ADM Armadillo Sidemount User manual

Introduction

Designed mainly for side mount cave exploration,

the Armadillo has evolved into a system that can be

used for all types of diving.

•Open water divers can use the harness with a

single cylinder mounted on their back

•Rebreather divers can incorporate their

CCR / SCR units as a back mount scrubber and

side mount oxygen and diluent drive cylinders

•Exploration divers can back mount their

bottom gas and side mount their decompres-

sion gases

• Extreme cave explorers can use the system as

it was perfected for, tight, remote, hard-to-

reach caves anywhere on the planet

Page 2

LP Inflator Cylinder

Bungee

Wing

Conforming

Bungee

Retrieval

Strap

Bungee

Attachment

Strap

Stainless

Buckle Waist Strap

Right

Shoulder

Strap

Left

Shoulder

Strap

Crotch

Strap

Crotch

Strap

Butt

Pad

Cylinder

Attachment

Rings

Scooter

Ring

Retrieval

D-Ring

Shoulder

D-Ring

Waist Strap

Crotch

Strap

Scooter

D-Ring

Stainless

Buckle

Retrieval

Strap

Cylinder

Bungee

Shoulder

D-Ring

Retrieval

D-Ring

Right Arm Left Arm

ArmadilloSchematic

Hip

D-Ring

Hip

D-Ring

Hip

D-Ring

Waist D-Ring

The Armadillo system

did not evolve over

night; hundreds of

dives over several

years were con-

ducted in multiple

locations and envi-

ronments. From

shallow reef diving in

the Florida Keys, to

extreme deep cave

exploration in Ten-

nessee, high flow

blue holes in the

Bahamas, cold wreck

diving in the Great

Lakes, archeological

discoveries in

Mexico’s Yucatan,

and swimming with

hundreds of Ham-

merhead sharks in

Coco’s Island, the

Armadillo side mount

harness has been

tested thoroughly.

From these experi-

ences, the Armadillo

system has been

perfected to provide

the serious diver with

a rugged tool to go

where no diver has

ever gone before.

Page 3

Fig. 3

Fig. 1 Fig. 2

Curve of the

shoulder straps

should be placed

at base of the

divers neck.

The waist strap

should wrap

around the

divers hips and

not around their

waist.

Even though the Armadillo harness is designed for

simplicity, it is extremely important that it fits the diver

correctly. An improper fit takes away the streamlined

performance and needed buoyancy control.

The Armadillo’s buoyancy control device (wings),

shoulder, waist, crotch straps, butt pad, and cylinder

attachments are designed into a single harness. The

wings have a maximum lift of 34 pounds.

The Armadillo harness is designed to fit most stan-

dard sized adults. It is not designed to fit extremely

small or extra large people. Sizes from 5 feet (152 cm)

tall, 115 pounds (52 kg) to 6 feet, 5 inches (196 cm)

tall, 250 pounds (113 kg) should have little problem

sizing the harness to fit them.

Positioning the harness on your body (Fig. 5)

The harness must be positioned on your body cor-

rectly so that the shoulder and waist straps fall in the

proper positions. This is essential for a proper fit.

To position the harness on your body:

1. Place the harness on your back with the

bungee side in.

2. Align the curve of the shoulder harness to the

base of your neck (see the diagram below).

3. Hold the shoulder straps tightly over

your shoulders.

4. Move your head and neck around to make sure

the harness is not cutting into the base of your neck.

If it is rubbing your neck, lower the shoulder harness

one inch (2.5 cm) or until it feels comfortable.

The waist strap is designed to wrap around the divers

upper hips and not around the waist as a normal open

water BCD fits. The wings are designed to have the

most lift at the divers hips and not at their shoulders.

This is important because most of the weight from the

cylinders is attached to the divers butt pad, causing

their waist to be the heaviest. Less lift in the divers

shoulders also allows for proper horizontal, head

down – fins up swimming position.

Divers Back

Page 4

Fig. 4 Fig. 5

Stainless

Buckle

Stainless

T-Bar

Stainless

D-Ring

Armadillo

Harness

Positioning the waist buckle (Fig. 6)

The waist buckle should be placed on either the divers right or

left hip (divers preference) as close as possible (1 to 3 inches) (2.5

to 7.6 cm) to the wing and hip D-ring.

Note: The shoulder straps are rigged to slide over the waist

buckle, which prevents the buckle from accidentally opening.

To position the waist buckle:

1. While holding the harness in place over your shoulders (have

someone assist you), wrap the waist straps around your hips.

2. Estimate the best position for the buckle on either the right

or left hip.

3. Mark the position with a marker.

4. Remove the harness and weave the buckle into place (see

the diagram below).

Attaching the waist buckle (Fig. 7)

You must weave a T-bar and D-ring onto the

waist strap and the stainless buckle onto

the waist strap. The buckle should be

placed just above the left or right hip.

To attach the waist buckle: (Fig. 7)

1. Weave the waist strap up through slot

A and then down through slot C.

2. Weave the waist strap up through slot B

and then back down through slot A.

