Interesting... I really can’t get my head around the whole Sidemount approach as a catch all solution to diving. I think it’s a great system when the diving calls for a very low profile, but I really can’t see the benefit unless you are doing to do some wreck penetration. I would consider having to get geared up in the water a big disadvantage for diving in the North Atlantic. I could count on one hand the number days you get on the north coast were you will get no wind, swell not to mention fully slack water to allow you to do that. We have found it hard enough in the past getting a scooter dropped into a diver let alone two or more cylinders. Most dives in Malin require you to get in when the current is running to dive you the full slack window on the wreck.
We even lost one of our support crew over the side last year when they were dropping in a scooter 
The big advantage there is that the scooter is positive near the surface and didn’t sink… Not sure what happened to the support diver though….
Baza, fair comment (as was your comment about hose routing a few pages back). Its not that I can't clip 6 cylinders onto my harness and stand at the back of the boat - I WON'T do it. I have no interest in that type of diving for a number of reasons. And 6 cyls would be the max, most diving would be 4 or 5 (rebreather territory if longer/deeper required - not my thing) Doesn't mean that sidemount has no place in the North Atlantic but it does mean that my way of donning the cylinders
may be incompatible with the Malin diving. I can live with that. I get your point about SM wreck penetration but in reality this is a two cylinder job anyway. For deeper dives the cylinders would be kept with me and I don't think multiple cylinders in a wreck is a good idea - for me anyway - I don't have your skills or experience. The low profile of SM with 2 is obvious but even with more than 2 the profiling is still better. I've covered what I consider to be the benefits previously so don't want to repeat myself.
I'm with Matt on not being sure where the idea of us promoting SM came from. It works brilliantly for the diving I do, and all I have noted is about my positive experiences of it, having had the benefit of BM experience to compare. If anything I promote both SM and BM as options and to go with what works best for the individual diver.
As for the clutter free frontal area - here I am with 4 cylinders (all locked into position and not moving), the AL80 are accessible, out of the way, all regs/valves can be seen and the hose routing is as neat as you can get. Long hose, short hose - easy to access. Compare this to the pics that are regularly shown of BM's with 2 stages hanging in the breeze. (and it is considered a good idea to dive like a grappling hook because it has always been done this way). I'm more streamlined, more comfortable, there is a lot less snag potential and it is easier to don this even in rough conditions. Its my personal choice to dive this way, for me the reasons are obvious. I doubt any of the BM'er (exception of Baza) have tried anything like THIS set-up so are commenting from a disadvantaged position.
A lot of the negative comments here come down to a lack of information and understanding re a proper SM system. They are not all the same and as Baza noted, BM'ers could learn a lot about neatening up the stages using SM rigging.
Matt, was going to suggest we charter the Rozzie mid week (as we are so loaded we can take time off whenever we want) and dive the wrecks without the BM'ers cramping our style..
