Ring Bungees

I just recently started SM diving and I notice that the tanks (80AL) kinda sit low when I am in the water. I am wondering if ring bungees would help bring the tank up in tighter towards my arm pit? Would chokers in combination with the ring bungees help? Also not sure if it maters but im not using a stage strap kit to rig my cylinders, I am using a a couple of cam straps and 550 cord with 4 butterfly clips. Any ideas?

The ring bungees will likely help, also tying knots in the stock bungee will tighten things up...

If tanks are hanging down in the front due to the tank butts being high, you may need to lengthen the static chord on the back, or use a different attachment point when the tanks get butt floaty...



Tinker... I don't know where your problem is coming from, so its not a one size fits all answer.

Are you using bungees at all on the fronts of the tanks, or just parachute cord and boltsnaps?

If you go with the ring bungees you should do the whole setup (stage straps, chokers) and then tinker from there if you need to.

Loop bungees work best for me by not only keeping the tanks up but also puling them in. I know Rob will post here and he has great info on his site as well as pictures showing what "Loop" bungees are.

A loop bungee may be fastened a few different ways but it is one piece bungee that starts and ends in the same spot. It comes down and loops only around your tank valve knob.

DUI_Diver:

I just recently started SM diving and I notice that the tanks (80AL) kinda sit low when I am in the water. I am wondering if ring bungees would help bring the tank up in tighter towards my arm pit? Would chokers in combination with the ring bungees help? Also not sure if it maters but im not using a stage strap kit to rig my cylinders, I am using a a couple of cam straps and 550 cord with 4 butterfly clips. Any ideas?

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Hard to tell without knowing exactly what you're doing now that makes them sit so low. If you're using the standard bungees, they could be too long and/or the snap bolts on them could be pushing the valve away from you, which is typical with that design. The cord and butterfly clips on the neck is only there as redundancy not to hold the valves up. You need bungee to hold the valves up. My personal preference is using loops. Loops can be routed several different ways.

I use the butterfly clip and 550 cord as a saftey and then take the original bungees and wrap them around the valves and clip them across my chest. I have not seen any pictures of this online but it is how I was tought. The setup seems to work fine and the tank are prob where there supposed to be, I am just wondering if I can get the tank valves back under my arm pit instead of right beneath my arm pit when I am horizontal in the water. If I use the ring bungees I am going to get the chokers as well but can I continue to use my cam straps and butterflies or do I need to get stage strap kits?

Also I currently set up my tanks with the valves point straight out in front of me and the first stages pointing in toward my body. (I am using a left and right valve) Whats the best way to set up the tanks if I am using chokers? I was assuming that I would have the valve knobs point out and have the first stages face straight out in front of me with the dog clips on the back of the valve with the choker. Is this the best or only way to set up the tanks?

These loop bungees that everyone keeps mentioning, is it just one long piece of bungee (one bungee for both side) Is it home made or something I can see/buy online?

Thanks

Sorry wasn't trying to be insulting when I asked about the parachute cord. I just wanted to be sure I understood your setup. I have actually seen a couple people with no bungees and just carrying their 'sidemount' tanks like conventional stages.

If you move the lower cam bands towards the top of the tank, that tends to pull the top of the tank (valve and reg) further "down" away from your armpits. This will affect your trim somewhat so you may have to adjust elsewhere to compensate. Longer bungees will also help make this work. I like my tanks far enough back that I'm not fumbling around them with my arms all the time.

I used the ring bungees for a short period of time. I went back to conventional bungees. The bolt snap winds up on the back of the valve with the choker holding it against it, and that results in the regulators facing outwards rather than inwards, where they are better protected. I used it with the stage strap kit because that puts the head of the bolt snap in the right location for the ring bungee. It was a decent setup, just not exactly what I wanted.

Rob has a picture of his modifications with the loop bungees on his website. They are sweet.

Here is a picture of the loop bungee. Where his thumb is is where your tank valve knob goes ( best when knobs face outward). It is cheap and simple and made from stuff you can get at your local hardware store.

DUI_Diver:

I use the butterfly clip and 550 cord as a saftey and then take the original bungees and wrap them around the valves and clip them across my chest. I have not seen any pictures of this online but it is how I was tought. The setup seems to work fine and the tank are prob where there supposed to be, I am just wondering if I can get the tank valves back under my arm pit instead of right beneath my arm pit when I am horizontal in the water. If I use the ring bungees I am going to get the chokers as well but can I continue to use my cam straps and butterflies or do I need to get stage strap kits?

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If the valves aren't under your pit, then the cylinders are not where they should be. They are hanging down too low. With the ring bungees, you can continue to use the straps and butterflies. However, you will either also have to incorporate stage strap kits or make something to work with the bungees. Rather than spend the money on all that, why not just try the loops?

Also I currently set up my tanks with the valves point straight out in front of me and the first stages pointing in toward my body. (I am using a left and right valve) Whats the best way to set up the tanks if I am using chokers? I was assuming that I would have the valve knobs point out and have the first stages face straight out in front of me with the dog clips on the back of the valve with the choker. Is this the best or only way to set up the tanks?

Click to expand...

Yes, with rings you'll have to face the 1st stages down.

These loop bungees that everyone keeps mentioning, is it just one long piece of bungee (one bungee for both side) Is it home made or something I can see/buy online?

Click to expand...

Either way. I use 2 separate loops on my Nomad. I have a homemade rig with on long bicycle inner tube that also works.

LakeCountyDiver:

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Here is a picture of the loop bungee. Where his thumb is is where your tank valve knob goes ( best when knobs face outward). It is cheap and simple and made from stuff you can get at your local hardware store.

Click to expand...

So I would use my butterflies just as a saftey and then just have the loop bungees come from behind me and wrap them around the valves? Is it possible to do this without have both a left and right valve? Say im horizontal in the water, should the entire valve be behind my arm pit or should the valves sit pretty much in my arm pit? Would some of the thicker shock cord suffice for the loop bungees? Thanks for everyones input.