Any tips and examples on how to configure and attach a stage / deco bottle?

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mulla

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Messages
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Location
Australia
# of dives
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Hi Fellow SM Divers,

I am thinking about venturing into tech diving in SM configuration and have a few questions in regards to deco bottle attachment. Understand this will all be talked about by the instructor, am planning to borrow a deco bottle from someone and just practice swimming around and familiarity with diving with 3 cylinders.

Been through various posts online and have a general idea on how to setup the bottle and all.

With some discussion around the Edd Sorenson style, with the deco bottle on top of your primary. In this position do you attach the tank before you jump off the boat? Or do you need someone to hand you the tank and you attache in water? With in water attachment, how hard is it to do at the surface? I've seen a youtube video (Dive Rite) of someone doing this attachment but it was under water. Can't imagine you carry the stage in your hand and attach when you are under? :S

I am using an unmodified SMS100, currently I bungee up after I'm under water. With a stage I just can't see it in my mind how I can bungee only the primary tank once underwater. The stage would prevent me unclipping the bungee and bringing it around the primary. I am guessing you don't bungee the stage?
 
With some discussion around the Edd Sorenson style, with the deco bottle on top of your primary. In this position do you attach the tank before you jump off the boat? Or do you need someone to hand you the tank and you attache in water? With in water attachment, how hard is it to do at the surface? I've seen a youtube video (Dive Rite) of someone doing this attachment but it was under water. Can't imagine you carry the stage in your hand and attach when you are under? :S

I am using an unmodified SMS100, currently I bungee up after I'm under water. With a stage I just can't see it in my mind how I can bungee only the primary tank once underwater. The stage would prevent me unclipping the bungee and bringing it around the primary. I am guessing you don't bungee the stage?

I put stages on top "Sorenson style" when diving caves. They ride very nicely that way. Putting them on is tricky. I'll normally drop down in a few feet of water to attach them. Would imagine putting them on in a boat would be a PITA. Why not just carry the deco tank underneath (same as backmount) Not as elegant and the tanks will hang lower,but if you are in OW that's not a problem.
Another thing to bear in mind is it's really hard to see a stage/deco tank on top of a sidemount tank. Better have a real good buddy to check you are on the correct reg!!!

The stage is not bungeed. Bottom goes on the sidemount "rail" top goes on chest D ring.
 
Ive tried both and I prefer to have my stages under the sidemount cylinders just like in back mount. For what its worth I dive open water though, I may have a different opinion if I was in a cave.
 
From a caver's perspective, what's the pros and cons to top(Sorenson)/bottom rigging the stages? I'd be interested to hear a more detailed analysis of these options also...
 
Just to put it out there, I recently switched to the DiveRite Nomad Bungie system, and stage handling (and tank handling in general) got tremendously easier because everything stays pretty easily tucked away, it is simple to handle the tanks from hookup to diving etc.

I have gotten in and out (calm shore conditions) with as many as five bottles mounted after switching to the Nomad system.

The Nomad system uses a metal dangley from a front ring to the upper clip off point (under the shoulder) and the strap to hold the neck clip up against the back of the valve to make handling way, way easier. (Plus the tanks ride much more to the side, and not jammed under the arms.

For me the hardest thing about stage/deco handling was the hooking up part. The Nomad Bungie system makes that just not even something to think about, since it can be done simply, in or out of the water.
 
I put everything on top but don't change the rigging as I also dive back mount. I find a small bungee loop on the d ring to clip into helps but I can do it without.

I clip everything on in the water but I don't dive side mount on boats. I've had people clip bottles underneath when I take photos and feel it looks sloppy...
 
From a caver's perspective, what's the pros and cons to top(Sorenson)/bottom rigging the stages? I'd be interested to hear a more detailed analysis of these options also...

It's a very compact way to carry a lot of tanks in small spaces.

