What is Sidemount Diving?
Have you ever considered alternative ways to carry your scuba tank underwater? Tanks on your back is NOT a requirement for exploring the underwater world! Crazy huh?!
What is it?
Well, it’s just like it sounds; you mount your tanks on your side instead of your back; sidemount! Voila! Sidemount diving is becoming more and more popular with both recreational and technical divers. There is no right or wrong way to your configuration set up, but depending on your goals as a diver you may find it more convenient to dive sidemount.
For example: Maybe you’re considering getting into cave diving; some of those spaces are very tight! You might be entering and exiting though very narrow passageways… Wearing your tanks on your side makes it much easier to get though whereas you may find it difficult squeezing though with back mounted doubles!
Now, you don’t have to be a technical diver to dive sidemount. Many recreational divers prefer diving sidemount. You might find that you prefer to enter the water without hauling a tank on your back. With shore diving especially, as a sidemount diver, you can simply enter the water, clip them on and go!
For those of you thinking, “I’ve never carried two tanks ever!” don’t worry. You don’t have to. You can mount one tank to your side; it’s called Monkey Diving.
Steve Lewis, who works for Technical Diving International (TDI) wrote a blog titled, Getting Sidemount Tanks To Behave Themselves And Sit Where They Should, about sidemount configuration. Check it out! You’ll find some very interesting and helpful information!
There are many advantages to both backmount and sidemount configurations! Think about what goals you have set for yourself as a diver and just know that you have options!