10 Common Sidemount Diving Mistakes

Sidemount diving offers flexibility and redundancy that many divers appreciate, but achieving a stable and efficient configuration requires careful setup. Many problems divers experience in sidemount can be traced to a few common mistakes.

Understanding these mistakes is the first step toward improving trim, streamlining equipment, and making sidemount diving easier and more enjoyable.

1. Cylinders Riding Too Low

One of the most common sidemount problems is cylinders hanging beneath the diver rather than riding inline with the body. This often results from improper cylinder rigging or incorrect attachment points. When cylinders hang low, the diver experiences increased drag and difficulty maintaining horizontal trim.

Proper cylinder positioning is a key part of sidemount configuration.

2. Floating Cylinders

At the opposite extreme, some divers experience cylinders that float upward toward the ceiling or away from the body.

This usually indicates issues with cylinder rigging, buoyancy characteristics of the tanks, or bungee tension. Floating cylinders can interfere with valve access and make the diver less streamlined. In cave diving, they can also result in damage to the cave ceiling.

3. Incorrect Hose Lengths

Hose lengths that are either too long or too short can create unnecessary complications in sidemount diving.

Hoses that are too short can restrict movement and make regulator switching uncomfortable, while hoses that are too long may create loops that snag on equipment or cave guidelines.

Choosing appropriate hose lengths is essential for efficient equipment routing.

4. Poor Bungee Tension

Bungee tension plays a major role in controlling cylinder position.

If the bungees are too loose, cylinders may drift away from the body. If they are too tight, the diver may struggle to attach cylinders or access valves. If they are routed incorrectly, they could cause the cylinders to rotate.

The correct balance keeps cylinders aligned with the diver’s torso.

5. Improper Weight Placement

Many divers transitioning to sidemount continue to distribute weight the same way they did in backmount. However, sidemount equipment configuration often requires a different approach to weight placement to maintain stable horizontal trim.

Poor weighting frequently leads to head-up or feet-down swimming positions.

6. Overweighting

Overweighting is extremely common among divers learning sidemount.

Excess weight increases gas consumption and makes buoyancy control more difficult. It can also exaggerate trim problems caused by equipment configuration.

Proper weighting is an important part of achieving efficient sidemount trim.

7. Inconsistent Gas Switching

Gas management in sidemount relies on regularly switching between cylinders to maintain balance and safety.

Divers who forget to switch regulators or switch too infrequently often find that one cylinder becomes significantly lighter than the other, affecting trim and cylinder position. Cave divers may also find that in an out of gas emergency, one cylinder may not have enough gas to get both divers out and to the surface.

Consistent gas management helps maintain balance throughout the dive, and more importantly, increases safety.

8. Poor Harness Adjustment

A poorly adjusted harness can cause several configuration problems. If the harness sits too low on the diver’s body, cylinders may attach at the wrong angle. If it sits too high, equipment may feel cramped and uncomfortable.

Proper harness geometry helps align the equipment correctly.

9. Clipping Cylinders Incorrectly

Small differences in bolt snap placement or clipping technique can have a large effect on how cylinders sit in the water. Incorrect attachment points can cause cylinders to rotate, hang too low, or drift away from the diver’s body.

Careful attention to cylinder rigging helps maintain streamlined positioning.

10. Trying to Copy Another Diver’s Setup Exactly

Many divers attempt to replicate another diver’s configuration exactly, assuming that it will work the same way for them. However, body size, cylinder choice, harness design, and diving environment all influence configuration.

There’s no such thing as copy and paste in sidemount diving. A setup that works well for one diver may not produce the same results for another.

Final Thoughts

Most sidemount problems stem from small configuration details that affect how the system works as a whole. Cylinder rigging, hose routing, gas management, and trim all interact with one another.

Understanding how these elements fit together is key to achieving a stable and efficient sidemount configuration.

The full system of sidemount equipment setup and configuration principles is explained in detail in the book Sidemount Diving: The Almost Comprehensive Guide.

Readers of this article can receive $10 off the Sidemount Diving Guide with coupon code MISTAKES10 and $5 off the Recreational Sidemount Diving Guide with coupon code MISTAKES5 when purchasing directly from this site.

How to Trim Out in Sidemount
Why Your Sidemount Cylinders Are Floating
Sidemount Cylinder Rigging: What Matters Most
How to Choose Proper Hose Lengths for Sidemount
Sidemount Gas Management Explained