latest SM set up with pics - for anyone getting started it may help....or not

[rick00001967]

been plugging along with my new stealth SM rig and trying different hose routing etc. been a lot of fun. pics below are the latest (and best so far.
specs are.....bare nex gen pro dry suit, hollis AUG 100 under garment with extra fleece vest, bare trek boots, bare 7mm dry hood, scuba pro dry gloves, stealth harness / bc, hog D1 DIN cold sealed regs w/all blk 2nd stages from Cave Adventures, r/h reg on breakaway oring, steel LP 77's, both tanks using 5 foot LP hoses, 6" hp hose on spg, 9" LP inflator hoses for bc and dry suit, about 10lbs in the bottom 3 pouches of the spinal weight pockets.
using clips, hose retainers, and clamps from DGX. neck clips are the 3.5" med swivel eye bolt snaps. bottom clips are the xlarge swivel eye bolt snaps.
using some small lengths of a silicone tubing on the tank clamps to secure the extra length of clamp and prevent snagging. i was going to cut off the extra but the extra length makes it easier to hold in place inside the tubing. the shorter the excess, the harder it is to hold it down.

 

[decompression]

Nice and clean first stage set up, a small point to clean up the valve neck is use a single loop of cord, pulled through the bolt snap, wrapped around the neck and pull the bolt snap through. Um....those aren't tank boots are they? Lol.

Have to say, I love seeing the rest of us that don't dive In shorties and 100' VIS.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[rick00001967]

unfortunately i do not have my own tanks. so i use the same two shop tanks each time. i have marks on the tanks so i know where to put the hardware. so the neck clips are on a slip knot so i can easily take them off and put back on when needed. just about all our rentals have tank boots. they don't get in my way at all.

i would def replace the heavy line i am using with a cave line and attach as you recommended. thx for pointing that out.

i also tried something new with my tank bungees. i use a loop on each side. not a contiuous one. if i leave them loose i have a hell of a time finding them in all that cold water gear. i tried using a double bolt snap to attach them to my chest drings but once around the tank necks, they end up pulling down on the drings making it really hard to use the rings for anything. plus it clutters the rings. so i tried using the same double ended snap and attached them this time to my waist drings. super easy to find. keeps them out of the way taking the harness off and putting it on. i just unclip them and wrap around the tank. i just have to decide the best place to stow the snaps. this first time out i just left them hanging on the bungees. didn't cause any issues but i think i'd rather have them put away. maybe on the crotch ring at the rear ?? or maybe, if i can, i'll just clip the other end the bungee. i'll leave that til next time to figure out.

 

[tbone1004]

for those tanks you really need to get the clips farther back on your butt. If you don't have the butt plate you should consider getting one the tanks should be riding parallel to your body not below it. you can also consider changing the current rigging to cam bands and a stage strap so you have one piece of rigging to slide on.

 

[rick00001967]

i am using the square attachment points at the rear of the waist and i have the clips as close to the bottle as they can go (no leash at all). no other way to get them further back as you suggested unless i used shorter clips. but then they would be too tough to handle with the heavy gloves etc. even though they are below me i think i did a pretty good job to keep them parallel to my body. i was told by three different shops when pricing the system that the butt plate was not necessary even for heavy steel tanks so i did not get it. so i will have to do the best i can with what i have.
but you are correct that it would be better to get the tanks back further toward my feet and higher toward my back. thx

 

[tbone1004]

shops steered you in the wrong direction. physics are against you with this. You did get them parallel to the body, but hanging that low defeats a lot of the purpose of sidemount diving and you are still creating a lot of drag/turbulence in the water with the tanks that low because they have a lot more room to move around and are outside of the slipstream created by your shoulders.

https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=1277
there are a few variants on that that work quite well. Weave right into the crotch strap. Not quite as ideal as a proper butt plate. The xDeep is $80usd ish, so you can easily add it and if you're diving steels regularly you really need to do something to get the attachment as high as possible and as farther down your back.

Unfortunately the attachment points at the waist belt are very wrong for the steel tanks unless they're little ones like 45's. You can get them properly trimmed though, just takes a little coercing and getting the D-rings as far back towards the spine as possible. This unfortunately means that the tanks are now pulling in towards you instead of up, so it's not quite as comfortable as a proper butt plate or when diving Faber 85's/aluminum tanks where the butts get floaty so you can leave them on the outside of your hip.

 

[Patoux01]

I'm no expert, but buttplate is very often called useless on a stealth. Never tried steels though.

I'm however surprised by the amount of air in the wing?

Also, for the safety loop, I'd just make a cord loop that you put around the valve, make it just big enough for you to be able to remove it. Use a double ender to clip the tank on when you're out of the water.


Not sure how it is underwater as I can't see anything on those pictures, but it seems to me that when you're going to try to get your LH out, it'll eventually get caught in the spg. This is assuming that you just don your cylinders the way they are set up in the pictures, by just taking out 1 loop of the hose.

 

[rick00001967]

I'm no expert, but buttplate is very often called useless on a stealth. Never tried steels though.

I'm however surprised by the amount of air in the wing?

Also, for the safety loop, I'd just make a cord loop that you put around the valve, make it just big enough for you to be able to remove it. Use a double ender to clip the tank on when you're out of the water.

Not sure how it is underwater as I can't see anything on those pictures, but it seems to me that when you're going to try to get your LH out, it'll eventually get caught in the spg. This is assuming that you just don your cylinders the way they are set up in the pictures, by just taking out 1 loop of the hose.

i also think i need to add too much air to the bc. i am only wearing 10lbs and with lower tank pressure (like on the second dive as example) it is touch to get down. once i do manage to get under i sink like a rock. and i try to make sure my suit and bc are as empty of air as they can get. i am planing on trying to reduce lead by a pound or two each time i go out if i can. one shop (knowing what set up i was to be using) told me they thought i may be able to dive with almost no weight at all. we'll see

good idea for the neck clip if i had a couple extra double snaps. can't buy the good ones where i live. just cheap crap. but perhaps i could tie on my current clip using bungee. that way i can make it as small as possible. just so it will stretch enough to slip over the valve

i should clarify.....the pics show the tanks as i transported them. you are absolutely right that if deploying either hose this way, it would snag under the spg and HP hose. in the water i have been routing them straight down and then turned in so the hoses run along side my body and not on top of the tank

 

[rddvet]

Not to be a wet blanket but you appear to be bottom mounting like you're diving stages more than sidemounting. The tanks aren't riding along your sides like they should.

Many say a buttplate isn't needed. That's true for anything lighter than Faber 85s. Anything heavier and a buttplate is the smart choice.

 

[loquat149]

You can cleanup your tank neck by tying a loop that's just large enough to pass over the tank valve.

Also, for keeping track of loop bungees there a piece of hardware I use made by Highseas Millworks that attaches to the shoulder straps so you don't need yet another bolt snap clipped to your shoulder D ring.

I'd also suggest using a tank neck oring for your breakaway, that way you'd only need one zip tie rather than two.

Finally, consider covering the actual nut on the hose clamp you've placed on your cylinders as those are nice line traps when left exposed.

Good luck,
Dave