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*** PREFACE ***
WARNING: Do Not Try This At Home. This is a long post regarding
side-mount cave diving from the perspective of two STUDENTS. We are NOT
experts. However, there is some good information regarding a new video
coming out featuring gear configurations from the likes of JJ, Lamar
Hires, Bill "Hogarth" Main, Billy Deans, et al. It's about 7 or 8
paragraphs down if you just want to skip to that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a dark and gloomy evening. There I was, stuck in a cave
restriction, vis about a foot, using unfamiliar gear while managing
independent air supplies, when suddenly I had clarity of vision, a moment
of epiphany if your will: WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING IN HERE? I'M OUTTA MY
MIND!
I believe it was Rick Sankey from the WKPP team, who had posted a short
note before I did this dive that, in effect said: "If you can't cave dive
with doubles, a scooter, and three stages then God did not mean for you
to be in there." I was beginning to believe Mr. Sankey was on to
something here.
Somehow I managed to squeeze my way through this restriction only to face
another one a few feet down the cave passage. I watched as Lamar Hires
momentarily got stuck in this next restriction before wiggling his way
through.
The next one looked tighter than the one I had just extricated myself
from. "He wants me to follow him through there?" I thought to myself.
"This guy is nuts and I'm even crazier to be following him."
This was going to be a "play" dive, Lamar had told me earlier. "Later on,
we'll do some **real** side-mount dives." Jesus, here I am stuck in a
cave passage at 70 ft., viz is awful, and this is a "PLAY" dive?
My dive partner, Lee ("Stuck in the Mud") Herring and I had arrived at
Ginnie Springs Tuesday evening to begin this side-mount class with Lamar.
It was a night fraught with fear and loathing. A night a couple of
strokes would long remember. . .
Let me digress a moment here for those divers who wanted details about
Lamar's side-mount configuration. Lamar's entire lecture and gear
configuration was videotaped that evening for Tom Mount. Tom sent me a
short note saying that this video will be available. This is what Tom had
to say:
**************************************************************************
Yes, the video will be available. It will be a part of a full video
equipment config being produced by IANTD. The video will feature
equipment config by JJ, Bill Deans, Bill Main, myself, Kevin Gurr, Lamar
both sidemount and and standard, and Larry Green.
Tom
***************************************************************************
I don't know any more details regarding the release of the video. In
addition to this video, Lamar said the dive publication "Immersed" will
feature an article on Lamar's side-mount techniques and equipment
configuration in its next publication. I have never seen this magazine
but you can get more information on the net at:
http://www.njscuba.com/immersed
I sent email to Bernie Chowdury asking for more details but he is on
vacation until July 30, according to his automatic email responder program.
With these two source of information coming out soon, I will not attempt
to give a "detailed" description of Lamar's side-mount setup. I'm not
even sure I can adequately describe it. However, I will give a general
description on the setup we used for this first side-mount dive now, and
get back to the actual dive in another post.
BC'S FOR SIDE-MOUNTING
Generally, most of the BC's used for side-mount diving have been the
older style jacket BCs that have been chopped up and modified a dozen
different ways for side-mount diving. I gather this from the side-mount
divers who sent me email regarding their setup. If there are others,
please chime in and help me out here. Greg Ryan, across the pond, has a
unique system. I will post his private email to me regarding his rig if
it's ok with him.
The goal is streamlining. On our dive, we used the DiveRite Transpac
modified for side-mounting. When I say modified, I don't mean anything
was cut off/up etc. It took Lamar about 10 minutes to make the
modification from a standard Transpac to a side-mount rig. (This is all
in the video).
This is the first time I have ever examined one of these puppies (the
Transpac) up close. Lamar likes the Transpac as a travel BC. In 10
minutes or less, he can go from single tank diving, doubles, to
side-mount with the same system, he said. He also likes the consistency
of this arrangement: his back-up lights, secondary reg, spare mask,
knife, reels, etc are always in the same place and he can find them
instinctively.
I won't go into a lot of detail, but for side-mount setup, Lamar actually
reverses the wings so that the inflator hose faces the opposite side.
This protects the elbow that connects the inflator hose to the bladder
and keeps the profile at the back absolutely clean. Side-mounting doesn't
require as much lift as back-mounting, so we used the DiveRite Sport
Wings. The BC is tucked inside the Transpac harness by attaching small
quicklinks to loops that are swen into the Wings and hooking the links to
the Transpac's small D-rings. (Now we know what all those D-rings are
for!) This setup keeps the wings as compact as possible and allows for
better streamlining.
If this sounds convoluted or confusing, its my fault. It is very slick. I
highly recommend you get the video or catch the article in Immersed for a
clear picture of what I'm attemping to convey.
Attached on each side of the waist strap of the Transpac is a piece of 1
inch PVC pipe approximately 4 inches long that has a lip on the top end
and a metal ring on the bottom to hold it securely in place. This is used
to secure the tanks to your waist.
