Any potential problems with this?

[divezonescuba]

After doing it the conventional way for a while, I thought I would switch it up and do the following. So far, I have found it much easier to use as I have limited shoulder mobility. Anybody else do this or have any comments.

Double snap between the shoulder d-ring and the neck of the tank (with or without bungee) and lower rear position retractor to the cylinder body attachment point.

In the water, this set up allows me to connect the shoulder d-ring / tank neck double snap first. I then pull out the retractor with another snap from rear and connect it to the d-ring on the cylinder body. The retractor pulls the lower part of the tank back in position along my body. To dismount in the water, I do the opposite, pull the lower cylinder away, disconnect the retractor from the tank d-ring and then disconnect the neck snap. If I need to get out of the water with the tanks still on, I don't need to do anything since the shoulder snap is already attached.

With this configuration, I could also pull the tanks forward without having to release anything, if I ever really had to do that. If I was worried about entanglement with the retractor cord, I could also just release it from the tank D-ring. Reattachment in that case is the same as the entry.

Although the retractors have a locking mechanism, I have found that I do not need to use it as it doesn't bear much weight either in or out of the water.

 

[decompression]

Um....I think you might be the only one....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

If I'm reading this correctly it seems like you're doing the same thing a ring bungee does but in 2 stages?

 

[Dive-aholic]

If the retractor doesn't need to be locked then I'm guessing you're using aluminum cylinders. There's no way that would be the case with steel cylinders unless you have a retractor I'm not familiar with (which is quite possible). As for the double snap on the neck, why not just a bolt snap on a leash. You will still need the bungee to pull the valve up into your armpit otherwise it will hang down way too low and be completely out of trim.

Any photos of this set up in the water?

 

[divezonescuba]

Hello:

Yes, AL80s. The retractor is a high force model.

My experimentation has gone a little further, I also wanted to do away with the whole bungee / leash concept while still retaining flexibility. So, currently, I use either a loop of line or webbing or a stainless steel split ring around the regulator yoke for the snap point. Since the double snap is 4 inches, the tanks end up being positioned ok with the shoulder d ring in the correct place.

My current use of a yoke vs DIN started out as a matter of convenience as I had 2 yoke 1st stages around that I wasn't using. But as it turns out by using the yoke as a fixture point, it enables me to keep everything off of the tank except the lower fixture point. For that, I take off the 2 tank bands off of my plate's single tank adapter. The tank bands have a D ring and triglide on them for when I do sidemount. When using a single back tank, the D ring is redundant. This is particularly convenient when traveling or when you may be using other peoples tanks and don't want to mess with straps and hose clamps. So, the system can easily go from a single back mounted tank to sidemount by just opening and removing the tank bands.

The taco effect is eliminated through the use of bungees weaved through the loops on the bladder and the holes on the edge of the plate. The original application of this was for the use of a single tank versus doubles. It also seems to work well if you don't have a tank on your back at all. So far, I have not encountered any buoyancy or safety issues with this set up.

The concept is probably not optimal, as a dedicated sidemount system might be, but it appears to work pretty well in some demanding conditions and is particularly flexible when I travel.

No photos in the water yet.

 

[Dive-aholic]

How are the valves held up in your armpits?

 

[DevonDiver]

Photos would be useful.

It seems like this is a DIY project using/converting what you already have into a type of sidemount. As such, it's never going to be optimal.

I did a lot of work with DIY sidemount before. That was because there weren't many commercially available rigs at the time (especially not available where I live). I also blogged those projects to help those people get into sidemount who couldn't otherwise afford a manufactured rig.

But, even with a DIY project, there are still fundamental rights and wrongs to configuring a system. That's true, regardless of the individual diver's needs or requirements.

Knowing the difference between the fundamental and the variable principles is the first step in knowledge before you can start designing your own equipment.