So I have been experimenting with different ways to maintain al80 tank trim over the last couple of years. Al80s because that what is usually available thruout the Caribbean and elsewhere.
For various reasons with al80s, I have rejected weighting the tank butts, sliding drings, reattaching the tank from rear to front drings, and the triangle bolt snap method.
In truth, I am in search of a somewhat rigid, set and forget solution with al80s.
My latest system which I have been using for the last six months is to have an opposite mounted bungee which attaches to a dring on each tanks cam band. This provides sufficient tension to pin the tank to my side between the bungee on the front and the rear dring and tail snap on my waist belt.
Although this system keeps the tank in the same good trim position even when the tank goes positive, it is somewhat cumbersome to use initially as I have to stretch the bungee bolt snaps across my front to the tank on the opppsite side for each side. This can be done from a sitting position, but I normally do so during the descent.
I have come up with an alternative solution to doing away with the cross mounted burgees, but have not yet had time to test it. That may come this weekend. The idea is to still use the tail snap on the rear dring, but instead of the cross mounted bungee, to use magnets. Here, a magnet is mounted on the waist belt and another is mounted on the tank band. So the magnetic force of the two parts keeps the tank in place. As before I use a ring bungee system with a bungee tank neck choaker for the nose clip.
The major advantage of this concept is that the tank will automatically position and magnetically latch itself at the beginning of the dive as the tank is negative at that point. Thus, no intervention or repositioning is required thru out the dive.
I will post the results of this experiment after I have had a chance to properly test it.
For various reasons with al80s, I have rejected weighting the tank butts, sliding drings, reattaching the tank from rear to front drings, and the triangle bolt snap method.
In truth, I am in search of a somewhat rigid, set and forget solution with al80s.
My latest system which I have been using for the last six months is to have an opposite mounted bungee which attaches to a dring on each tanks cam band. This provides sufficient tension to pin the tank to my side between the bungee on the front and the rear dring and tail snap on my waist belt.
Although this system keeps the tank in the same good trim position even when the tank goes positive, it is somewhat cumbersome to use initially as I have to stretch the bungee bolt snaps across my front to the tank on the opppsite side for each side. This can be done from a sitting position, but I normally do so during the descent.
I have come up with an alternative solution to doing away with the cross mounted burgees, but have not yet had time to test it. That may come this weekend. The idea is to still use the tail snap on the rear dring, but instead of the cross mounted bungee, to use magnets. Here, a magnet is mounted on the waist belt and another is mounted on the tank band. So the magnetic force of the two parts keeps the tank in place. As before I use a ring bungee system with a bungee tank neck choaker for the nose clip.
The major advantage of this concept is that the tank will automatically position and magnetically latch itself at the beginning of the dive as the tank is negative at that point. Thus, no intervention or repositioning is required thru out the dive.
I will post the results of this experiment after I have had a chance to properly test it.