A camband is placed around the middle of your tanks which hold a metal
rod approximately 6 inces long that is bent slightly at one end and
shaped like a handle (you can actually carry the tanks with this). The
metal rod is dropped into the PVC pipe, securing the tanks to your waist
band on both sides.
/ \
| |
|-----|___ metal handle-like rod
|-----| |
| |
|_____|
tank
The above ascii art sucks but hopefully gives you an idea of what I'm
talking about.
A bungee chord that encircles the diver's body holds the top of the tanks
in place near the armpits. The cord is first knotted at both ends, with a
clip attached and wrapped all the way around the upper back behind the
Transpac. Each end is then routed through D-rings at the chest and
clipped together at the center of the chest. The fit should be snug.
(Alternatively, you could make a loop at both ends of the cord and use
small quicklinks to attach each end to the chest D-rings.)
The purpose of this arrangement is to keep the tanks close to your body
for streamlining but still allow for easy removal to get through
restrictions. Once you slide the metal "handle" into the PVC holder, the
tank neck is then placed under the bungee cord near your armpits. From
this position, you can easily reach the tank valve, SPG, etc.
After dropping my tanks in the water, suiting up, and donning the BC, I
realized I had forgotten my safety reel. The reel was in my jeep which
was parked quite a distance from where I was gearing up. "Can I borrow a
reel? I left mine in the locked jeep over there." Everybody stopped
talking and looked at me like I was an idiot. For a moment I had
forgotten that I didn't have doulbes strapped to my back, and I didn't
want to trudge over to my vehicle. Of course, I was ridiculed mercilessly
as I "jogged" over to retrieve the reel.
Lee, who dives frequently at Ginnie during the week nights after work,
says she has noticed many "older" divers using side-mount for normal cave
dives. We are assuming this is due to the "back" factor i.e. "my aching
back." Many solo cave divers also side-mount their tanks.
LIGHT MOUNTING (Or, I butt-mounted my AJ light):
Butt-mount or side-mount? Well, according to Lamar, that greatly depends
on the cave passage. In some passages, butt-mounting is the only way. In
others, you'd better side-mount it. The most important thing, however you
choose to mount it, is that you can easily unclip one end so that the
other end acts as a pivot point. In other words, unclip one end so that
you can stuff it between your legs, underneath you, etc. in order to make
it through a restriction.
SIDEBAR:
The new DiveRite light probably will be released in a few weeks,
according to Lamar. He was diving one Tuesday night. It looks
well-engineered and very compact. I'll skip the details for now.
BACKUP LIGHTS:
Lamar stuffs his in a pouch on his side that can be opened from either
end. Don't place them in any area where they may be snagged. There should
be nothing across the chest except two regulator hoses. Remember, you may
have less than a 1/2 inch clearance to spare on some restrictions, plus
you're more than likely running a line that has to be dealt with. If you
have any "danglies" your asking for grief. The pouch also help protect
the lights.
REGULATORS AND THE PLACEMENT THEREOF:
No long hose here. Remember you're diving independents. If your buddy
does need air (and your not stuck) give him a tank. Use regulators that
can be cleared very easily. On some of these restrictions you are
literally "one with the cave". In other words, the lofty goal of cave
conservation goes right out the door. It's very easy to pick up debris in
your regs, resulting in a wet breather. If you dive something like the
Odin, make sure you know to to power purge the thing.
We placed one reg on a neck strap. The other reg was clipped off to a chest
D-ring when not in use. Short hose on the SPGs. Custom length inflator
hose. Get comfortable with your reg placement. You'll be swapping them a
lot. Know which reg your breathing! If you're breathing the right-hand
reg and looking at the left-hand SPG, you are in for a surprise.
TANKS:
I'll make this short. Lamar prefers steel Faber 85s and the Faber (OMS)
121s, depending upon the volume of aid needed for the dive. He also uses
steel 72s and small steel tanks. I asked him about the 95s. He thought
the volume vs. width of this tank wasn't worth it. The width of the tank
should more of a concern than the actual length.
AIR MANAGEMENT:
Generally, breathe 1/3 from Tank A and then switch to Tank B and breathe
1/3. Turn the dive at this point. Continue to breathe another half of 1/3
(1/6) from Tank B and switch to Tank A, etc. By having the tank volumes
no more than 1/6 apart on the exit, you will minimize roll instability
while keeping air reserves as close as is practical in both tanks. There
are some other approaches and I refer you to the NSS Cave Diving Manual
under equipment configuration for side-mount diving.
Whew! This is getting too long. Stay tuned for part 2 of this adventure,
where Lee ("I ain't afraid of no stinkin' side-mount") Herring describes
the actual dive in another post.
We'll be making several more "real" side-mount dives when Lamar returns
from chasing and biting the heads off of Lobsters down in Key West. We'll
also make posts on these dives when they happen.
Roger ("Whose idea was this anyway?") Herring
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