Looking for others...

[mwhities]

Is there anyone aboard SB that has only one-arm? Left or right, doesn't matter. I lost my left arm back in '90. Being I'm really new to diving (10 dives) and not much time (right now) to do any extra dives, I was wondering how one might have their equipment setup.

I currently have my SPG and oct and primary all on my right side. (Being I have my right arm.) It helps to with my SPG so I don't have to try to "reach" all the way across my front to grab it and try to read it. With the the SPG on my right and clipped to my BC, I can easily grab it and look at what I need without it unclipping from my BC. My Octo is clipped to my harness strap on my chest so I can have quickly grab it and hand it off or grab it for myself if my primary fails.

I've looked and studied different photos and people (SBM, SeaYoda, and others) when we went diving to see how their setup was/is. Just seeing the little things that they have setup to make things easier. One thing I noticed on SBM, he has his SPG starpped "across" his chest. I assume for a quick glance down, without having to use his hands, which keeps them free for a camera and/or spear gun. I thought about trying that, but I just recently bought a VT3. Being wireless, I well have it strapped to my BC harness on a retracter.

If there are people on SB that are missing an arm, please post your setup and if you can, provide pictures. I'd greatly appreciate it. I'll don my equipment one day soon and post the pictures to show my current setup.

Thanks all,

Michael

 

[LanceLisenby]

I have no left arm and simply moved both air sources to the right side. Computer on left is easy to reach.

 

[mwhities]

I have no left arm and simply moved both air sources to the right side. Computer on left is easy to reach.

Very cool and thanks for the post.

I've already redid everything and have a pretty nice rig setup. One day we need to meet up and do some diving.

Michael

 

[theonetruerat]

All the amputees that I dive with have a real fondness for the little retractable gear keepers. Other than that it's all about planning. Most of them spear with pneumatics because they find them easier to cock with one hand. I have a patient that spears with a band gun and we made him a special terminal device to help cock his gun.

 

[mwhities]

All the amputees that I dive with have a real fondness for the little retractable gear keepers. Other than that it's all about planning. Most of them spear with pneumatics because they find them easier to cock with one hand. I have a patient that spears with a band gun and we made him a special terminal device to help cock his gun.

Very cool. I'll be in Navarre Beach next week. If you and others feel like coming down, PM me and we can meet up.

Michael

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I have some thoughts for anyone who is missing a left arm who wishes to dive a backplate and wing. Andrew Georgitsis at Unified Team Diving has just produced a new single tank wing called the Delta Trim System. The link to the video may be found here:

UTD Equipment Blog - Delta System - Unified Team Diving

The corrugated inflater hose comes from the left, but rather from the left shoulder it comes from the area where the rear dump is located allowing the diver to dump from the corrugated hose while in horizontal trim and the auto inflater is easily accessible with the right hand. Because of the location of the corrugated hose, the rear dump most of us technical and cave divers use as the primary dump has been moved to the right side. This should allow a right-armed individual to operate the wing in the same manner.

For those who wish to use a simple SPG, many tech and cave divers will use a short high pressure hose and still route the SPG from the left, but it comes over the shoulder and sits along the inflater hose near the left chest D-ring where it can easily be viewed without clipping or unclipping. Since the Delta System routes that corrugated hose from the lower left, a diver could route an SPG either over the left shoulder or from the left hip and still have the SPG sit near the left D-ring in constant view.

The back up and long hose primary regulators would route as normal.

The light canister would also mount in the standard right hip position.

The compass, depth gauge, and watch have several options depending upon the type of diving you do. If you wore them all on the right arm, by hip clipping the light to the right chest D-ring temporarily, you could view all these gauges at a glance at night or in a cave. The light head would simply hang like a chandelier from the pony tail clip. The diver would consult the information and then unclip the light.

For technical twinset diving, I'm sure some of the smaller manufacturers would be willing to move the rear dump to the right side or you can get a dual bladder wing and use the wing that is set up on the right.

 

[mwhities]

Trace, I looked at that yesterday. A VERY slick setup. Tobin at DSS (http://www.deepseasupply.com) actually did that for me. I have a DSS rig and the wing has the dump on the right side. So it's easy for me to use.

I'll see about getting some pictures of myself diving and the rig. (I actually think there are some in the photo gallery.)

 

[LanceLisenby]

Very cool and thanks for the post.

I've already redid everything and have a pretty nice rig setup. One day we need to meet up and do some diving.

Michael

Absolutely! Summer is coming at us...I'm so ready for some warmer agua!