Many divers try sidemount once, feel like a barnacle-covered anchor, and declare it "unstable." Others succeed brilliantly, gliding through restrictions with the grace of a fighter jet. The difference between struggle and success is not talent or money. It is adherence to a few immutable .
In sidemount, you do not rise to the level of your expectations. You fall to the level of your training. Master the principles, and you will master the configuration. Fail to respect them, and you will be that diver spinning helplessly on the surface, asking, "How do these clips work?" Sidemount- Principles For Success
But here is the hard truth:
Think of the "Ghost Diver"—your body, backplate (if any), wing, and exposure suit. When you remove the cylinders, you should be able to hover in horizontal trim, motionless, with your hands at your sides or crossed on your chest. You should require zero fin movement to maintain depth. Many divers try sidemount once, feel like a
You stop thinking about "left tank, right tank" and start thinking about "the reef, the wreck, the wall." In sidemount, you do not rise to the
If you clip a cylinder to your chest D-ring and bottom clip, but the tank's center of buoyancy is behind your center of gravity, you will roll onto your back (feet up, face to the sky). If it is too far forward, you will pitch head-down.