Advantages of stages left and right?

[JahJahwarrior]

Thanks for the replies, but most of them haven't answered the question - I'm looking for advantages of having stages left and right, not more arguments against it.

Well, you'll need to buy one more bent fixed D ring, which will help keep your LDS in business.

And if you aren't careful, you'll trap your long hose, which might give your buddy an incentive to practice better gas management or gear maintenance.





(I suppose I shouldn't be snarky... stages on both sides should obviously keep your more balanced. It also could help you identify various mixtures providing another layer of protection against breathing the wrong gas. Neither reason is enough for me to put stages on both sides, unless I'm diving sidemount, when it becomes much easier and more practical to put one stage on each side. Not sure I could fit two stages on one side, unless I put one above and one below the sidemount bottle, and that just gets to be ridiculous. I put one on each side, behind my backgas bottles.)

 

[HowardE]

Thanks for the replies, but most of them haven't answered the question - I'm looking for advantages of having stages left and right, not more arguments against it.

It's a personal preference thing. The advantages are perceived. The people who do it one way will say theirs is the best. But the advantage or disadvantage is what you make of it. One could say they see it as a disadvantage to wear your stage on your right because of long hose deployment. But then you could just make sure that your hose doesn't get in the way... But others say it's not a problem and doesn't matter.

There's not one way. You need to dive it and find out for yourself.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Also, while innovation is great, it's also not a dumb idea to go diving with some people with technical diving experience and see how they do it. No need to reinvent the wheel, and the KISS principal applies to almost anything.

One of the better known sidemount cave divers carries stage bottles underneath his backgas, he only carries one at a time and keeps others clipped to a leash that is clipped off behind him, if memory serves correct. That works well for him and his diving. I prefer mine behind my backgas and do not like to carry stages on a leash unless it's open water. That works well for me and my diving. I spent a lot of time watching how other people handled things, and I found out that most people overthink some really simple aspects of technical diving.

 

[rjack321]

Thanks for the replies, but most of them haven't answered the question - I'm looking for advantages of having stages left and right, not more arguments against it.

Maybe if you chose Ali stages reasonably there aren't any advantages? :blinking:

 

[rjack321]

I found out that most people overthink some really simple aspects of technical diving.

Well the "simple things" are often what end up biting people in the butt.

 

[Blackwood]

The rotate function in Photoshop goes a long way towards fixing people's "photo trim"

Hah!

Being a few inches off the bottom with 100s of feet of visible reference can't hurt either...

 

[PfcAJ]

Thanks for the replies, but most of them haven't answered the question - I'm looking for advantages of having stages left and right, not more arguments against it.

You're having trouble finding good arguments for it because there aren't many.

 

[LiteHedded]

Thanks for the replies, but most of them haven't answered the question - I'm looking for advantages of having stages left and right, not more arguments against it.

that should answer your question. there aren't any.

 

[HowardE]

You're having trouble finding good arguments for it because there aren't many.

that should answer your question. there aren't any.

Or... when the DIR guys all give you blind advice... just do what they say.

 

[rjack321]

Or... when the DIR guys all give you blind advice... just do what they say.

Of course, cause when the "personal preference" guys can't seem to come up with actual advantages to their preferences you should always try it for yourself and see if you come up with a big fat zero too.

You know reinventing wheels and all those round and round things...