3. Tighten the strap onto the buckle.

4. Cut the strap 8 inches (20 cm) from the

buckle to allow for size adjustments if

needed in the future. Positioning the shoulder D-rings (Fig. 8)

D-rings should be placed at a comfortable location on the

shoulder straps. The D-rings are used to attach the low-pressure

inflator hose and the second stage regulators.

To position the shoulder D-rings:

1. Properly reposition the harness on your back.

2. Tighten the waist strap around your hips and lock it into

position with the waist buckle.

IMPORTANT: The Armadillo system was not designed to wear

without an exposure suit. Keep the adjustments lose enough for

your type of exposure suit (wet suit or dry suit). If you are plan-

ning on using multiple types of exposure suits, fit the harness

tightly to your bulkiest exposure suit. This allows for the harness

to also be used on thinner exposure suits.

3. Weave a stainless T-bar and D-ring onto the right and left

shoulder straps.

4. Position the T-bar and D-rings 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 cm)

below the collarbone.

5. Make sure the left and right shoulder D-rings are even.

Page 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 8

Fig. 7

Positioning the armpit D-rings (Fig. 9)

D-rings should be placed just below your armpits. These

D-rings are used for the bungee retrieval straps and attach-

ment D-ring for stage cylinders, reels, cameras, etc.

To position the armpit D-rings:

1. Properly reposition the harness on your back.

2. Tighten the waist strap around your hips and lock it into

position with the waist buckle.

3. Weave a stainless T-bar and D-ring onto the right and left

shoulder straps.

4. Position the T-bar and D-rings just below your armpits.

Making the shoulder strap and crotch waist loops

with D-rings (Fig. 10 & 11)

Simple loops in the right and left shoulder straps

slide over the waist strap providing a five-point

harness. D-rings are placed onto these loops to

provide extra attachment points for reels, cameras,

slates, etc.

To make the loops with D-rings:

1. Properly reposition the harness onto your back.

2. Tighten the waist strap around your hips and

lock it into position with the waist buckle.

3. Slide the shoulder straps under the waist strap

and tighten to a comfortable fit. (1)

4. Mark the shoulder straps just below the waist

strap (Fig. 10)

5. Remove the harness and weave a T-bar and D-

ring 4-inches (10 cm) above the mark. Keep the

strap loose. (2)

6. Bend the shoulder strap under and flatten it at

the mark using a hammer.

7. Weave the strap back through the T-bar and D-

ring. (3)

8. Make the size of the loop large enough so it

slides over the waist strap and waist buckle. The

loop is used to prevent the waist and light

buckles from accidentally opening.

Armpit

D-Ring

Mark

Shoulder

Strap

Page 6

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

Fig. 11

Half Knot

Tighten

Half Knot

Tie

Another

Half Knot

Tighten

knot’s

and pull

together

Assembling the shoulder, crotch, and waist straps (Fig. 12)

The two shoulder and crotch strap loops slide over the waist

strap to form a five point harness.

To assemble the shoulder, crotch, and waist straps:

1. Put on the harness, and slide the left shoulder strap loop over

the waist strap.

2. Bend over and retrieve the crotch strap loop. Slide it over the

waist strap.

3. Slide the right shoulder strap loop onto the waist strap.

4. Push all three straps as far to the left as possible.

5. Insert the waist strap through the waist buckle and pull it tight.

6. Close the waist buckle and slide the remaining waist strap

through the waist D-ring.

7. Slide the right shoulder strap loop over the waist buckle. This

locks it in place.

8. Move the crotch strap into a comfortable position.

9. If you are using a waist mounted light on the left that is kept in

place by a buckle, slide the left shoulder strap over that buckle.

Note: If you decided to rig the harness with the buckle on your

left hip, reverse this whole process.

Left

Shoulder

Strap

Right

Shoulder

Strap Crotch

Strap

Attaching the low-pressure inflator to the harness (Fig. 13)

Note that the low-pressure inflator is attached at the BCD’s lower inside

right port. This protects the elbow and corrugated hose from abrasion and

snags. The low-pressure hose is designed for positioning on your right side

and secured to the right shoulder D-ring.

To attach the low-pressure inflator hose:

1. Attach the low-pressure inflator to the shoulder D-ring using a small

piece of bungee tied into a ring (see the diagram on this page).

2. Tighten the bungee enough to hold the inflator in place, but keep it

loose enough so that you can remove the inflator if necessary.

Tying a bungee into a ring (Fig. 14)

A ring bungee is no more than a strong bungee cord tied into a circle. Ring

bungee is used to hold gear in place on the harness, such as second stage

regulators, and is used in several different locations. They are strong, simple

to make, and easy to remove and replace in the field.

Page 7

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

Fig. 14

Retrieval

Strap

Armpit

D-Ring

Adjusting the cylinder bungee (Fig. 15)

The key to any side mount system is its ability to

pull the cylinder valves and first stage regulators

tightly into your sides.

The Armadillo comes with two large bungees that

are attached to the inside back of the harness.

The bungees are extra long and need sized for

your chest girth.

