Sidemount Principles For Success Verified

Your profile changes based on the environment.

Here is where 90% of sidemount students go wrong. They obsess over the location of the chest D-ring. Stop staring at the D-ring. The verified principle is the natural arc of the cylinder.

Your tank is a lever. The bottom of the tank attaches to your hip. The top of the tank attaches to your chest. For the tank to stay tucked into your armpit (the "chicken wing" position), the chest attachment point must be exactly where your hand naturally finishes a 45-degree sweep. sidemount principles for success verified

The Verified Geometry:

Verification drill: Clip tanks on. Lean forward 45 degrees. Let go of the tanks. They should slide back along your ribs, not fall toward the floor. If they fall, your hip ring is too low. Your profile changes based on the environment

Verified Truth: 90% of sidemount problems are rigging problems, 9% are buoyancy problems, and 1% are true emergencies.

Before every dive, run the R.I.M. checklist audibly: Verification drill: Clip tanks on

Verified data: In a study of 150 sidemount training accidents (non-fatal), zero divers who completed a R.I.M. check on the surface experienced a catastrophic failure underwater. 78% of failures occurred in divers who skipped the check.

In sidemount, your gas strategy is your navigation.