Sidemount Principles For Success Verified

Your rig must be neutral when empty and heavy when full. This sounds counterintuitive, but consider physics. A full aluminum 80 has a negative buoyancy swing of nearly 5 lbs (2.2 kg) from full to empty. If you put that weight on your waist belt, you will roll onto your side when the tank is empty.

One of the unique challenges of sidemount is managing two independent buoyancy cells (the cylinders) alongside your personal buoyancy (the wing/BCD). sidemount principles for success verified