tool, and there are multiple tools out there to use, each one having it's own best application. If you don't learn to use a set of backmounted double tanks then there will simply be a tool that you haven't learned to use yet. If you plan to to go offshore and dive deeper wrecks in the gulf stream then I think you might not want to use sidemount as a tool. If you want to do serious wreck penetration then dealing with the sidemounted tanks on the boat and on the drop, might be a trade off and only your experience can help you decide.

My advice to you is to look at what you need to use to get the job done, but learn to use all the tools available to a high level of proficiency in each.

I have been diving backmount doubles since 1975, and only just now I figured out that I need to go to sidemount to use as a tool to visit some places in caves that require it! I just never needed it before.

Whoever it was that commented on that fact that backmount might be helpful to avoid getting yourself into a place you don't really want to be, have difficulty avoiding damage to, or even have trouble getting back out again, too early in your cave diving career made alot of sense to me. So I would certainly caution you to be more vigilant regarding choice of dive site.

Well have fun whichever you choose!!

LL

EDIT: By the way, my in no way is my back wrecked

[stickydeco]

. . .I started as everyone else does... singles, doubles, scooter, then into sidemount.

Same deal for usins. Jackie and I now have 2 sets each of sidemount tanks and 2 sets each of doubles...you can guess which are now getting used more.

During our happy progression of "I HATE this friggin sidemount crap" that involved about 50 intermittent sidemount dives over a three year period, we tried about every system out there...from first making my own with parts from an OMS IQ rig and wing (man, was that a disaster...the area around Olsen is still silted out) to Armadillos (wing did not have enough lift and the one size was way too big for her); to Transpac 2's with the attaching butt plates (components were way too loose and moved around a lot); to the first gen Nomad (aircell bunched-up too much around the shoulders, would not properly lift at the waist, and the bungee tank attachment was a pain); to Jeff Hancock's Gemini (which is the old Dive Rite Rec Pack that has been modified by Jeff for this type of diving). We attached (in reverse) our Nomad 50 lb wings over the back of the BC and now have a redundant back-up that covers and "sandwiches" both hoses and elbow dumps. The only thing exposed on the entire back side is the additional wing. Total lift is about 90 lbs if using both...so you are good to go with 2 DPV's, 5 stages, and LCD TV.

We could not be happier with the Gemini's....and we are actually now enjoying this type of diving. I am amazed at the ease that you can travel in tunnels where backmount was a lot harder. Makes scootering the Double Lines, Mainland, the SSST, and the Bats Circuit/Skid Row MUCH easier--ha ha

Understand this is just our opinion and I'm sure that there are large numbers out there who are very happy with the systems that we did not like....BUT if there is one thing that I could pass along about all this sidemount business it would be to first try different rigs out before going out and buying one first. The right rig makes all the difference.
Lithium Jack