Scuba anyone?

Karol

@JDelage on the update part:
Luckily Sharewater is not Microsoft, and the updates come at reasonable intervals. Since I updated to version 102 on 10.10.25 no news.
I just need that GPS enabled air integration.
https://shearwater.com/en-eu/products/swift-gps

Im going sidemount in few weeks and according to Sharewatter having one of those with GPS + one regular (that I already have) will be just perfect.

And one the Sharewatter app, I had in my opinion a serious issue with it at the time (Jan 26), It required internet connection to authenticate! WTF! Im in the middle of nowhere, who writes this shit?

Karol

@Giles said in Scuba anyone?:

Paula says there is a big box for me in the office......

are we happy Vincent?

Giles

Hahahaha. In the old days before Japan had got a cellular system that worked with western phones, I would obviously need to use wifi hotspots. But the only way you could authenticate yourself to get access to a wifi hotspot was by requesting an authentification code .......... that was sent to your phone.

MY PHONE DOES NOT WORK HERE, THAT IS WHY I AM TRYING TO GET WIFI ACCESS.

Giles

@Karol said in Scuba anyone?:

are we happy Vincent?

Yep. It's a big job getting it to fit right with the D rings in the right place. But that is one of the many advantages of getting a back-plate and wings over a "waistcoat" style BCD....I can dial in the fit perfectly.

And, I can never remember how to thread cambelt buckles, so that wasted a bit of time. Also, I had to change over the BCD inflator because I use an Atomic SS1 Regulator with integrated octopus (means I have one less hose flapping around). I may want a slightly longer corrugated hose, because the XDeep has the inflator hose going into the centre of the wings, on my Hollis the hose went into the far left, so the run down to my left hand was shorter. BUT, I won't do anything just yet, because I think if I can sort my trim and frog kicking out, I should be horizontal in the water, and not need to vent from the inflator hose.....

Karol

Karol

I was working on mine before next week's dive. The attachment that you see on the inflator is the Duck. It makes a distinct sound underwater. When you want to draw attention.
As for the trim pockets I don't really use them now, but I don't mind the pockets in case I want to add extra 1kg on the side.

Karol

And I was looking now at the Atomic SS1 and it's a really streamlined solution, but how do you make it work when using it and deflating the wing? Seahorse position?

Giles

Paula and I have just been discussing placement of the shoulder strap D rings. I'm going to move both of mine up to just below my shoulders, far easier place for my hands to fall to automatically, with no thought, when wanting to unclip something. Will do the same with P's

Giles

@Karol said in Scuba anyone?:

how do you make it work when using it and deflating the wing

Just like a normal one. Has inflate and deflate buttons, but just has an an octopus integrated into it....

Karol

I know, but is the secret in raising the chin? You want to have the hose in the highest position. If you are breathing from it at the same time, how do you do it?

Giles

Not sure I only breathe from it when I am at the safety stop (just to make sure it gets some use and works whan I really need it to), so no worry at that point about inflating/deflating the BCD. At that point in the dive, I am maintaining constant depth by how much air I have in my lungs anyway.....I've loved having it and have not noticed a single downside....

Karol

In all honesty the probability that something will go wrong with well-maintained 2nd stage is nowadays very low. I understand the risk appetite in light of shorter, more streamlined hose.

Giles

Our Dive Master last time we dived in The Maldives, got one as soon as he could after seeing my set up

Karol

For my sidemount rig I foresee 2x 8L, one for jacket, other for dry suit, and two equally competent 2nd stages (that I already use for years in the present setup)
I originally planned this setup for my cold-water dives, I would love to get the bottles to the water before I put on the dry suit, while diving from the shore.
But now I start to see the advantages of traveling with sidemount jacket. The weight is cut down substantially as there is no plate.

Giles

@Karol said in Scuba anyone?:

The weight is cut down substantially as there is no plate.

Agree

Giles

One of the girls in Raja dived sidemount. She always looked so at ease and streamlined under water. She was just diving with one tank.....

Karol

@Giles I need to consider this. I had few occasions where I shared air with other divers via my main long hose. In this situation I would have to use the inflator during the dive in the double role, right now I have the same 2nd stage on the necklace. In the cold waters I find myself in that could be risky. But in the warm ones I can only see advantages of your setup. Less dangling thingies means less trouble at any stage of the dive.

Karol

@Giles said in Scuba anyone?:

One of the girls in Raja dived sidemount. She always looked so at ease and streamlined under water. She was just diving with one tank.....

It's possible, I had 2 guides in Egypt for last few years that were doing so. All their weight was in the opposite wing pocket from the tank. And as tank you can use normal 12L. But sidemount is just really flexible. Even when diving from the boat, people will even go with two 15L for a longer deco dive. And maybe additional 2-3 L for 50% nitrox for deco, or even oxygen at 6m.

Giles

XDeep Ghost ordered for Paula......

Karol

@Giles said in Scuba anyone?:

XDeep Ghost ordered for Paula......

It didn't take too much convincing, has it?

What Are You Wearing Today (WAYWT) 2026

Scuba anyone?