deepdvr1
Registered
I sling my Al 80 stage bottle this way and its easy to manage. DIR-diver.com - Stagebottle rigging
Tips on slinging a tank please
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Bob DBF
Contributor
I was checking your profile and with a jacket BC I can see what a PITA it would be to sling a bottle. The slung bottle would be trying to use the same space as the Jacket. I picked up an AL19 after switching to a BP/W so I didn't have that problem but had to work out a few other annoyances before I got used to it. I only dive with it occationally but when I do I like it.
Bob
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I may be old, but Im not dead yet.
Bob
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I may be old, but Im not dead yet.
OP
AfterDark
Contributor
OP
AfterDark
Contributor
No I don't expect them to "go away" nor would I want that, they are in trouble after all and I'm not a total A-hole. Not being tethered to them with an octo would give me more maneuverability to deal with them. If you had read my post(s) completely you'd understand it is a matter of not wanting to install / uninstall my octo depending whether or not I'm using my IDs or a single, not a matter of gas supply.
OP
AfterDark
Contributor
That's pretty much the way I had it rigged only I used the clamps I used when it was tank mounted and a strong nylon strap with snaps at both ends. The only difference is the strap didn't go round the valve it was closer to the start of the hemispherical head of the tank held there under the clamp.
I did read your post completely and propose that instead of worrying about whether on Tuesday you have three 2nd stages on your rig and Wednesday you only have two 2nd stages is resolved by consistency. One 5 to 7ft long hose, one bungied backup reg. Easy to add or subtract deeper tanks as the gas reserve requirements change. Same OOA donation regardless.
OP
AfterDark
Contributor
txapacheguy
Contributor
I kind of like the idea of the 7' long hose, bungied octo PLUS the pony. That gives you an easy way to share from your main tank, plus a completely redundant air source for yourself or whoever. Having not had a chance to obtain the pony and dive that configuration, my opinion is, worth squat on that subject I suppose...
I had a 19cf pony once:
- rigged upside down with a bracket
- attached to my main tank
- custom ~14" HP hose to a SPG near my waist
- I forget the length of the LP hose but the 2nd stage was in the "triangle"
Reality was... I was a mess. I ended up scrapping all this junk hanging off me for a simpler long hose and a rock bottom calculation. Once I did the rock bottom I got bigger tanks, AL80s were too small. I started with lp95s since HP tanks were pretty rare at my LDS even just 5-6 yrs ago.
It's hard to imagine where you had it clipped, but I agree with others. On a backplate and wing, the waist level D rings are pulled way back, so that they are level with or very close to leve with, the back, or spine, of the diver.
When only carrying one bottle, I often loop the line around through itself, if that makes sense, to shorten the distance of the rope, to pull the tank in closer. I believe the link given to the DIR website (which shows a very neat and clean Hogarthian tank rigging. I cringe when I see the rigging on some tanks, which seems to use miles of rope carelessly thrown on the tank. Nothing prettier than a clean, Hogarthian stage rigging, aside from a pretty set of proper doubles, or a well rigged scooter, or...you get my drift, I like my rigging clean and simple.) shows how the rope from the attachment point on the tank to the bottom D ring is, say, 3" long. You can pass it through the length of rope running along the tank to shorten it to say, 1" long. With just one tank, the shorter loop keeps the tank more out of the way.
I see some divers putting the neck of the tank at a point that makes the tank ride almost at a 90 degree angle to the diver. I prefer to keep my tanks horizontal, or parallel to my body, or close to it. Some amount of tilt can be expected, but the paralleler, the better, in my opinion.
Do you have any proper technical divers in your area who you can get to show you their rigging? I've modified mine over time, using resources like the highly helpful DIR Diver link given above, and after watching how hundreds of other divers have it done.
Granted, I don't see many 19's, but how much shorter are those than 40's? a 40 is a great length for a slung bottle, much shorter and I'd think it would get annoying, as the lower mounting point needs to be basically at the bottom of the tank, but perhaps a 19 is still long enough to work out well.
