Someone will ask why we need to dive one cylinder in sidemount ( mounted on the side of the diver body), there are few reason to consider to understand it.

A sidemount cylinder has the tank valve easy to manage, in case of any problem you can manage it by yourself
In a recreational dive you do not really need double amount of gas
Is more simple to handle once you are on a boat, in current or in rough sea
You can use a Right or Left valve cylinder with no problem
You will be more streamlinedand feel the freedom of sidemount diving
If you normally dive sidemount with redundant cylinders ( 2 at least) you do not have to apply other techniques or use other kind of equipment
For traveling your equipment will be less bulky and weight less.

Let´s now have some information on you rigging during the dive

You will use your normal sidemount harness and wing with no changes at all.

The cylinder will be the one on your left side

If you dive a steel or heavier cylinder you will need to add a small weight on your right side to balance yourself (I never used it on my single cylinder dives).

You will set up the regulator as an octopus, using your normal left regulator for sidemount ( short hose with necklace, PSG with dedicated hose and low inflator hose) and just add the longhose on the opposite side respect the short one.

Long hose will be stored on the cylinder with the special retainers.

During the dive you will breath from the long hose and in case of sharing gas you will just pass and deploy the same one ( no changes in the procedures).

Now have fun and for further question contact us at cavediveit@gmail.com