Stage/Deco Bottle Ingredients

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ScubaFeenD

ScubaFeenD

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I want to be able to set up a stage/deco bottle. However, I dont want to rely solely on the components supplied in pre assembled kits or just whatever I can find in stores near me. Can anyone give me some ideas of kit components that you find work best?

Just to be clear I am talking about the tank bands, SS strap, rope, etc. Maybe I am off, and anything will work, but I feel like discerning customers (esp those here on the boards) have an idea where to find the highest quality at the lowest price.


Thanks for any help you can offer.
 
One tip I'll give you is, whatever kind of hose you use to make the handle, make sure it doesn't collapse easily. You WANT the handle to stand off the side of the tank a bit, to make it easy to run your thumb under it to stow the regulators. I made the mistake of using soft stuff the first time, and my Tech 1 instructor showed me how much better his worked.

Same with the elastic bands. Anything round doesn't work, it will just roll. I found the commercially available ones, even with the little tabs on them, to be a bear to use in really cold water. You really want something that's got enough "snug" to it to hold the reg, but stretches as easily as possible.

The pipe clamps I have bought, although they are made of stainless steel, are all secured with non-stainless screws, so they rust. I'd suggest either trying to find some that are all stainless (if such a thing exists) or trying to replace the screws.
 
Hose is available at any marine store or Home Depot. Rubber preferred over plastic.

Cord you can get at Home Depot. 1/4" braided nylon.

Stainless steel band clamp needs to be 100% 316 stainless. Many of the Home Depot variety have non-stainless or different stainless screw parts. West Marine has 100% 316 stainless band (aka hose) clamps.

IMHO, unless you are setting up a half dozen+ stages, by the time you drive all over and/or pay shipping from multiple suppliers you might as well just buy a complete kit from H or Salvo etc.

Sourcing rubber bands (inner tubes of the correct size) is a pita.
 
rjack321:
Hose is available at any marine store or Home Depot. Rubber preferred over plastic.

Cord you can get at Home Depot. 1/4" braided nylon.

Stainless steel band clamp needs to be 100% 316 stainless. Many of the Home Depot variety have non-stainless or different stainless screw parts. West Marine has 100% 316 stainless band (aka hose) clamps.

IMHO, unless you are setting up a half dozen+ stages, by the time you drive all over and/or pay shipping from multiple suppliers you might as well just buy a complete kit from H or Salvo etc.

Sourcing rubber bands (inner tubes of the correct size) is a pita.
Click to expand...

that's what my feeling has always been. I'd rather buy the damn thing than run all over town/the internet sourcing this part or that.
 
SeaMar has the PERFECT rubber bands. The small ones are perfect for Al40's, and the big ones are great for Al80s. That's the best solution I've found.
 
TSandM:
SeaMar has the PERFECT rubber bands. The small ones are perfect for Al40's, and the big ones are great for Al80s. That's the best solution I've found.
Click to expand...

Nice find, thanks.
 
Rainer:
Ask your T1 instructor. :)

BTW, Nix is out (for good) of the bigger bolt snaps.
Click to expand...

Dont worry, im not rouge. My Tech 1 instructor knows all about this.

rjack321:
IMHO, unless you are setting up a half dozen+ stages, by the time you drive all over and/or pay shipping from multiple suppliers you might as well just buy a complete kit from H or Salvo etc.

Sourcing rubber bands (inner tubes of the correct size) is a pita.
Click to expand...

Thanks much for this advice. My first setups will most likely be H just until I get a sense of what I want and how to optimally set it up--baby steps. However, I believe that as i further my training that I should be totally self sufficient setting all this up without requiring a preassembled "kit," so knowing where to get great part and what to look for is helpful. Further, I want to see if I can stock a save-a-dive kit with high quality components that I can probably get a hold of a bit cheaper than buying multiple H or salvo kits, and then a few friends and I can go in on a bulk purchase. Hence my initial inquiry.

The advice about inner tubes plus Lynne's source are super helpful as is everyones input--it will save me a lot of time. Thanks so much, and if you have any further thoughts, please dont hesitate to add on :D
 
Stage rigging almost never goes bad.

Rubber bands can get knicks in them making them iffy or break. Bold snaps can get smashed if you have ALOT of stages banging around in the truck. Even then its super rare they get so smushed to not swivel or open-close.

Most of us don't bring spare rigging in save a dive kits, I'm way more likely to bring an entire spare stage (of each gas we might be using).
 
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