South East Asia
Technical Diving
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Field Test: OMS Sidemount Systems
Instructor Bruce Konefe reports on his experience with the OMS BP-SMS backplate and Tesseract wing. Field Test: OMS Sidemount Systems By Bruce Konefe
Sidemount is a technical gear configuration utilizing twin scuba cylinders worn on either side of the body. It was originally developed by and for cave divers as a way to slip and in and out of confined spaces, but the configuration is also becoming popular with wreck divers, rebreather divers and even recreational divers. As an instructor and instructor-trainer, I’ve seen demand for sidemount training skyrocket since 2010, in part because of the availability of new gear from OMS. I recently spent 6 weeks using the company’s BP-SMS backplate and Tesseract Wing while training divers in Basic and Advanced Sidemount courses at Subic Bay, Philippines. Here are my observations on the gear. Set-up was quite easy and straightforward when following directions that come with the units. The BP-SMS can be utilized with almost any wing that has 11-inch O.C. spacing and there are rings on each side that give you a wide selection of adjustment for the bungee that goes around the tank valves. The butt mount portion has large D-rings that were easy to find and clip tanks onto. No one in our group had troubles finding or using them. There are also two rails that can be used to clip-on finger spools and reels. The Tesseract wing incorporates dual 60-pound bladders. It’s a doughnut-style so it provides less lift near your head and more lift near your butt area. This works great for maintaining trim in just about any configuration including sidemount, twin-set, single-tank and rebreather diving. The wing is constructed from very heavy duty material that did an excellent job of resisting punctures and normal wear and tear. The Advanced Sidemount course that I teach really pushes students and their equipment to the limits, and the OMS sidemount equipment delivered excellent performance throughout the 6-week period. For more information, visit www.omsdive.com.
Bruce Konefe is an Instructor Trainer Director for ANDI, who has been teaching technical diving courses including rebreathers, cave, wreck and trimix for more than 15 years. Originally from the United States, he currently lives and dives in Thailand.
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