Bottom Clip

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scuba127

Contributor
Messages
476
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89
Location
Urbandale Iowa
# of dives
200 - 499
On Bonaire right now and just completed a side mount dive. Rig is a Hollis SMS 50 with Old School loop bungees. Pretty much got everything where I want it except for some tank sway outward from my body at times during the dive. I felt it and my wife who was right behind me the whole way noticed it from time to time. I've got my bottom cam band with butterfly clip even with my waist belt which puts it about 13 inches from the top of the valve. I've got butter fly clips with the leash about as short as possible. I'm using the stealth rubber sliding o rings (I'd rather have a steel low profile oring) on the waist belt which seems to be doing the job keeping the tanks in trim. Tanks are aluminum 80's with no weights attached to the tank. Any suggestions on how to deal with the tank sway before the next dive tommorrow? Maybe lower the camband down the tanks some? Thanks in advance.
 
Try flipping the cam band so the clip comes up from the bottom of the band instead of going down, that way the band is lower on the tank but the height isn't any different.
 
Are you using manifold valves, how are you hooking up your cylinders? The pull of the bungee should twist the cylinder into your side and lessen the movement. I've used my yoke setup in Bonaire because that's what they have, and wind my bungee around the yoke nut, but it doesn't give the same pull as manifold valve setup. You can always try to tighten up the bungee a bit. It may help. I will usually trade some cylinder movement for ease of hooking up.
 
The sway is occurring where the bottom clip is hooked to the tank? Are you saying tightening the bungee will have an effect at this connection point? May be the rubber rings are stretching some? You make a good point about accepting some tank sway for ease of gearing up. Its not real bad so may just have to accept it. Everything else is where I want it. I can't get the leash any shorter.
 
he's saying that when you use the hip d-rings you will always have the length of the bolt snap+the height of the ring as how far the tanks are able to swing out from your body. This is lessened with a butt plate because it moves the attachment point up and somewhat in, so they are hanging down instead of hanging out. Pun intended.

When you configure a razor style system properly, which is essentially what you have done, the system puts torque on the main axis of the tank trying to rotate the tank up and into you. The bungee acting on the valve is what does this, so if you do it right, the tank should be twisting into you which minimizes the ability of the tank to swing out. It also allows you to roll up-side-down and to the side without the tanks moving. Something you can't do with traditional sidemount rigging.

http://www.sidemounting.com/Portals... Side Mount System Fitting - Steve Martin.jpg

It won't let me upload that picture, but you can see how the clips are actually at the bottom of the tank which takes up the slack, and the bungee rotates the tank to where it is sitting on top of the clip. That is the only way to take the slack up. This also only works with AL80's and some of the smaller faber tanks that get real floaty when they are empty, doesn't work so well on steels that hang pretty low, those have to be suspended from the butt rails.
 
That is the perfect video to explain my point. It's easy to see how the bungee rotates the cylinder and takes out any slack in the bottom clip.
 
What's the thickness on those bungie loops? I've used two thickness sizes so far. Too damn thick..tries to break my thumbs, and too thin.. cylinder neck hangs down. I'm not sure just what the thickness measurements are on either
 
Most of the rigs come with 3/8, too hard to pull for my liking as well. So I've switched everything to 1/4. Works well for everything I do. And can find in lots of colors.
 
Great videos, still waiting to see ones in drysuits, hoods and dry gloves............ok, I'm jealous.


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https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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