Sidemount

Bailout CCR Course standards outlined

Diver wearing a sidemounted bailout rebreather
Diver wearing a sidemounted bailout rebreather

Rebreathers are great pieces of kit that do away with the need to carry an excessive amount of dive cylinders on deeper dives. However, this advantage is offset by the need to also carry additional open circuit cylinders on which a diver can bail out in case of a rebreather malfunction. Using another rebreather could be a better solution and to that end, a bailout rebreather course has been developed.

Getting Lined Up: Troubleshooting Sidemount Tank Configuration

A pair of divers wearing cleanly-configured sidemount kit. Cave photo by S.J. Alice Bennet.

I like sidemount. I will frequent­ly, jokingly, disparage the configuration, but I do like it. It can be comfortable and streamlined. It can be very flexible. There is an argument to be made for completely isolated redundancy. Mostly, it is good for moving through places no bigger than the space below your coffee table.