Sidemount - steel 10s

[toby43]

If it was me, (which isnt!) I would sell the 8s and get a pair of 80cu ft AL and just wear some weight (6-8kg in my case). It would give me some slightly lighter tanks to carry, greater deco options and more flexibility in the water and for cave.

[Mikael]

I got the 8.5ls because they suit the kind of diving I'm doing in Europe ie relatively shallow but with sometimes difficult access. I tend only to do one dive because I'm too damned cold after it to do another. I have no experience of 7s but getting 300 bar can sometimes be an issue. I dont use rails just the square brackets at the back of the belt. The 8.5Ls are thin and long and trim out really nicely. There's enough length at the back to stop me getting head down. I wear slipstreams with them, and depending on undergarments, jets to keep my feet down a bit. If you are after two dives without a refill, I would get the 12s myself.

Where and what type of diving are you doing that you find two dives too cold?

If it was me, (which isnt!) I would sell the 8s and get a pair of 80cu ft AL and just wear some weight (6-8kg in my case). It would give me some slightly lighter tanks to carry, greater deco options and more flexibility in the water and for cave.

I know that I would need more weight than that. Just in drysuit, undersuit, gloves, hood, mask and fins I need something like 11kg to get neutral as I have tested this out.

We probably have different buoyancy characteristics, use different thermal protection but it could also be that you are assuming freshwater where as salt water is norm for me? I see the appeal of 80s in the water but they go light at the end (more lead needed) and have a greater wall thickness due to it is lower strength compared to steel. So for similar gas volume the cylinder is bigger than a steel and weights about the same, sometimes more. My instinct is to stick with the steels.

[OutOfTest]

You don't have enough cylinders!

Personally just for sidemount I have:
Two 20L steel
Two 15L steel
Four 12L steel
Two 10L steel
Two 9L composites
Six 7L steel
Two 5L steel
Four 3L steels

Plus all the Ali cylinders...the one thing I've learnt is you can sidemount any size cylinder. But the bigger they are the nicer they are generally.



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[Mikael]

You don't have enough cylinders!

Personally just for sidemount I have:
Two 20L steel
Two 15L steel
Four 12L steel
Two 10L steel
Two 9L composites
Six 7L steel
Two 5L steel
Four 3L steels

Plus all the Ali cylinders...the one thing I've learnt is you can sidemount any size cylinder. But the bigger they are the nicer they are generally.



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You do know I will quote you on that from now on and use it as justification once my own stock starts to grow more. The rest of club already think I am nuts as it is.

Bigger they are in terms of length or diameter or a bit of both in general?

[OutOfTest]

Bit of both. The 20s are ridiculously stable in the water.

10s sidemount fine though. MattJ (on here) uses that loop bungee thing and torque you were on about, he does something which lets him use any bottles well using magic.

I use British with very short bungees. You were right about it holding them better.

How 20s sit!




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[toby43]

You don't have enough cylinders!

Personally just for sidemount I have:
Two 20L steel
Two 15L steel
Four 12L steel
Two 10L steel
Two 9L composites
Six 7L steel
Two 5L steel
Four 3L steels

Plus all the Ali cylinders...the one thing I've learnt is you can sidemount any size cylinder. But the bigger they are the nicer they are generally.



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I need to show my wife this list..

[toby43]

Where and what type of diving are you doing that you find two dives too cold?



I know that I would need more weight than that. Just in drysuit, undersuit, gloves, hood, mask and fins I need something like 11kg to get neutral as I have tested this out.

We probably have different buoyancy characteristics, use different thermal protection but it could also be that you are assuming freshwater where as salt water is norm for me? I see the appeal of 80s in the water but they go light at the end (more lead needed) and have a greater wall thickness due to it is lower strength compared to steel. So for similar gas volume the cylinder is bigger than a steel and weights about the same, sometimes more. My instinct is to stick with the steels.

Yes youre right mostly freshwater at the moment as am based in Germany, down to about 6 degrees for much of the time.

[Irnbru]

Oot - time to take this OT Rich showed me one of his composite fiberglass cylinders (used for rescues) it's ridiculously light - 300bar (I think) but you could put your hand on the pillar valve and invert it with one hand easily, it just feels wrong for its size. Good for carries but then needs lead to weight it down...

I'm sure it was on one of the recent Rick Stanton interviews on Youtube where he was talking about diving the Ressel OC and he had a twinset and then four cylinders sidemount (plus all the stages en route of course)...

[toby43]

Oot - time to take this OT Rich showed me one of his composite fiberglass cylinders (used for rescues) it's ridiculously light - 300bar (I think) but you could put your hand on the pillar valve and invert it with one hand easily, it just feels wrong for its size. Good for carries but then needs lead to weight it down...

I'm sure it was on one of the recent Rick Stanton interviews on Youtube where he was talking about diving the Ressel OC and he had a twinset and then four cylinders sidemount (plus all the stages en route of course)...

You mean these? http://www.carbondive.com

Austrian I think.

[OutOfTest]

Mine and Richs composites are ex-fire service and only good for 200bar *honestly guv...*

At 9L they require nearly 6kg of lead each to sink em.

As for ridiculous amounts of cylinders (and other clatch) in the ressel. Weren't you on this trip?




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