Sidemount- Principles For Success

Not crashed. Derailed. A single sensor, the size of a fingernail, had failed. The primary crystal tube overheated by 0.4 degrees. The safety systems, all dependent on that same sensor, never knew to engage. The train carrying 3,000 people had switched to a dead spur line at 200 miles per hour. Emergency brakes were fried. The Artery was a monument to perfection, now a tomb in waiting.

Sidemount was born in caves because it solves one problem better than any other configuration: Sidemount- Principles For Success

Success in sidemount is highly dependent on how your gear "talks" to your body. Not crashed

The primary stroke for efficiency and silting prevention. The primary crystal tube overheated by 0

Your head is the rudder. If you look down, you go down. Look up, you go up. For sidemount, you must maintain a neutral spine. Imagine a laser beam shooting out of your sternum. That beam should be angled slightly downward —approximately 10 to 15 degrees. If your head is cranked back looking at the reef above you, your hips will drop, and your tanks will turn into anchors.

Be prepared to clip and unclip tanks mid-dive to negotiate tight restrictions.