Sidemount Diving: The Almost Comprehensive Guide

Good description for owners of sidemount scuba gear on the essentials. While reading this book, several questions were covered and discussed in technical detail. And, this makes it a useful reading for scuba divers to become successful using this configuration. I am reading a borrowed copy, and have on order to by personal copy, for reference. This book puts readers ahead of the game, when it comes to diving with sidemounts. For example, the book covers equipment selection. Difference harness choices, and applications of large versus small. Weight significance between steel tanks and aluminum tanks, and when buoyancy plays a critical role when diving overhead environments. The author also shares his experiences with rig set-up and some good tips on redundancy. I found the book surprisingly easy to read and follow step by step. There were a few points in the discussion over the top of my understanding, but that makes it all the more interesting.

A comprehensive survey of sidemount gear and techniques. The author is a cave diver, so the book leans in a cave-centric direction, but he also covers open-water and boat diving in sidemount configuration. One thing that could improve the next edition would be diagrams of hose routing options in addition to the text descriptions, but all in all, this is an excellent resource.

Neto is correct, it's almost comprehensive as a book. Of course, there is no way to learn sidemount from a book. This book merely offers information on configuration and some fundamentals of diving in sidemount. I found that for me, trial and error is the best way. I already have all the DIR techniques for backmount, am very comfortable in either singles or doubles, so the transition to sidemount was mainly about configuration. Once I figured out how everything should work (and why it works - which this book helped with) I just went out and spent about 1/2 hour messing around before I went underwater. Once I went underwater, I felt at home, and sidemount became quite natural for me. I believe in the UTD concept of keeping DIR the same for backmount and sidemount - long and short hoses, maybe a manifold for twins. I don't know if any of the information in this book helped me as I am already a dive instructor and as I said, quite proficient in DIR diving. However, Neto offers some nice tips worth thinking about and trying. And he always says that each diver is different and has to try different things. My feeling is that if you are not a competent DIR diver already, get instruction from a good instructor in DIR skills first (GUE, UTD, etc.) Sidemount is somewhat different, but very easy to pick up if you already have the DIR skills. If not, the skills are the key.

A little advanced for me at first read...after a few goes with my kit in front of me it all started to make sense. Very useful for someone starting out in sidemount.

I enjoyed reading this and garnered a few tips. I've been SM diving for several years but am far from an expert and enjoy learning how others are rigging and diving so I can try other "proven" techniques. My biggest complaint is the pics are too small to be able to see the, usually, small details that make a difference in your rigging.

Finally a sidemount book that goes into great detail. More usable detail, how to and why than all the other sidemount books I have bought combined.

Excellent book. The bible for sidemount divers !

Nice book, got some nice information in it, especially explains that Sidemount is personal, there are only guidelines, no right or wrong way.