A Lesson from Sidemount Divers
Sidemount diving has taken the diving community by storm. The popularity of this style of carrying tanks has grown tenfold in the last few years. Now rebreather divers are taking a lesson from sidemount divers to help them streamline their bailout bottles. Standard stage rigging generally hangs bailout tanks nearly perpendicular to the diver’ s body. This is neither streamlined nor conservation-minded. It is far more effective to mount your tanks in a way that aligns them with your body. There are numerous ways to achieve this, but here are two simple solutions:
1. Use your SMS 75 or SMS100 sidemount harness on your rebreather.
2. Make your own simple sidemount bungees: – Take a length of heavy bungee cord (approximately 18 inches) and place a knot in one end. – Thread the bungee cord through a hole in the backplate of your rebreather. Use a hole on the edge of the plate, halfway down or roughly below your scapula. The knot should be on the back side of the plate so it does not press into your shoulder or back.
3. Loop the free end of the bungee through the ring of a small bolt snap or other type of clip and secure it to the clip with two zip ties.
4. Clip to the lowest shoulder D-ring on your harness.
5. Place a butterfly D-ring on your crotch strap or use a butt plate (as shown in the photo) for the lower tank attachment point.
6. Mount the lower bailout bottle clip on the tank roughly 180° opposite from the tank valve hand wheel.
7. Use the bungee to snug the tank close to the body by looping it over the tank valve so the tank tucks into your armpit region.
8. Move the knot to shorten or lengthen the bungee and adjust for size.
