Sidemount diving has been around for a while now, originating in the UK in 1960. Over the years it has evolved with several key explorers being the influencers. Sidemount did not become mainstream for cave diving until a small group of North Florida cave explorers found it was the only way to explore small or remote caves.

With the release of ready to dive Sidemount rigs in the early 2000's, Sidemount diving has become even more mainstream now crossing over into all areas of recreational and tech diving. There are some basic rules of configuration and varying philosophies on how to rig. I will explore these in the hope you can figure out what will work best for you. There is not a universal solution for every dive or environment. What works best for you?