My “Toolbox” includes sidemount equipment along with single and double tank rigs
I like wine and I’m often asked, “What type of wine do you drink?” My answer is, “I prefer reds but, I like them all and the type of wine I drink depends on the food and the occasion.” The same can be said for SCUBA diving equipment. I have several different types of gear configurations and use the appropriate one for the dive I’m planning. This leads me to ask the question, “Why would anybody limit themselves to a single type of gear configuration?” It’s just counter-intuitive.
In recent years the industry, dive shops, instructors, and many divers are touting the benefits of sidemount as the ideal configuration. Sidemount only divers are becoming much more common. “Why aren’t you diving sidemount?” is a frequent question these days and my answer is: “Because I don’t believe having only one type of equipment is a good idea.” Just like wine, there is a time and place for each style.
Many divers I’ve met have just one set of sidemount gear and try to use it for all dives they do. There are some benefits to this but, there are many more drawbacks. Sure, it’s less costly and by diving the same gear all the time you become very familiar with it. The problem is that most of us often dive in different places and in different situations where one type of gear is not appropriate. You should take the same approach to your dive gear as you do your tool box. You don’t just buy a hammer and think you have a complete set of tools. Why would you just have one type of dive gear?
The trend to promote and encourage sidemount only divers is a bad idea for the individual diver, the dive shop, and the industry as a whole. Let me take each one and explain my reasoning.
A complete toolbox has tools for any work you want to do
For the individual diver sidemount only is limiting and can make diving less enjoyable. We can all agree that there is added safety in having two tanks but, for many dives, it isn’t necessary or appropriate. The additional gear is cumbersome and takes much longer to set up than a simple single tank rig. For wreck diving, where two tanks may be needed, back mounted doubles are quicker and easier to use on a boat and they’re usually better for swimming through the narrow corridors of sunken ships. Sidemount is appropriate where a diver needs two tanks and is moving through low confined spaces but how many of us are doing that on every dive? More often than not sidemount is not the ideal configuration for the dives most divers are doing and the extra gear and setup time becomes an unnecessary burden.
Dive shops and equipment manufacturers are in the business of selling gear to make money. The standard single and double tank configurations have been the staple of the industry for many years and account for a large percentage of sales. Clearly there is still a need for this type of equipment, so why would an industry try to eliminate a large profit center by promoting sidemount only diving? Logically, we should recognize that a sidemount configuration has benefits that are necessary for some types of diving and encourage its use as another tool in the toolbox. Divers shouldn’t be told to sell their manifolds and bands and just buy sidemount. They should be encouraged to add sidemount equipment to their dive locker and be prepared for any dive they want to do.
Diving is supposed to be fun and exciting. By making it as enjoyable as possible we keep divers diving. Bad experiences, difficulties, and burdensome dives take away the fun. If diving isn’t fun anymore it sure makes golf look a lot better. If we want our sport to grow we need to provide the best experiences we can for the people who get involved. By giving them good training and good advice we help make it easier and more fun. By not giving options and by not exposing people to the many facets of the sport we are selling them short. By encouraging only one style of diving and one equipment configuration we are doing them an injustice. Knowledge is power. We should provide information and guidance but free choice should be the norm.
Sidemount equipment is a great tool. It provides safety through redundancy and the configuration makes the valves and regulators more accessible. The gear is more streamlined and can be liberating, allowing properly trained divers to slip easily through tight places underwater. It is a stable configuration that can help with trim and buoyancy control. Is it for every diver and for every dive? No, but it has its place in the toolbox.