Carrying Tanks

[Phish-phood]

My buddy and I have an understanding, he will carry both tanks because he has no probs with that and I will carry weight belts and gear bags for both of us cause I can manage those.

I could carry my tank if I had to but the long and the short of it is he is long and I am short and this way we get in the water a lot quicker than if he had to wait for me to bump my tank all the way down to the water because it is too tall for me to carry easily

I have never expected or asked him to do it, it just seems to be the way our diving relationship has evolved and if I am diving without him or he is busy with students then I do it all myself with no problems

 

[o2scuba]

diverlady once bubbled...


I just use the tank carriers now. They are the easiest for me and if I should slip/trip/lose my footing, the tanks aren't that far from the ground anyway. I would hate to take a spill with a tank on my shoulder!! I say this because I have slipped on wet docks before.

Diverlady

Right on! Carrying a tank on your shoulder is much more dangerous.

1. you can hurt your back lifting it there

2. If you should slip, there's a greater chance of hurting yourself, ie: twisting back, wrenching muscles, or having said tank land on you! or worse, land on me, or my gear!!

3. if you should accidentally drop the tank, greater chance of rupturing tank (especially if it lands on the valve). For one, aluminum shrapnal can rip right through the human torso. Second a ruptured tank can go through the hull of a boat, and out the other side!

I've read stories of dismemberment and decapotation from such accidents. ouch......

There's a tank boot available that slips onto the bottom of a tank and has two wheels attached so that as you tilt the tank the wheels make contact with the ground. You just tow it along holding it by the valve.

Lots of other handles available as well. Here in VT we just put the tanks on a plastic sled and drag em along in the snow, just gotta be careful going down hill!

 

[CBulla]

With the exception of loading and unloading at the LDS for fills, my wife and I set up our BC with the tank and foot it out to the jeep that way, carrying a second tank for the second dive, and weights in the other hand. At the dive site, same thing but using the back of the jeep as the platform to put the gear on before the short walk across the sand and into the water.

 

[Sham_ba_la]

Hmmm, do you know where I may find this?

o2scuba once bubbled...


There's a tank boot available that slips onto the bottom of a tank and has two wheels attached so that as you tilt the tank the wheels make contact with the ground. You just tow it along holding it by the valve.

 

[o2scuba]

Sham_ba_la once bubbled...
Hmmm, do you know where I may find this?

Sorry, I can't remember the manufacturer. We had one at a Dive Center where I worked for 3 years. Funny, I don't recall ever selling one. Seemed like a useful thing tho.

Maybe they still have one. You could call. They are in Glens Falls NY, Morin's Dive Center, # 800-924-3483. Say hi to Rich, From Andrew

 

[JohnF]

MB_diver once bubbled...
O.K., I want to start out by saying I came up with this because some of the people I dive with are really kool people to dive with once in the water, however they have some slight problems keeping up with some of the diving I do /have done. As long as they are game, I will do the shelping! Her it is, colapsable mostly plastic wide style golf caddy carts! The ones you pull behind at a golf course. I know, it sound a little strange but it works. You can pick used ones really cheap. They will hold your rig (tank, bcd, weights, fins) and allow you to get right down to the waters edge. If shore diving, just take it with you, drop it off and mark it or whatever seems appropriate.

Dan

Check with your local golf club to see if you can score a tired or broken rental unit. They buy 'em so cheap they're not worth fixing. Sometimes a break that makes it useless for golf will still be fine for tanks. I see them going into the garbage bin at our club regularly.

John F