How Sidemount Bungees Work (And Why They Matter)
Bungees are an important part of every sidemount harness. Without bungees, your cylinders would just hang freely below you. It would no longer be sidemount. It would be frontmount.
When properly configured, sidemount bungees hold the cylinders in position next to your body in a streamlined orientation while allowing you the flexibility of being able to move them around when necessary.
Types of Sidemount Bungee Systems
Why Bungee Tension Matters
Common Bungee Issues
Relationship to the Full Sidemount System
Types of Sidemount Bungee Systems
There are 3 common types of sidemount bungee systems:
- Loop bungee
- Continuous bungee
- Clip-to-clip bungee
The loop bungee system is made of two lengths of bungee cord that are formed into loops and secured to the rear of the harness. The loops are routed between the arms and the torso and pull up on the valve to hold it in position tucked into the armpits.
The continuous bungee system is similar to the loop bungee, except only one length of bungee cord is used and it’s routed around the back of the harness.
The clip-to-clip bungee system is made of thicker bungee cord that has a bolt snap on one end and a quick link on the other. The quick link is secured to a D ring on the rear of the harness and the bolt snap is clipped onto a chest D ring.
Why Bungee Tension Matters
Bungee tension does all of the work of maintaining the sidemount cylinders in alignment with your body. The wrong amount of tension can not only affect how low your valves hang, but it can also affect the orientation of the bottoms of the cylinders. Bungee tension can also affect your comfort in the water.
Common Bungee Issues
- Cylinders hanging too low
- Cylinders rotating too much
- Bungees too loose
- Bungees too tight
Relationship to the Full Sidemount System
Bungee tension is only one part of a complete sidemount configuration system. Cylinder rigging, harness geometry, and hose routing all work together to determine how cylinders sit in the water. These topics are all covered in depth in Sidemount Diving: The Almost Comprehensive Guide.
If you found this article helpful, you can receive $10 off the book Sidemount Diving or $5 off the book Recreational Sidemount Diving when purchasing directly from the website.
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