Lifting Doubles

[tracydr]

For handling my 130's I keep a loop strap made of a piece of webbing and a triglide, maybe 20" diameter. This goes between the tank bottoms and hangs from my right shoulder. That way I can hold a valve with my left hand they're level and don't hang too low. Then, I can walk around with them and open doors, etc. with my right hand.

I like this idea because even my AL 63 is slightly too long to comfortably pick up by the neck. It's hard sometimes for me to carry one tank more than about 50 feet or so without having it on my back.
haven't tried the doubles,yet.
I can tell you that Catalina, with humping gear all over town was a workout. Getting up and down that ramp to the express with two big bags, weight belt and tank, woo heheh! And, we had a 3rd floor room in town. If it hadn't been for them letting us keep gear in the laundry room and my wonderful hubby pushing the cart through town most of the time, I would not have made it through the week!
i need to join the gym, or at least jump in my pool a lot more often!

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For anything heavy, like feed bags, or tanks, try not to let them get on the ground. Use your knee to help heft them up to the back of the truck, then into the truck, like TSandM says. Always use the lower legs as much as possible. They're much stronger than your arms. Never, ever bend sideways when lifting!
Use carts, wheelbarrows and help whenever possible.

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If you have a pink tank and gear, chances are, somebody will carry it for you!

 

[kotik]

It sounds good, but I'm having trouble visualizing it.

Here's a couple of visual aids--

 

[TSandM]

AJ, not nice ​

No, he's right. If you are going to do diving that involves heavy gear, get as fit as you can to manage heavy gear.

Unfortunately, he's also young. When you get to a certain age, there is only so much you can do with your body, and then you have to work with your brain.

 

[lynch]

I think I coudn't handle that alone. I need someone who could me putting it up.

 

[Simon-]

Carrying doubles??

Carrying doubles??

Hmmmm

Isn't that what the DM's are for

 

[BluewaterSail]

This is actually quite facinating to watch. It seems that there are 3 approaches. If it was a poll, I wonder how the doubles-users would divide out:

1) Brute force (rely solely on muscle power)
2) Technique (enhance muscle power safely with intelligent approach)
3) Avoidance (Find someone else to do the work)


Just fascinating!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Key #1: Conserve potential energy. Try never to let the tanks get to the ground, because once they have gotten there, you are committed to getting them OFF the ground somehow. Keeping them on a backplate helps; slip into the plate from the back of the car or truck, and take them to a table or bench that is not at ground level. If they do end up on the ground, and you can't lift them, try shrugging into the harness and getting onto your hands and knees, and finding something to pull up with.

Key #2: We are all much stronger lifting from straight arm to 90 degrees, than we are trying to lift above that point. If you have to lift tanks higher than that to get them in the car, get a stool or stand to allow you to raise yourSELF up to where you can primarily use your biceps, and not the pectorals and other much shorter muscles with poor moment arms.

Key #3: Lower body muscles are stronger than upper body muscles, ESPECIALLY in women. Do what you can with your legs. For me, for example, that includes lifting my doubles as high as I can, and then using a knee to push the bottoms of the tanks up over the lip of the back of the car.

Key #4: For most people, diving is a buddy sport. Get help. (This goes for big, strong guys, too, who are going to regret all the doubles they dead lifted when they're about 45 and their backs go out.) Don't let ego get in the way of doing something rational.

Key #5: (For women) Guys like to carry heavy stuff and be helpful. Don't disappoint them.

We really don't like to carry heavy stuff. We just think it impresses you when you see us do it. Neanderthal portion of the brain takes over. Ugg lift heavy stuff for tiny weak female. Impress you. Then you make us sandwich and bring drink.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[claymore]

This thread is why I'm looking at side mount if I go to doubles. There was a time when I would not worry or think about picking up 100# of dead weight. Sometime after I was 35 when I told my body to do something it would say "I have to think about that for a moment", after 50 I would think about doing some things and my body would say "don't even think about it it isn't going to happen." As you get older the, this is not going to happen, come more often. The only way to slow the progression down is to spend a fair amount of time in the gym.

 

[LandonL]

Here's a couple of visual aids--
View attachment 126777
View attachment 126778

I like this method.

 

[elan]

Here's a couple of visual aids--
View attachment 126777
View attachment 126778

Nice

Kruto