I agree that it's annoying to change hoses around on regs all the time. Why not switch to manifolded doubles, so a single first and second stage on each tank allows you total access to all of your gas? Also, evaluate your diving style. Are you diving with safe gas math? Why are you diving with divers who run out of air? Do you do a proper discussion of OOA handling methods with divers you dive with?
Lastly, don't lose sleep over this, it's just scuba. Every dive is a learning experience. Flip the tank around, rig it like the DIR Diver site (if you don't use their exact materials, that's fine. Just try out their rigging somehow if you can to see if it works better, and then you can rig it up all nice and pretty with new rope and shiny SS boltsnaps later.), and reassess your BC attachment points. You need to get the butt end of the tank up by your spine if possible, to keep it out of the way. Similarly, the neck attachment point should be somewhere up high. Take your arms, stick them straight out at your sides, like you are a kid playing an airplane, or a giant living letter T. Stick your palms out parallel to the floor, stick your thumbs out pointing in front of you. Bend your arms at the elbow bringing your hands in so your thumbs are touching your shoulder area. That's where a D ring or attachment point should go.
Spare Air Rigging Example
If those galoots can manage to rig a spare air bottle, I'm sure you can manage to get your 19 rigged comfortably for you after a few dives.
When only carrying one bottle, I often loop the line around through itself, if that makes sense, to shorten the distance of the rope, to pull the tank in closer. I believe the link given to the DIR website (which shows a very neat and clean Hogarthian tank rigging. I cringe when I see the rigging on some tanks, which seems to use miles of rope carelessly thrown on the tank. Nothing prettier than a clean, Hogarthian stage rigging, aside from a pretty set of proper doubles, or a well rigged scooter, or...you get my drift, I like my rigging clean and simple.) shows how the rope from the attachment point on the tank to the bottom D ring is, say, 3" long. You can pass it through the length of rope running along the tank to shorten it to say, 1" long. With just one tank, the shorter loop keeps the tank more out of the way.
I see some divers putting the neck of the tank at a point that makes the tank ride almost at a 90 degree angle to the diver. I prefer to keep my tanks horizontal, or parallel to my body, or close to it. Some amount of tilt can be expected, but the paralleler, the better, in my opinion.
Do you have any proper technical divers in your area who you can get to show you their rigging? I've modified mine over time, using resources like the highly helpful DIR Diver link given above, and after watching how hundreds of other divers have it done.
Granted, I don't see many 19's, but how much shorter are those than 40's? a 40 is a great length for a slung bottle, much shorter and I'd think it would get annoying, as the lower mounting point needs to be basically at the bottom of the tank, but perhaps a 19 is still long enough to work out well.
I agree that it's annoying to change hoses around on regs all the time. Why not switch to manifolded doubles, so a single first and second stage on each tank allows you total access to all of your gas? Also, evaluate your diving style. Are you diving with safe gas math? Why are you diving with divers who run out of air? Do you do a proper discussion of OOA handling methods with divers you dive with?
Lastly, don't lose sleep over this, it's just scuba. Every dive is a learning experience. Flip the tank around, rig it like the DIR Diver site (if you don't use their exact materials, that's fine. Just try out their rigging somehow if you can to see if it works better, and then you can rig it up all nice and pretty with new rope and shiny SS boltsnaps later.), and reassess your BC attachment points. You need to get the butt end of the tank up by your spine if possible, to keep it out of the way. Similarly, the neck attachment point should be somewhere up high. Take your arms, stick them straight out at your sides, like you are a kid playing an airplane, or a giant living letter T. Stick your palms out parallel to the floor, stick your thumbs out pointing in front of you. Bend your arms at the elbow bringing your hands in so your thumbs are touching your shoulder area. That's where a D ring or attachment point should go.
Spare Air Rigging Example
If those galoots can manage to rig a spare air bottle, I'm sure you can manage to get your 19 rigged comfortably for you after a few dives.
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