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If backmount diving is like space travel (equipment consistency, practicality, and universal acceptance as a gold standard without a legitimate reason), then sidemount must be like surfing (emphasis on individualism, competitiveness, self-proclaimed coolness and, of course, belonging to a “tribe” of few).
Now, everyone knows that I’m not very objective. I love sidemount to the point that if I cannot dive sidemount, I would often rather not dive at all. After years of pushing the limits with complex technical backmount dives, my first encounter with sidemount ignited a fire within me, reminiscent of that first exhilarating discovery dive. It was as if the underwater realm had unveiled a secret doorway, and all I had to do was step through with a permanent smile on my face, holding my regulator tight, knowing that a world of endless possibilities awaited.
But, in all seriousness, sidemount is just another diving configuration with (as any other) many pros and some cons. Even if sidemount was born out of logistical challenges related to equipment transportation in British dry caves, it has permeated nearly all diving situations today.
Nevertheless, sidemount is more complicated to get right than backmount, mostly due to the high personalization that is required to achieve its most important benchmark: a perfect trim. If you are new to sidemount, your journey may be a bit bumpy. But if you are already a devoted sidemount tribe member, you know that the journey truly never ends. Sidemount is organic—it keeps evolving.
For the complete GUE article, please use the following link.
The What, Which, and Why of Sidemount - InDepth (gue.com)
