PfcAJ
Contributor
Almost everyone starts off with their tanks too high, thinking that itll be "easier" to reach the valves.
Then they've gotta be head-up to a) see and b) not tip forward.
When you're head up, gas comes to the top of the wing, pushing the tanks farther away from you.
What to do? RAISE THE TANKS. Crap, still cant see/reach/ be flat.
Round n round we go. Then frustration sets in and people end up settling with discomfort, resorting to wacky **** like loosening the waist strap to try and get at the tanks, hurt shoulders, sidemount, or "screw it, i dont need to reach these valves anyway."
Solution?
LOWER THE TANKS. Lower. Even lower than that. Keep going. There ya go, that's low enough. Oh look now you can be flat in the water, see where you're going, AND you can reach the valves. Neat!
Its not intuitive, but it works.
Then they've gotta be head-up to a) see and b) not tip forward.
When you're head up, gas comes to the top of the wing, pushing the tanks farther away from you.
What to do? RAISE THE TANKS. Crap, still cant see/reach/ be flat.
Round n round we go. Then frustration sets in and people end up settling with discomfort, resorting to wacky **** like loosening the waist strap to try and get at the tanks, hurt shoulders, sidemount, or "screw it, i dont need to reach these valves anyway."
Solution?
LOWER THE TANKS. Lower. Even lower than that. Keep going. There ya go, that's low enough. Oh look now you can be flat in the water, see where you're going, AND you can reach the valves. Neat!
Its not intuitive, but it works.