There are almost unlimited reasons why you should try Sidemount diving. In fact, if you have followed us for a while, you may already know some of those. Why write about it now? Keep on reading…
Coming back to Sidemount
After spending much of 2020 (well, the part when the dive sites in Bali were open) on CCR, we’ve recently spent some time on Sidemount. And it’s been a reminder of just how much fun this way of diving can be.
At the same time, June is shaping up to be spent largely in this configuration. So, here are some of the reasons to dive Sidemount.
- Redundancy
- Comfort and Stability
- Flexibility
Redundancy
Having additional gas and a fully separate backup regulator adds safety to your diving.
Compare it to having a single tank on your back, for example. At best, you will have a hard time reaching your valve and closing the tank if there is a substantial leak. In Sidemount configuration, your valves are in front of you. This means you can access them quickly and close them down in case of a problem.
Closing down one tank and switching to the other then allows you to end your dive safely. Even if the second tank also develops a leak, you can still feather the valve. Again, you are preserving your gas supply and can safely return to the surface.
Moreover, diving Sidemount with two tanks doubles your gas supply. Even without considering technical diving including decompression obligations, having more gas has benefits.
One, you can dive longer. Who wouldn’t want that? Just take a look at the images in this post. All were taken on the USAT Liberty wreck, just a few minutes up the road from Dark Horizon Diving. It’s a 120m long wreck, lying between 5 and 28 metres. In fact, because it is broken, it is spread over a larger area now. Two tanks give you more time, and there is plenty to see.
Two, you have more opportunities to help a buddy. Whether it is by deploying one of your regulators or handing over a cylinder, you have ample gas. In order for this to work, it is crucial that you are aware of which regulator you are breathing from.
Three, if you like your gas, this gives you extra. Some divers breathe more than others. I am not talking about improving your breathing technique. That would be a separate subject altogether. Divers with a larger lung volume simply breathe more. If you are busy taking pictures, your focus will be on those, most likely increasing your breathing rate. Etc, etc.
Of course, you could choose a larger cylinder. Keep on reading ….
Comfort & Stability
Comfort and stability are two of the main reasons to consider sidemounting your tanks.
Two cylinders, mounted on the diver’s side, in their slipstream, make for better balance than one cylinder on the diver’s back. Sidemount affords you a natural stability and helps you stay in trim. If you are drifting with a current, you feel less resistance than you would with a tank on your back.
This is even more true if you compare two ‘standard’ cylinders with one larger one. In Bali, we mostly use 11 l aluminium cylinders. Two of those give you more gas than one single larger cylinder would do. They are easier to handle on the surface and underwater.
Diving Sidemount also gives you space to move your head, which is especially useful for photographers and videographers.
And what if you only want to take one tank? Read on.
Flexibility
One tank? Two tanks? Three tanks across two dives? The choice is yours.
Depending on how your equipment is configured, choosing to dive single tank Sidemount is a perfectly viable option. You are losing the benefits of redundancy above, but it is an option.
Most divers joining a two-tank boat use two tanks for two dives. They use the first half of the gas for dive 1 and the remainder for dive 2. Of course, you can choose to change tanks in between the dives instead. Keeping one tank relatively full and only changing one in between dives is another option.
Flexibility also extends to how you choose to negotiate smaller spaces like swimthroughs. First things first, don’t attempt overhead diving unless you are trained. That said, though, there are plenty of advantages to extending tanks or turning 90 degrees.
There are plenty more reasons to consider Sidemount diving. Whether you stay within recreational limits or are using the configuration for technical Sidemount diving, there are numerous options. What’s important, though, is to get a good grounding to really understand the possibilities of this configuration. It will change your diving for the better.