Dive Rite XT Sidemount BCD

At a glance

The XT is a dedicated sidemount BCD in 1000-denier Cordura weighing 3.2 kg with 14 kg of lift, taking steel or aluminium cylinders from 6 to 13 litres. Torso length adjusts without tools, dual lower cylinder bungees are redundant with quick release, and six stainless D-rings handle accessories. The single-bladder design keeps the profile streamlined.

What the sidemount bcd actually gives you

Where it wins and where it costs you

Full review: Dive Rite XT Sidemount BCD

The XT is a purpose-built sidemount harness rather than a convertible, and the focus shows in the trim. The single bladder is shaped to wrap the back and sides so lift arrives where it keeps cylinders alongside the diver rather than rolling them underneath, which is the whole point of sidemount and the thing badly designed rigs get wrong. At 3.2 kg with 14 kg of lift, matched to steel or aluminium cylinders between 6 and 13 litres, the numbers are internally consistent.

Adjustment is the practical strength. Torso length adjusts through the webbing without tools, so the same harness fits a narrow technical diver in a wetsuit and a larger-framed diver in a drysuit and thick undergarments, and you can change it on a boat rather than at home. Dual lower cylinder bungees are redundant and quick-release, which is exactly the right approach for a component whose failure would drop a tank mid-dive. Six stainless D-rings cover lights, reels and stage bottles.

Construction is 1000-denier Cordura with reinforced stitching and corrosion-resistant hardware, chosen for abrasion against cave walls and wreck edges rather than for looks, and the low profile genuinely reduces entanglement risk in tight spaces. Three limits worth knowing: sidemount itself takes training, so a diver new to the configuration should expect a learning period; six D-rings is fewer than some competing harnesses offer; and the bladder will feel undersized if you try to hang very heavy steel cylinders on it.