Tank orientation

[avengerki]

Ok I am curious about something and a newbie. I always see the tank setup with the valve by the head. Is there a reason for this? The main one I keep thinking of is if jumping off a boat possibly hitting the valve and knocking it off. I use SCBA frequently and we tend to have the valve oriented torwards the feet as it makes it easier to access and doesn't restrict the head movement as much. Of course with it in the down position we have a cage type device to help protect it. Either orientation is fine when using SCBA.

I can understand it easier for when using doubles, just trying to get a feel for this.

 

[p1p]

you will have very long hoses in you orient valve down.

 

[avengerki]

you will have very long hoses in you orient valve down.

And that would be different from have a 6 or seven foot primary how?

 

[rongoodman]

Inverted doubles are more popular in the UK for some reason.

 

[emoreira]

This has already been discussed here in SB.
In fact, there is no orientation of the tank valve when you are diving. It is supposed that you will be diving in horizontal position the most of the time, so the valve is neither up nor down, as the tank is horizontal.
A well enough fitted diver should have access to the tank valve while it's in it's back.

 

[spectrum]

Avengerki,

The inverted configuration as you suggested makes it more difficult to protect the valve and would require a cage for setting a rig down in the common way. That rig would then have a high center of gravity and be even more unstable. Given, you aren't suppose to leave it standing around but you do need to get in and out of the BC and in many cases that's from a standing cylinder orientation. With the cage around the valve regulator swapping and hose routing would be complicated and in the end easy valve access just loses out.

It's all good fun for a specialty rig but for the masses it's just too much of a game changer.

if you are having head interference with your cylinder or rig there are probably configuration adjustments that will help.

Pete

 

[avengerki]

I haven't been having any issues I was just trying to figure out if there was a rhyme or reason to it. I guess I tend to do/see things a little differently based on the previous training I had with SCBA. I haven't done any diving from a boat so most of the time after doing the initial connections and have the rig laying flat I just don it from that position.

As to orientation while diving I never mentioned up or down I referenced valve to head or feet. I have tried to find previous threads but so often get so many other non-related threads that they hide the older relevant thread and it becomes fairly stupid.

 

[knotical]

I have tried to find previous threads ...

Here's a thread from last year:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/376734-inverted-tank-configuration.html

 

[p1p]

And that would be different from have a 6 or seven foot primary how?

7ft hose is for air sharing

 

[Nemrod]

There have been scuba rigs with the valve down including some of Cousteau's stuff. In the end it just did not catch favor, imagine a charter boat full of upside down tanks, where would they go in the typical racks?

N