Argon Bottle Rigging

[Scubant]

Does anyone have pics of the way you have your Argon bottle attached to you? Is it attached to your doubles or single bottle, your backplate, rightside up or rigged valve upside down when in use?

 

[TSandM]

I don't have a photo, but I have a loop of webbing attached to one of the side holes in the plate with a sex bolt. Tied to the bottom hole in the plate is a long loop of 1/4" bungie. The bottle goes into the webbing loop, and the bungie is brought around the valve and valve handle (the bottom is valve-side-down). Very stable and out of the way. This is for a 6cf bottle, though; I don't think you can do the same thing with a larger one.

 

[IanBrit]

Mount it on the backplate (mine uses the same mounting hardware as one of my bag pouches), upside down (1st stage downwards) so the hose comes up under your arm and attaches to the suit in the same way that your backgas inflator hose would do. I use a 6cf bottle. I also keep the original inflator hose attached to my doubles in case something goes fubar and I need more suit air (never needed it so far).

 

[gsk3]

I mount mine like Lynne does. If you DIY it, best to play around with the spacing until it's not too much of a pain to get in but doesn't slop around. I've got mine tight enough that the bottle doesn't rotate around and the handle stays where I want it.

The better commercial kits don't have that problem since they use cam bands.

 

[tstormdiver]

Also mount mine exactly like Lynne does.

 

[PfcAJ]

The al6 works well on the backplate as others have described. For larger bottles (al14, al13, with the 14 being preferred), the tank-mount is a better choice. Same thing though, upside down, below the shoulder of the tank, valve handle facing out so you can shut it down if you need to. I also try to keep the tank forward relative to the backgas. I've found that this reduces the profile a bit and makes passing tight spots a little easier. This fuzzy pic kinda shows what I'm talkin' bout.

 

[Blackwood]

In these photos, my AL6 is rigged as TSandM described:

 

[Scubant]

Thanks for the quick replies!!! I wanted to get a few days diving off one bottle so I opted for tank band on my doubles with a pin release for easy removal for fills and storage. I bought a used 20cft tank (after vised) from my LDC. With this setup we figured that yes it would be more difficult to get into tight spots but at the depths I'm going to I shouldn't be in anything for the short time I'm down there. Also, an added plus it would give me more seat space on the boat (LOL). I'm taking a Trimix course in April. My buddies have been bugging me to dive all winter, with the water temps around 40F in Long Island Sound, because of the mild weather.