Understanding Sidemount Diving: An Unprecedented Underwater View
Stability in terms of balance and buoyancy control is essential, as every experienced diver is aware. This calls for accurate hose stowing, a well-designed rig, correct BCD operation, and proper weighing. All of this is much simplified by sidemount arrangements. However, it takes practice and time to get comfortable diving with a new configuration.
1. Consistency
2. Control of buoyancy
Similar to stability, mastery of buoyancy management is essential when diving sidemount. Compared to backmount diving, having two cylinders positioned at the diver's sides and in line with their torso improves streamlining, balance, and overall stability.
Furthermore, divers will be able to cover a given distance with less effort if drag is reduced underwater. This can be achieved by changing the gas mix, adding or removing water in a flexible ambient pressure space, or lowering one's underwater weight.
During the course, your instructor will show you how to accomplish all of this, including putting the required equipment together. After finishing, you'll be prepared to dive! This is a perfect moment to begin planning your next Sidemount journey. You might be surprised to learn that sidemount gear can be used for almost any type of dive.
3. Gas Administration
Divers can learn how to dive with two cylinders fastened to their sides for stability and streamlining by completing TDI's Sidemount certification course. Additionally, it promotes safety by providing independent redundancy in case a regulator or cylinder valve fails and enables a higher volume of gas to be handled.
Tanks placed next to cylinder valves make it simple for divers to access them, which is crucial for technical diving and cave exploration where issues could occur. A competent scuba teacher will also show you how to clip the cylinders to your BCD in a way that makes troubleshooting simple both in and out of the water.
People with very little experience diving sidemount give us a lot of black-and-white ideas about the sport. These beliefs are frequently motivated by fear or an effort to uphold the status quo.
4. Pruning
Prior to diving, double your gas supply may feel awkward and cumbersome, but in the water, the two tanks provide you with improved stability, trim, buoyancy control, and streamlining. Additionally, it lessens the effort required to go a certain distance underwater, which is crucial while diving Nitrox!
For many novice sidemount divers, getting their cylinders to hang at the correct angles and with the ideal balance can be difficult. This involves not just entering and leaving the water properly but also readjusting the bungees as you go through the dive. Another critical skill for sidemount is the ease of access to tank valves for problem-solving.
5. Management of Equipment
Redundancy is provided by having two fully functional diving systems attached to your body, which is something you would not have with a single tank. This implies that you can switch to the backup system in the event of a regulator failure or other emergency.
You will learn how to correctly assemble and trim your sidemount scuba gear from your teacher so that it is perfectly balanced in the water. Additionally, if you are wearing two cylinders, you will learn how to manage your gas by switching second stages and how to react appropriately to possible issues when diving sidemount.
Along with learning how to store cylinders for the voyage back up to the surface, you will also learn how to efficiently don and take off from the boat or shore. including correct sidemount water entry methods, such as the frog kick!
