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The system that I used to cross connect my sidemouts consisted of the use of
a 5000 psi transfer hose running from Sherwood Y valves on each tank. The hose
was long enough to make one loop in front of my body and lay flat against my
chest thus providing enough slack to allow for movement of the sidemount
without stressing the hose. In use the hose was pressurized and then the
valves feeding the hose were shut down with the tanks then being used as
independent sidemounts. The contingency plan was to only use the hose in the
case of a regulator failure at which point the bad reg would be shut down and
the transfer system would then be used to transfer air to the good side. This
would be done by opening both valves at the same time and closing them after
the transfer was made. The reasoning being that the air loss might be two
great if the hose or an o ring failed with both valves open. Since I could
not afford to destroy a hose under controlled conditions to determine its
behavior if it failed I also assumed the worst case of it beating me to death
if it failed under pressure and surprised me before I could shut it down.
I no longer use this system because the additional bulk and complexity were
found to be counter productive in most of the sumps in which I currently dive.
The increase in over all profile as well as the difficulty in removing the
tanks with the hose attached out weighted the perceived benefits of the
system. I now use independent side mounts with single outlet din valves for
most of my sump dives.
JOSEPH KAFFL
SUMPDIVER@MS*.CO*
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