Sidemounting Stage/Pony Bottle

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Manatee Diver

Stop throwing lettuce at me!
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Location
Tampa Bay, FL
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Not sure if this is the best place for it. I am about to take a solo class with the typical recreational BPW configuration. Followed by AN/DP/Helitrox in the typical tech BPW configuration.

But after diving sidemount for my cave course it got me thinking, can I sidemount my stage and pony bottles?

If yes, is it as simple as buying a couple of these with some quick links, some bolt snaps, and then adjusting my tank rigging?
Dive Rite Adjustable Bungee System - No Hardware | Dive Gear Express®

Or are there other considerations that I'm not thinking about?
 
Here is the resource I used to rig up my first stage cylinders: DIR-diver.com - Stagebottle rigging

It is the classical and stereotypical way of doing it. Lots of people have small or large adjustments that they make, but this is the baseline.

The top clip clips to your left shoulder D ring, the bottom clip clips to your left waist D ring.

Side mount people seem to have taken this process to a whole new level: bungees, specialized rings, funny long bars in the back of their specialized back plates, etc. Looking at you dive last week in your side mount, I am envious of how well your bottles ride and want to see what I can do to improve mine. But that link will at least give you a starting place.
 
When I use my pony, I run a ring bungee and a choker on the top boltsnap. Works well for me. Wish I could say the same for the retainer on my flashlight.
GOPR0768crop.jpg
 
I simply put a lower attachment snap on the tank like normal sidemount rigging (that attaches to left waist d-ring). Then have a loop of bungee coming off the plate behind my armpit that wraps over the valve knob. Keeps it super streamlined with minimal hardware.
 
Not sure if this is the best place for it. I am about to take a solo class with the typical recreational BPW configuration. Followed by AN/DP/Helitrox in the typical tech BPW configuration.

But after diving sidemount for my cave course it got me thinking, can I sidemount my stage and pony bottles?

If yes, is it as simple as buying a couple of these with some quick links, some bolt snaps, and then adjusting my tank rigging?
Dive Rite Adjustable Bungee System - No Hardware | Dive Gear Express®

Or are there other considerations that I'm not thinking about?
i suggest using a system that can switch between your differant configurations without any adjustments a one size fits all type thing that way you can build u p your muscle memory without having to think about it
other than that use whatever works
 
I simply put a lower attachment snap on the tank like normal sidemount rigging (that attaches to left waist d-ring). Then have a loop of bungee coming off the plate behind my armpit that wraps over the valve knob. Keeps it super streamlined with minimal hardware.


I do the exact same thing, There are no extra bits to add with weird things like a previous poster suggested and it keeps it clean and streamlined.
 
I simply put a lower attachment snap on the tank like normal sidemount rigging (that attaches to left waist d-ring). Then have a loop of bungee coming off the plate behind my armpit that wraps over the valve knob. Keeps it super streamlined with minimal hardware.
^This.
Clean and simple.

Since I use both backmount and Sidemount, this makes for an easy transition between the two.
 
alright, there are "ways" to do this, and "ways" to do this...

Here's what I firmly believe is the best way, BY FAR.

Use whatever stage rigging you want, because this is compatible with all of them. You can use standard DIR rigging, or if you are a sidemount diver and have weird sidemount stage rigging *which I do*, it works fine.

Take backplate. Make a loop bungee that is the "normal" length you'd use for sidemount, which should come down about to where your waist strap is. Tie said loop bungee to your shoulder strap with a piece of thin bungee. Slide down to your hip when you are getting into/out of your rig, and leave it there when not using it. When using it, slide it up to your shoulder d-ring. Load the bottle the "normal" way with the clips on hip and shoulder d-rings, then snap the loop bungee over the valve. Looks like this. I have them on all of my backplates and it's completely unobtrusive, but makes a MASSIVE difference with anything that's slung.
53518717_10161460920950134_1428685716707082240_n.jpg


You can see more specifics of how it's done in this video. Yes it's on a sidemount rig, but extrapolate a bit.
 
I do as Tom showed. I only Sidemount the stage though. I don’t worry about a deco bottle
 

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