lower attach points

[olphart]

Just wondering.. It seems that the only way the lower end of steel tanks are attached is to a butt plate. I've always done mine that way....but...
Is there any reason they can't be attached to the waist belt instead like al tanks?

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

What rig do you have?

 

[olphart]

nomad with HP100s, looking at lp 50's

 

[tbone1004]

@olphart you can use drop d-rings on certain rigs. I dove my Katana without a buttplate, If you remove the butt plate from the nomad, you can put drop d-rings close enough to the center of your back, but with the butt plate attached, you can't dive any normal sized tanks. The 50's may be narrow enough, but I don't really see the benefit. With certain LP tanks, you still have to move them down, my Faber LP121's get QUITE butt floaty when they get empty, so they have to be moved down to the waist belt which is a little weird to work with, but it is what it is.

 

[a878bob]

I dont use a buttplate with my 50’s, i hook them up like my al80’s and they sit pretty.

 

[olphart]

@olphart you can use drop d-rings on certain rigs. I dove my Katana without a buttplate, If you remove the butt plate from the nomad, you can put drop d-rings close enough to the center of your back, but with the butt plate attached, you can't dive any normal sized tanks. The 50's may be narrow enough, but I don't really see the benefit. With certain LP tanks, you still have to move them down, my Faber LP121's get QUITE butt floaty when they get empty, so they have to be moved down to the waist belt which is a little weird to work with, but it is what it is.

I'm not sure what you mean about not being able to use normal tanks with a butt plate. I've used al80's, HP80's, and HP 100's with my Nomad and an LTZ, all with butt plates. I was wondering if the butt plate was necessary The advantage of the 50's for me is less weight for my septuagenarian frame while keeping the sidemount rig.

 

[tbone1004]

I'm not sure what you mean about not being able to use normal tanks with a butt plate. I've used al80's, HP80's, and HP 100's with my Nomad and an LTZ, all with butt plates. I was wondering if the butt plate was necessary The advantage of the 50's for me is less weight for my septuagenarian frame while keeping the sidemount rig.

if you put drop d-rings on with the butt plate, then that attachment point is too low on your body and the tanks will hang below you. With LP50's, it MAY work, but I don't know for sure. AL80's shouldn't be used with butt plates though, unless you put weights on the tails, which you also shouldn't do.

The 50's will hang similar to the HP100's *if they're Faber or PST*, much lighter than the HP80's and if the 100's are Worthingtons. You can probably get away with hip-drings moved as far back on the waist belt as you can since they aren't that negative when full, especially if you can't get cave fills. If you can't get 3600psi fills though, the LP50's are not going to be worth it.

 

[a878bob]

I dont agree. I hook my 80’s and 50’s up the exact same way. To my hip drings. 80’s i use a second low profile dring further forward or sliders. The 50’s i dont need to move. I put 3k in my 50’s. So about 55cuft. I can do any rec dive with two 50’s.

For my hp100’s, i would hang them off my drop rings, no problem, never needed a butt plate.

 

[tbone1004]

I dont agree. I hook my 80’s and 50’s up the exact same way. To my hip drings. 80’s i use a second low profile dring further forward or sliders. The 50’s i dont need to move. I put 3k in my 50’s. So about 55cuft. I can do any rec dive with two 50’s.

For my hp100’s, i would hang them off my drop rings, no problem, never needed a butt plate.

sorry, that was supposed to be "shouldn't" be used with butt plates.
3k in LP50's should keep them manageable in one position. At 3600 they can get a little negative.

which rig? Part of the problem is the specific rigs and how they are designed. The Nomad XT is a weird one for trying to deal with alternative tank placement

 

[Scott]

I use drop d-rings on a Diamond with LP85's similar to these.

When I use AL80's nothing has to change
Titanium Drop D-Ring | Dive Rite