Isla BC question

My wife dives with me, And we got her your Isla Bc last year, she needed the slider option due to her ample natural buoyancy compensators, a matter I've suffered with for 14 years. I've digressed quickly.
Any way she's short about 5'1" and when we put it on to a bottle we have to set the BC very high up on the bottle or her head hits the first stage so high the strap is close to the curve in the bottle. My question: Is there a way to adjust the tank mount a little lower on the BCD?

Thanks in Advance
Chris Carella

Hi Chris,
I usually tell people that you want the top of the tank valve to be even with the top of the back of the BCD. The problem may also be caused by the first stage of the regulator you are using. If (after putting the Isla on the tank) the first stage of the regulator goes higher than the back of the BCD then the likelyhood of your wife's head hitting the first stage is more probable. You didn't mention which regulator your wife had.
If your wife is short waisted (meaning the measurement from shoulder to the waist) then having the tank strap placement higher on the cylinder may cause yet another problem. This would be that it could interfere with her fin kicks and instead of her head hitting the first stage her legs will be hitting the cylinder more.

This may be solved though with your wife diving with a 63 cuft. cylinder rather than the more common 80 cuft. This will allow you to have the tank band a bit higher on the cylinder without interfering with her legs. Women generally use less air than guys do. Check your ending PSI after a dive if she has more air than you then switching her to a 63 cuft may just even things out a bit.

When I started diving my sister used a 50cuft cylinder while I used an 80 cuft. We ended up with the same psi in our cylinders at the end of our dives more often than not.

I looked at the backpack on one of the ISLA's in our store and did not see any way to change the tank strap to a higher or lower configuration.

I hope that I have helped.
If all else fails you could resort to what the Spanish inquisition method of placing her on a rack to stretch her out a bit but I think they outlawed that.

The first stage she uses (zeagle envoy) is close to flush with the top of the tank valve, so no changes here. And she does dive whith a 63 bottle. She's not Italian so she does have a neck (I'm Sicilian so dont land on me) :lol:
When you place an Isla on a bottle with the tank valve flush with the handle (as you suggested) the strap is right at the top edge.

As far as the whole rack thing goes, I would get some thing wrong and never hear the end of it. ( you got one leg longer than the other :lol: )

Hmm, the tank strap can't be adjusted. You don't happen to have a picture of her diving do you that shows a side or behind shot?

I want to see exactly where the issue may be.

Best,

Chris

I keep getting this when I try to upload a picture.

Tank.jpg:
Upload of file failed.

Mafiaman:

I keep getting this when I try to upload a picture.

Tank.jpg:
Upload of file failed.

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email it to me, crichardson@oceanicusa.com

Sent to your email, done

A behind shot?!?!? Isn't that a bit personal LOL?
Seriously though I would be interested in finding out what the possible solutions would be. Our store caters to a lot of female divers so any information would be greatly appreciated.

visibilityunlimited:

A behind shot?!?!? Isn't that a bit personal LOL?

Click to expand...

LOL it is but he sent me a "on top" shot that worked just as well.

I'm not even going there.....LOL