Mixed team (cc & oc)

[tbone1004]

Hey, I've always liked the idea. But it sucks for most rebreathers. BMCL's it gets twitchy depending on how you handle O2 addition. You're either super wide with it strapped to a tank, sidemounted it compresses the counterlung, or it hangs like a regular stage and isn't very streamlined.

I hate OTSCL's in cave diving. Well, hate them in general. They're annoying and distracting and the WOB isn't that much better.

Now, when I got rid of my Meg and switched to the SF2, I finally have all the room in the world to mount my O2 like an argon bottle to the plate, run LP50's in a rack, still maintain a streamlined profile, and don't have to worry about compromising the counterlung because it's in the can. New favorite setup, and I took your advice with the STA's and cam bands instead of trying to source the hard bands for the RB80 rack. It worked out well.

Johnny, really needs the tanks permastuck to something but that's O2 and inflation on the back. Stick up about 2" higher than the Meg does, but protects the head from anything. Total weight is comparable to a set of double 104's. Could move the 3l's out to the side, but the profile with the Meg on it isn't that bad. I'll try to get a pic today of it with the meg in there since it's assembled in my truck right now

 

[rjack321]

Can you reach that O2 valve around the lp50?

I cant really have 50s on the unit (I could in FL but not really diving the Meg down there anymore). Putting them on a frame is too heavy for my sumpy dives with hikes and stuff.

I sidemount 50s or 85s, use the onboard left ("dil") bottle as suit gas and the right is O2. Long hose on the right SM bottle, left one is necklaced.

 

[tbone1004]

Can you reach that O2 valve around the lp50?

I cant really have 50s on the unit (I could in FL but not really diving the Meg down there anymore). Putting them on a frame is too heavy for my sumpy dives with hikes and stuff.

I sidemount 50s or 85s, use the onboard left ("dil") bottle as suit gas and the right is O2. Long hose on the right SM bottle, left one is necklaced.

yes, was obviously a high priority when setting up.
They have standard lefty righty valves that come on the meg and are clocked at about the same angle as the valves on the 50's.

 

[rjack321]

It never seemed accessible to the JJ folks putting a 3L behind their 50s. But I think they are moving it medially towards their canister more.

 

[JohnnyC]

The far back mounted O2 and inflation bottles sucks. It's why the GUE JJ sucks. It doesn't scale at all. LP50's are about the max unless you have gorilla arms. I don't. Plate mounted O2 like an argon bottle works great and allows for reduced shoulder mobility, shorter arms, etc. It doesn't affect ability to sidemount bailouts, and keeps your vertical profile small, and I have yet to have it affect wing inflation size.

The only reason I do it on my Pelagian is because it doesn't work with BMCL's. It also means more hardware. Tiger mounts are fine, if not a little large.....

 

[tbone1004]

The far back mounted O2 and inflation bottles sucks. It's why the GUE JJ sucks. It doesn't scale at all. LP50's are about the max unless you have gorilla arms. I don't. Plate mounted O2 like an argon bottle works great and allows for reduced shoulder mobility, shorter arms, etc. It doesn't affect ability to sidemount bailouts, and keeps your vertical profile small, and I have yet to have it affect wing inflation size.

The only reason I do it on my Pelagian is because it doesn't work with BMCL's. It also means more hardware. Tiger mounts are fine, if not a little large.....

you are limited to 50's with that setup, but I'd rather have a smaller rig and carry some extra stages. To go to 85's only saves me 1 stage, and 121's saves me a second one but makes the rig offensively heavy IMO

 

[PfcAJ]

you are limited to 50's with that setup, but I'd rather have a smaller rig and carry some extra stages. To go to 85's only saves me 1 stage, and 121's saves me a second one but makes the rig offensively heavy IMO

Using 120s is great for the deep stuff. 50s just arent adequate and stacking on stages and complexity when you could have the gas on your back just doesn't make sense.

 

[tbone1004]

Using 120s is great for the deep stuff. 50s just arent adequate and stacking on stages and complexity when you could have the gas on your back just doesn't make sense.

lp120's or HP120's? HP120's I get, they're just 85's, but the lp121's are behemoths. Not going that deep quite yet, and may never in a cave, so the 50's work for me right now. If at some point I end up wanting to go that deep in a cave I'll cross that bridge when I get there. I know I can get 85's on there and reach the valves *but 6'4" with long arms*, just haven't had the need yet

 

[PfcAJ]

Lp121s.

Lp50 baby tanks are only appropriate for shallow and or short range cave dives.

 

[rjack321]

I don't own any 121s but hp130s with a hefty fraction of helium actually sidemount pretty good.

If theory I could backmount big tanks in FL but the reality up here in BC is that we have brutal hikes, rocky entries and sumpy caves. My friend tried his GUE-JJ up here and ended up tripping and ripping his suit. Trip and fall injuries multiple sumps back (or on the path to even get to the cave) are a far biggest risk than running out of gas or BO for us. So being able to divvy up the weight is pretty key.