wing pushes regulator 1st stage when inflated - potential problem??

[scubafanatic]

HI - Good point. The reason I invert the 1st stage is to stop the environmental seal being hit by something. As an example, on a recent trip to Indonesia other tanks lying on the boat deck were were almost hitting the reg. Iain

Puzzled on this ? The enviro 'seals' on my XTX 200's are recessed into the 1st-stage body, and pretty well shielded from impact, especially from a 'tank impact'. Let me put it this way, if you are having scuba tanks smacking into your 1st stage on the dock/boat, your REAL problems are going to be wireless A.I. transmitters getting snapped off, or damage to the area where 'things' screw into the 1st-stage body (both 1st stage ports and hoses themselves), and most likely NOT the recessed enviro seal on the 1st-stage.

 

[scubafanatic]

I dive a wide variety of regs (Atomic/Apeks/Aqualung/Mares Poseidon) and I've never had the problem you've described, however, I've put some thought on all my hose routing on all my different regs, to avoid such issues. Without posting photos of my solutions, they're a combination of : MIFLEX LP hoses/use of either/or HL/LP 1st-stage swivel connectors/use of an STA....but I have a long history of customizing my gear to achieve 'perfection'.

 

[Tortuga68]

Puzzled on this ? The enviro 'seals' on my XTX 200's are recessed into the 1st-stage body, and pretty well shielded from impact, especially from a 'tank impact'

I agree it's not likely - I have an FSR right-way-up on one of my singles rigs and never worry about it - bit it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that the enviro seal could be damaged by another first stage/hoses etc mounted on another tank

 

[Capt.Gene]

The cave divers trim to keep their fins up and head down in the water column behind them so that they don't silt out.
I find some of the gear to be build short in the torso to help achieve this goal.
If you can make more length in the shoulder strap and get the waiste strap lower on your gut and clamp the tank lower in the harness you may solve your problem.

 

[iainwilliams]

Puzzled on this ? The enviro 'seals' on my XTX 200's are recessed into the 1st-stage body, and pretty well shielded from impact, especially from a 'tank impact'. Let me put it this way, if you are having scuba tanks smacking into your 1st stage on the dock/boat, your REAL problems are going to be wireless A.I. transmitters getting snapped off, or damage to the area where 'things' screw into the 1st-stage body (both 1st stage ports and hoses themselves), and most likely NOT the recessed enviro seal on the 1st-stage.

Thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions

Basically, what was happening is that the bottom of other diver's tanks on the boat deck were hitting the top of the APEX regs. To stop this and minimize any potential damage I inverted the 1st stage.

This is not an issue when I dive from my boat or on a commercial charter in Australia. The issue develops when you dive from zodiacs or in this case an Indonesian fishing boat.