I've started putting stages on top going in. The stages are heavy then and drop down onto the sidemount tank. Stages are dropped at 1/2 +200. On the way out I put them underneath. Easier to attach that way and as they are getting lighter they float up and stop on the sidemount tanks. Works very well for me.

Carrying a full stage beneath a sidemount tank it will hang very low,all too easy to drag it through the silt. Part of the problem is I have to put my waist D rings further forward than I would in backmount as I can't reach them with a sidemount tank in the way.
 
First of all thanks for everyone who's responded, some extremely helpful comments there.

I put stages on top "Sorenson style" when diving caves. They ride very nicely that way. Putting them on is tricky. I'll normally drop down in a few feet of water to attach them. Would imagine putting them on in a boat would be a PITA. Why not just carry the deco tank underneath (same as backmount) Not as elegant and the tanks will hang lower,but if you are in OW that's not a problem.
Another thing to bear in mind is it's really hard to see a stage/deco tank on top of a sidemount tank. Better have a real good buddy to check you are on the correct reg!!!

The stage is not bungeed. Bottom goes on the sidemount "rail" top goes on chest D ring.

Thanks for the extremely helpful clarification. I'm still SM'ing in OW at the moment, the stage below primary sounds feasable. It would probably be easier to bungee up the primary with my stock SMS100 if the stage is below. I'd imagine it would be fairly difficult to clip off the back "rail" if stage goes under? Would a bungee / strap attached to a O or D ring attached to a rail assist? So it'll go rail -> Strap with O ring -> stage clip.

Have you dived SM with stage off a boat? Any tips?

Just to put it out there, I recently switched to the DiveRite Nomad Bungie system, and stage handling (and tank handling in general) got tremendously easier because everything stays pretty easily tucked away, it is simple to handle the tanks from hookup to diving etc.

I have gotten in and out (calm shore conditions) with as many as five bottles mounted after switching to the Nomad system.

The Nomad system uses a metal dangley from a front ring to the upper clip off point (under the shoulder) and the strap to hold the neck clip up against the back of the valve to make handling way, way easier. (Plus the tanks ride much more to the side, and not jammed under the arms.

For me the hardest thing about stage/deco handling was the hooking up part. The Nomad Bungie system makes that just not even something to think about, since it can be done simply, in or out of the water.

I've read about the Dive Rite system and it looks very good with the online material. I'm just a bit concerned with the "choker" system they mentioned on tanks, it could make attaching bottles a little more challenging on boats?

Ive tried both and I prefer to have my stages under the sidemount cylinders just like in back mount. For what its worth I dive open water though, I may have a different opinion if I was in a cave.

Any further details on when you attach the stages on the boat or in the water? What bungee system do you have?
 
When I dive off a boat I have the stages handed to me or if its rough they can be dropped a few feet under the boat on a line. If its calm I will jump in with just my left cylinder which has my short hose on it giving me a reg and inflation then have my long hose cylinder handed down. I use loop bungees with my 1st stages facing up tucked into my arm pits. I tried the diverite bungee without the chokers or the ring bungees and didnt care for them. I think the loop bungee is the most flexible option out there and its as cheap as a piece of bungee you have laying around in the garage.
 
It would probably be easier to bungee up the primary with my stock SMS100 if the stage is below. I'd imagine it would be fairly difficult to clip off the back "rail" if stage goes under? Would a bungee / strap attached to a O or D ring attached to a rail assist? So it'll go rail -> Strap with O ring -> stage clip.

Have you dived SM with stage off a boat? Any tips?

With a stage underneath I just clip it like I would in backmount. Top of stage on chest D ring,bottom of stage on waist D ring.

Diving sidemount off a boat I will either put the tanks on in the water, or, put the left tank (with bungeed reg and wing inflator) on while in the boat,jump in the water then put the right tank on. If its choppy it's nice to have a reg in your mouth!

Clipping on sidemount and deco tanks next to a boat,in rough weather, can be rather character building as you get slammed into the hull every few seconds. MUCH easier to just jump in wearing backmount.
 
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