Have you ever watched really good sidemount divers underwater and wondered how they make it look so effortless? Meanwhile, your cylinders float, your trim feels unstable, hoses are everywhere, and it feels like you’re constantly fighting your equipment.
In episode 120 of Speaking Sidemount, Steve Davis breaks down the complete philosophy and equipment foundation behind exceptional sidemount diving after:
13 years diving sidemount exclusively
10 years teaching sidemount professionally
Nearly 2,000 sidemount dives
Training with Tom Steiner, Edd Sorenson, and Patrick Widmann
Interviews with many of the world’s best sidemount divers, cave explorers, and instructors.
This is not another random gear video. This episode explains WHY good sidemount works — and how the right equipment platform, combined with strong diving fundamentals, creates calm, efficient, streamlined diving.
Steve walks through his complete modern sidemount philosophy, including:
Why sidemount over backmount
The XDEEP Stealth 2.0 setup philosophy
Loop bungees explained
Sliding D-rings explained
Cylinder selection for different environments - Steel vs aluminium sidemount cylinders
Proper sidemount cylinder rigging
Valve positioning and cylinder trim
Rotating turret and fifth port regulators
Long hose vs short hose debate
Streamlining and hose routing
Building a stable sidemount platform
Common sidemount mistakes divers make
This episode is Part 1 of a 2-part Sidemount 101 series. This episode will help you build a cleaner, more efficient and more enjoyable sidemount system.
In Sidemount 101 Part 2, Steve will move on to putting it all in the water: