Firstly I have to pique your interest – Who is sidemount diving for?
YOU!
It doesnt have to be for the uber wreck diver or the tec cave diver, it can be for you! Honestly, who hasn’t wanted to spend more time down there on that perfect dive during the summer we have just had. The photographers amongst you will love the ease of maneuverability to capture that perfect shot. The hunters have more air to burn, the explorers are able to go around the next corner. Wreck and cave divers have the slimlined profile without the diet! But all of us should want that increased safety, and to quote Pete Humphris from his previous blog entry and why we should continue to train, I believe I can now put my hand up and say “Yes, if you have problems I can help”.
But onto the blog about it all……
So one day I walked into Dive & Ski HQ with a big heavy 15Ltr cylinder needing filled after a dive with some mates. As soon as I entered the door Claire immediately looked guilty and asked if my ears were burning. It turns out she wasn’t just standing there waiting to hurl friendly abuse to the next person in the door, the exact opposite in fact, she was standing there talking to Chris Clarke.
After the introductions were completed, Claire explained that Chis has just moved to Wellington and he teaches sidemount diving. My grin started then and hasn’t stopped since!
Well, Trying not to sound too biased after the course is going to be hard for me. Sidemount diving is a release for carrying loads of lead around, its a pleasure on my back, its safer and its just enjoyable. Honestly I am really still grinning. But truly the benefits taught are real benefits that will see me continuing to use sidemount as my preferred method of diving.
Flexibility
Sidemount diving offers divers significant benefits to the flexibility of their approach. Unlike back-mounted doubles, acquiring and transporting sidemount suitable cylinders is often much more convenient and accessible, after all you just need two 12 Ltr aluminum cylinders. Sidemount diving equipment is also considerably lighter, and less bulky than back-mounted alternatives – allowing for easier and cheaper travel.
Accessibility
Unlike back-mounted cylinders, the sidemount diver has immediate access to, and are able to see the regulators and tank valves of their cylinders. This enables immediate problem identification and allows for a faster resolution, without recourse to ‘behind the head’ shut-down drills that require a higher level of mobility, flexibility and freedom to operate.
Streamlining
Sidemount diving configuration places the cylinders under the diver’s armpits, in line with their body. This decreases water resistance which should help us all improve our air consumption and reducing fatigue.
Safety
Increased accessibility to your life-supporting regulators, first-stages and valves improves efficiency and speed of critical cylinder shut-down procedures, allows immediate gas-loss identification and provides the diver with quick access to alternative safety procedures; such as regulator swapping (between cylinders), valve-‘feathering’ to access gas within a cylinder whose regulator is malfunctioned or free-flowing.
Comfort
As soon as I had entered the pool my body wanted to remain, without any effort, the correct trim. This allowed me to completely relax and concentrate on the enjoyment of the dives that we all get. It is also less physically tiring to carry, and get into, sidemount equipment than with traditional back-mounted doubles – especially when operating from a small boat or a rough shore entry.
The ability to attach, remove and replace cylinders whilst in the water allows the diver to avoid ever having to carry heavy-weight back-mounted cylinders. This is combined with reduced physical exertion when conducting regulator shut-down procedures, which is a major benefit to technical divers who suffer from shoulder or back discomfort or reduced mobility from old injuries.
Redundancy
Speaks for itself really, sidemount diving with two cylinders helps resolve stability and streamlining issues, and ensures that a truly capable redundant supply of air is maintained.
So, anyway about the course……….
First evening we met at Dive & Ski HQ at around 5 at night, Chris then took me through an interesting presentation on the history and origins of sidemount diving, the learning outcomes and all sorts of other interesting “oh yeah” moments. I’ll not ruin anything for you, go find out yourself. We then tried on the Hollis 100 SMS harness and wing, adjusted everything and generally made it snug. It is a bigger beast than Chris’s Hollis 50 but baby steps are required and a lot more control before moving onto the sleekit beastie* (thats Scottish for smooth and shiny). After that the cylinders are set up and a load of straps are strapped on, stuff is stuffed in and clips are clipped on, yes it does look daunting at first but in the end due to the repetitive nature of all things in diving it gets seared into your brain pretty quickly. There is also the “that doesn’t feel right” factor where if it doesn’t feel right you know instantly because your body tells you.
Anyway, with that done we are off to Huia pool for some “essentials training”. The first thing I notice is how comfortable the sidemount system is under water. You have complete freedom to move and twist and turn. We work on buoyancy, trim and movement first, before doing some basic drills. A lot of emphasis is placed on the basics, because they have to be spot on before continuing. We spend a lot of time practicing hovering, completely motionless, and swimming in different orientations – left side, right side, even on our backs. Hanging inverted (head down) is a lot of fun, as are doing forward rolls and back flips. After that its unclipping the cylinders and swimming through hula hoops. All in, the pool session was enormous fun and the time flew by leaving me with that cant wait to get into the sea feeling.
So in the space of 5 hours Chris had managed to instill the basics of the list below in me –
Level 1: “Recreational (Rec or Basic Sidemount)”
• Equipment configuration and assembly
• Pre-dive safety checks
• Attaching tanks on land and at the surface (shallow and deep water)
• Descent procedures
• Trim and buoyancy
• Propulsion techniques – frog kick, modified flutter kick, back kick, helicopter turn
• Gas planning and management (independent cylinders)
• Regulator switching
• Air sharing – donor and receiver
• Tank positioning and adjustment for continual good trim
• Removal of single tank while swimming
• Removal of two tanks while swimming
Saturday came around and we met early for a bacon buttie, coffee and a brief. Three dives were planned for this day (but only because of my own time constraints). So Chris wanted to get one dive completed as the club arrived.
Kitted up and ready to go with a few pointers from Chris on the finer points of looking good and having everything correctly configured we splooshed into the water like aquatic gods at about eight thirty. Yes Im still grinning, plus my mind may be altering the reality but it really is awesome. I’ll leave you with that lasting thought and let you discover why for yourselves but please leave a course or two empty for me as I am already signing up for more, I will be completing my deep diver specialty and wreck diver specialty on sidemount as soon as Claire can arrange it.
From now on I’ll be the strange looking one on the club dives with two tanks strapped to my sides, dont be shy come and poke the gear if you see me. I wont bite 🙂