Thanks very much. A few more comments/questions below....
For the DSTs you simply could not use the 5th port in the backmount setup if you want to avoid a situation similar to the picture.
Hmmm, won't it end up more like in this HOG setup below (from
this page), with first stages even closer to valve handles when they are not at much of an angle with respect to the manifold. I've also been considering getting HOG, but not loving this particular arrangement all that much.
Is the 'sticking out' concern related to reaching the valve handles, which you mentioned above?
Right, and compared to the above picture, I was rather hoping for something closer to this setup below (from
this page), but these look like DS4s, so not much better with respect to sidemount, I'd think. I like there is enough space around the valves here to hold either one with my entire fist in thick gloves, and with palm facing either up or down, since the body of the first stage hardly sticks out outside the neck of the tank, and it doesn't overlap with the valve handle.
Or with this setup, with Tek3 (from
this page), with first stages again roughly in-between the lines determined by the outside contour of the tank necks.
Never dove Tek3s either but saw and touched them a few times and I think they are very good sidemount firststages (a bit expensive though).
Would you happen to remember who dives this way, so that I could try to hunt for pictures with an example?
I have a pair of TEK3 first stage. I use them on my Nomad. on the left I have a SPG with 6" hose (not myflex, but not rubber, the one in between), The BC hose ( I rigged the nomad to have the inflator at the bottom), and the reg (XTX50) is on a 22" hose with a 90deg elbow, inverted (the hose coming from the left) and bungeed. On the right reg, I have the same SPG setup, the drysuit hose and the other reg with 90deg elbow and the 7ft long hose is wrap on the cylinder. There is no hose going behind the neck, only stages hose.
Would you be so kind to please post a picture of your setup? I'm trying to visualize what you have described, but a picture is worth a thousand words
. I'm very curious about your setup, and given that I couldn't find a good example online anywhere, it could benefit others as well...