Tank Placement

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mainedvr

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
648
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Location
Southern CA
# of dives
200 - 499
I have been working on getting myself to where I want my gear to be that is comfortable and usable for me. I find that I am slowly lowering my tank in the straps as I feel that it is always in the way of my head being up. Other than the obvious (tank falling out of the straps) what is the lowest I could have my tank on the back with out an issue. Reason I ask is it seems to block me from lifting my head up and I find I am always looking down because its in the way. I was taught (still new to diving just 20) that the back top of the bc should be level with the first stage. I want it lower....Anyhow anyone see issues with this if my tank is secure? Seems kind of like a lame question but hey what the heck...

Thanks
 
Just after posting this I had a thought that maybe my legs are a bit boyant, will have to ask my wife what my postion looks like in the water....maybe I need to distribute some of my weight to my legs
 
every bc is different
adjust the height so it is how YOU want it
trim and reach for valve is what youre looking for
ankle weights...not so much...
have fun just playing with your set up!!!
tune it in how you like it
have fun .
yaeg
 
It might not be the tank's position that's bothering you, but the first stage of your regulator. My first regulator was a very clunky number: the first stage ran perpendicular to my tank's neck (that is, it stuck straight out from the tank valve a good four inches or so). It sucked. Every time I lifted my head, I thwacked the back of my head against it. Moving the tank down only helped so much. In any event, this solution can cause trim issues, as well as safety hazards: it's very impornant that you're always able to reach your tank's valve with your own hands. I solved the problem by acquiring a regulator with a first stage than ran parallel to the tank's neck with a groovy swivel. Nothing to hit my head on any more!

By all means, ask someone else to look at your positioning in the water. If your legs are a bit buoyant, shifting the tank's position slightly may help, as might investing in heavier fins or (if water conditions allow...maybe not, if you're diving locally in Maine!) using slightly thinner booties. It's amazing what a difference it all makes. As the poster above said: play with your set-up, fine-tune it and have lots of fun.
 
No question is a lame! a lame question is that not questioning!!!

The Top point of the BCD should be aligned with the Top of the Tank.

Some BCD's are different therefore this might cause some issues. Depending on the BCD it should be set already. If not it needs to be set (adjusted). send me a photo and I can inform if it's set properly! Or if adjustments are required.

Paying attention to your equipment set up is an excellent habit.

Have fun diving!
 
For me the top of my BC is usually in line with the top of my first stage or a bit higher if I have a long tank. The important thing to look at though is how your tank straps sits on your tank

You should have at least a few cm's below the shoulder of the tank to prevent it from slipping out of your strap(s). There's also the question of whether lowering your tank anymore affects your trim.
Having said that some BC's will not allow you to lower your tank enough to keep the first stage off the back of your head. It all depends on how the shoulder straps sit on you.

An example would be the Sherwood Axis BC. That's the BC I use. The shoulder straps are pretty stiff and adjusting the straps only lift the waist pockets up and down. Because of this the tank plate and straps are always in the same place, no matter how you adjust your straps.

Another example on the other side of the spectrum would be a BP/W with a hog harness. When you adjust the shoulder straps on that you can actually lower or raise the backplate holding your tank straps. So you have a much larger range of where you can place your tank. You can raise it or lower it in the straps or you can raise and lower the backplate itself.
With BC's like this the top of the plate is actually well below your first stage.

Some stock BC's have flexible shoulder straps like a Bp/W.
You'll have to look at your BC to see if there's anyway for you to work with it. More often than not though you just need to arch your back a bit to look "up" and forward instead of just tilting your head back. Lowering your tank or backplate is not the only option for you.
 
thanks for all the input and i will try some of them out and see how it goes...just keep working to find my zone

thanks
 
I normally try to keep the valve / regulator between my shoulder blades or as close as possible.
 
thanks for all the input and i will try some of them out and see how it goes...just keep working to find my zone

thanks

Your BCD system could be moving forward during your dives, which would place the first stage too near your noggin. In addition, this would place you into a too head-heavy position causing the floaty feet thing. Try cinching-down the system, or better yet, eventually graviate to the ever versatile BP/wing BCD system...
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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