Sidemount Hollis SMS100 Review

Sidemount Hollis SMS100 Review

---

I bought my Hollis SMS100 after extensive research among my tech diving friends, tech bulletin boards, and personal examination. I am not going whole-hog sidemount, so my primary requirement was that the harness be able to mainly handle backmounted doubles (sidemounting stages), be good for backmount single tank diving, and be a good platform for sidemounting, which I have come across a limited need for.

 

I got the harness a few weeks ago and have been accessorizing it according to suggestions from the above sources, Jill Heinerth's excellent book on sidemounting, and a couple personal preferences.

 

Finally got it in the water this week and am loving it!
My first dives were with backmount doubles for some cavern dives. The next outing was with backmount doubles and sidemounted stages for some deco cave diving. Today I dived it with a single backmounted LP 108 using a weighted STA, and then finally did a deep recreational dive with sidemounted Al80s this afternoon (leaving the weighted STA attached without the cam bands on a tip from DeepAirMike).

 

Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: St. Louis, MO

 

The only thing that was not easy and natural was my first attempts at attaching a stage bottle sidemount fashion with backmount doubles, and that only because the butt handle was not a first-time hit on reaching, kind of like the very first times I tried to attach a stage bottle with Hogarthian harness. ;-)

 

The harness is very comfortable, everything is within easy reach, the wing has plenty of lift for everything I want to do (as well as being well restrained so that it also works well with the single tank), and everything is very adjustable. And I love the power inflator mechanism. It appears to be very durable, and has already convinced me that it will serve well for all of my needs--well, except for the very occasional warm water single tank dives, which it -could- do, but would be overkill.

 

Will soon be updating my Facebook profile pic with a photo from today.

 

Happy New Year everyone, and Merry Xmas to me!

 

theskull

 

출처_ http://www.midwestdive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3994