Tricks for reaching valves and manifold?

[TSandM]

I find the head-tilt and push back maneuver very useful for getting the isolator, but David Rhea scolded me every time about losing eye contact with the team in order to do it . . .

The rearing up and having the tanks fall down your back thing is very real. I try to think about using my butt to push the tanks up toward my hand -- that seems to counter the tendency.

 

[Errol Kalayci]

Make sure your harness is adjusted correctly so that you can touch the top of your backplate while standing up and wearing it. Next make sure that your bands are in the right spot (just below the crown of the tanks). Stay flat in the water or slightly butt up (tanks and weight will slide forward just a bit while wing volume is less by your head allowing you to have valves closer to your reach automatically. You start your arm like a tomhawk and can place your hand by your ear and tilt head back anddoing itsy bitsy spider your hands crawl right onto the valve. Being nonstressed helps alot. Many people have trouble by not doing it like this. Common mistakes are arching back and chasing the valve pulling you out trim and making it impossible to reach valve, being out of trim, having harness and or bands in the wrong place, reaching valves with elbow out to side in the beginning, dropping your head as you try and reach the valves (stand and place your hand back like reaching the valves then drop your chin forward and see what it does to you hand...up it goes further away). Divers who follow these steps (often greatly helped by a GUE instructor working with them ) have no trouble reaching their valves. I have relatively poor flexibility and torn rotator cuffs but can still manage to do it, if I can, anyone can with proper practice.

 

[Peter_C]

Before I ever put my tanks on, once my weight belt is on, I reach for the sky and stretch my arms up, and lean side to side. This seems to make a big difference in my undergarments and drysuit flexibility, giving me more room in the upper body..

 

[GCullen94]

Another thing is before diving, stretch your drysuit out on the surface. When you get in the water, close your valve and add gas to your suit. Go inverted and let all the gas go to your feet. Then go prone and lay on the surface, push your arms out in front of you and grab your forearm, pulling your suit towards your wrist. Do the same for the other wrist, open your vent to let excess gas out and go diving. you should have a lot more mobility.

 

[Doc Harry]

Use the opposite hand to push the tanks up from the bottom of the tank.

1+
Sometimes all of the other tricks just don't work...

 

[mathauck0814]

Another thing is before diving, stretch your drysuit out on the surface. When you get in the water, close your valve and add gas to your suit. Go inverted and let all the gas go to your feet. Then go prone and lay on the surface, push your arms out in front of you and grab your forearm, pulling your suit towards your wrist. Do the same for the other wrist, open your vent to let excess gas out and go diving. you should have a lot more mobility.

Honestly the first time I've heard of this one. I don't have any issues getting behind me, per se, but I wonder if this would increase overall agility. Will try it.

 

[Doc Harry]

I don't go to the extremes that GCullen94 does. I just pull the waist of my drysuit up towards my head while I'm on the surface, to give me extra room to raise my hands over my head. Once you descend and the drysuit compresses, it's not possible to make any such adjustments to your suit.

 

[tracydr]

Guys are the worst at stretching. I'm not sure why. Is it " uncool"? Really, there are a lot of yoga stretches that work in this area and part of why they really work is that they incorporate breathing with proper stretching techniques. If you are spending a lot of money on tech classes, I would highly recommend $40-$80 spent on some private lessons with a yoga instructor and then some regular yoga classes to follow up. You might be amazed at how different this is to the usual stretching that you've always done in other sports endeavors that you may have been a part of, such as high school track or football.
But, until you try it, you simply can't understand. It's just so different.

 

[GCullen94]

I learned that from my GUE fundies instructor, we all do it right after bubble checks. It helps with overall mobility and makes my dive much more comfortable. I feel like I have a lot more freedom/agility and my movement is not restricted.

 

[tskovan]

I just have to smile reading this thread. I posted a thread in this same category a few weeks ago titled “Double tank manifolds, bad idea!” in that thread (just a few down from this one) I said:
“You have just installed a complicated life support system behind your back! These valves are difficult to reach (at best) and impossible to see, sure, it can be done (valve drills and all) but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Fumbling with valves behind my head at depth in a stressful, life threatening situation is not inconvenient it’s dangerous and unnecessary”
Well, the reaction from most people on here was, shall we say “less than supporting”.
I understand your taking a class and have to do it “there way” to get through the class, but you should read that thread. You say you haven’t bought your rig yet, so before you spend $200 to $300 bucks on a manifold--you may not be comfortable with--give Independent Doubles a try. There are many advantages to that configuration that the “manifold doubles are THE only configuration crowd” won’t tell you, or more than likely don’t realize themselves.

Yoga! Fingerwalking! See a good neuromuscular therapist! OK, I guess……or you could do what I do in an emergency: switch regulators, DONE.