A 13-inch (33 cm) piece of webbing with four

stainless grommets is attached to the inside back

of the harness. The bungee cord is threaded

through the grommet and a knot is tied into the

bungee securing it onto the harness.

To adjust the cylinder bungee:

1. Pull the bungee through the grommet to the

desired length (see the diagram on this page).

2. Tie a tight knot in the cord.

Note: Each person’s required bungee length is

different depending on his or her chest size. A

good rule of thumb is to start with the bungee

length just forward of your armpit. If the cylinder

valve and first stage regulator still protrude to far

forward, shorten the bungee. (Fig. 16)

Stainless

T-Bar

Cylinder

Bungee

Slider Link

Retrieval

Strap

Fixed Knot

Bungee retrieval strap (Fig. 17)

The bungee cord is also run through a small metal

slider link. The slider link is used for the bungee

retrieval system.

The bungee retrieval strap provides a quick

method of retrieving the cylinder bungee. It also

prevents the bungee from becoming lost when it

falls between your body and the harness.

The small bungee strap is attached to the slider

link and to the armpit D-ring. This strap should be

shortened as much as possible once the unit has

been sized to prevent snag points.

Page 8

Fig. 15

Fig. 16

Fig. 17

Fig. 19

Wing conforming bungee (Fig. 18)

The buoyancy inflation system is what separates the Arma-

dillo apart from other side mount systems. The Armadillo is

specifically designed to provide more lift on the divers hips,

which displaces the weight of the cylinders. This results in

less weight on the shoulders and ensures a proper horizon-

tal swimming profile.

The wing conforming bungee is designed to increase or

decrease the amount of lift depending on what type of

exposure suit and buoyancy demands are needed. A looser

bungee system allows for more lift when wearing a wetsuit

and a tighter bungee system pulls the wings in for a more

streamlined system and less lift when wearing a dry suit.

The conforming bungee also helps to prevent a common

side mount problem called “angel wings.” Angel wings are

when the BCD rides up high on the divers back making the

appearance of wings. This greatly decreases the streamline

effects of the harness and adds unnecessary drag, wear and

tear, and creates additional snag problems. The Armadillo’s

conforming bungee prevents an excessive angel wing effect

by pulling the BCD tighter towards the diver’s body.

To tighten the conforming bungee:

1. Cut the bungee cord at the tie off location on the BCD.

2. Tighten the bungee cord by pulling it through the BCD.

3. Retie the bungee cord.

Conforming

bungee tie

loop

Butt pad and attachment handles (Fig. 19)

The Armadillo harness incorporates a single butt pad

sewn from heavy-duty nylon webbing. Two metal handles

are bolted to the butt pad to provide a sturdy attachment

location for the cylinder clips. The crotch strap is sewn

directly into the butt pad and provides the fifth strap in

the five-point harness system.

The metal attachment handles are designed to handle the

weight of cylinders while in the water. Cylinder neck clips

should be added if the cylinders are transported attached

to the harness out of the water. The clips assist with the

weight of the cylinders while out of the water.

Page 9

Fig. 18

Feeding the cam strap (Fig. 20)

Cam straps are used for the attachment

points on the side mount cylinders. The

diagram on the left illustrates the proper

method for feeding the strap through the

cam strap buckle. Arrows are molded

into the cam buckle showing the direc-

tion to feed the strap.

Tank attachment straps (Fig. 21)

Each cylinder requires one cam strap with either a #1 or #2 brass

clip. The clips are used to attach the cylinder to the metal attach-

ment handles located on the back of the harness.

•#1 Brass clips should be used by divers with normal to large hips

•#2 Brass clips can be used by those with smaller hips to raise

the cylinders higher

There are two methods to attach the brass clip to the cam strap.

A. A T-bar is used to capture a heavy line looped through the

brass clip with a knot tied in the opposite end. When tightened,

the knot cannot pass through the T-bar.

B. Strong bungee is fed through the small hole on the cam strap

buckle and the eye of the brass clip. The cord is pulled tight

and a knot is tied into the bungee securing the clip close to the

cam strap.

Note: In both methods, the brass clip should be as close as pos-

sible to the cam strap.

Setting up the cylinders (Fig. 22)

Proper set-up of the side mount cylinders is essential to maintain proper

buoyancy and streamlining.

The cam strap is slipped over the cylinder and tightened by pulling the strap

tight and closing the cam buckle. The distance from the top of the cylinder

valve the cam strap is placed varies depending on your chest length. A good

rule of thumb is to measure from your armpit to your belt line. Place the cam

strap the same distance from the top of the valve.

Some types of cylinders, such as aluminum tanks, become buoyant as they are

emptied. For these cylinders, you may need to attach hard weights to the

cylinder cam straps in order to compensate for the buoyancy change. Hard

weights can also be added to the cylinder cam straps to offset the buoyancy of

wetsuits and dry suits. If additional weight is needed due to dry suit buoyancy,

a standard weight belt can be used under the Armadillo harness.

Back-up lights can also be attached to the cam straps brass clip eye and held in

place using rubber bands (Fig. 22).

Page 10

Fig. 20

Fig. 21

Fig. 22

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