Attachment points

[stretchthepenn]

Even ignoring the button SPG, I'm very confused by this picture. Why is your long hose on your left bottle? If this is your left bottle, why run the lift bag / SMB on the underside rather than the top? Would be very curious how this looks mounted to you in the water.

You're looking at my right bottle. Because reasons, my inflator hose runs off the right side. And the cylinder is an AL80, so I'm experimenting with a Mexico-style setup; the valve handle points straight up toward my shoulder/armpit, and the orifice faces inside.

And re: the button gauge, it's a handy-dandy and super-convenient method of checking pressure withiut firing up my PDC. The face is visible u/w, too...

 

[grantctobin]

so I'm experimenting with a Mexico-style setup

Which would make that a left side bottle, right? The difficulty isn't that there's an inflator on the right bottle. In fact, in OC on a drysuit, the drysuit inflator hose is normally there. However, if you donate your long hose and that swivel rotates forward (clockwise with the fifth port facing towards your pecs), what happens to that inflator hose? By moving it to the fifth port, it will rotate freely. Is that a standard modular valve with a post opposing the valve knob?

You do you of course, it’s just a little unorthodox

 

[stretchthepenn]

Which would make that a left side bottle, right? The difficulty isn't that there's an inflator on the right bottle. In fact, in OC on a drysuit, the drysuit inflator hose is normally there. However, if you donate your long hose and that swivel rotates forward (clockwise with the fifth port facing towards your pecs), what happens to that inflator hose? By moving it to the fifth port, it will rotate freely. Is that a standard modular valve with a post opposing the valve knob?

You do you of course, it’s just a little unorthodox

Perhaps it's a modified-Mexico setup? I usually dive heavy-ass steel tanks, but I learned this setup for AL80s just the other week from my rebreather instructor and have adapted the hose routing for my BCD's quirks. It's a work in progress.

I use a Hollis 100D BCD, and with the Edd-mods I've had done, my BCD inflator ties into the sternum strap and sits on my chest's right side, just above the metal hoop and just below the lower D-ring. That location means I can't move the inflator hose to the 5th port. I've tried, but the geometry just doesn't work.

Also, in the current configuration, my BCD inflator hose is bent in a U-shape, so deploying the longhose doesn't cause a problem. There's sufficient play in the inflator hose to let the turret swivel, and although the longhose attachment will point down/outward a bit, the effect on that hose is negligible.

And yes, it's a standard modular valve with a stem opposite the valve knob. Both the inflator hose and longhose juuuuust clear it, so the turret still swivels.

All that being said, I suppose I could get a 90-degree free-swiveling adaptor and run the longhose off the 5th port.

 

[grantctobin]

I use a Hollis 100D BCD

Got it. Thanks for putting the effort into the explanation.

 

[mdwalter]

I recently completed my solo certification using side mount as my redundant gas (over the initial objection of my not side mount friendly instructor, but I convinced her to treat my second tank as a big pony and kept gas off on right tank except for oog exercises). My rig is an apeks wsx25 using loop bungees, with lower attachment to the sliding D rings on waist for al tanks, or rear fixed d rings for steelies.

With solo, however, I found I needed more attachment points than I had easily available. 2x cutting tools, lights, dsmb plus safety sausage, extra mask, visual signaling device, 2x audible signaling devices... Mostly clipped to my shoulder d rings (except dsmb in butt pouch, and extra mask strapped to a thigh pocket, and I put one of my knives on should strap tucked under d ring).

With all of that extra gear, my shoulder d rings were pretty overloaded (and I also use my right shoulder d ring to secure my inflator, plus a clip for my long hose..)

Plus, I always have a big camera rig which I usually clip to the shoulder D rings also when I need hands free.

Anyway, I quickly realized the my much loved minimalist wsx might be too minimalist for solo diving. I just could not come up with any good solution for more attachment points for all my solo diving Christmas tree ornaments. Maybe I could add D rings above the should D ring but that would ride pretty high on my shoulder? Nothing possible on waist belt due to sliding D rings.

Curious what others do for adding attachment points.

Am considering Hollis rig due to the built in attachment rings on side, but I am really comfortable with my wsx and hate to change up.

Any other thoughts or ideas?

Here's what I do:
I put one Trilobite line cutter on my crotch strap and the other one high on my left shoulder strap.
At the same spot on the right shoulder strap I have an extra low profile D ring to clip off the reg that's not currently in my mouth.
The regular chest D rings just have the clips for my ring bungee system and a short bungee for the LP inflator for the wing. No need to hang anything else from these, except maybe momentarily while I'm using it.
I clip off my butt pouch to the very bottom of my rails. In there are my backup mask, wrenches, a couple finger spools, backup light, dsmb, nav kit (arrows, cookies), Capri Sun, mirror, whistle, sausage, extra double-ender, and wet notes.
If I need some reels, I clip those off the the butt D ring. I would clip a camera back there too if I were not using it right this minute (so it's not dangling down where it can be damaged or cause me to get entangled in something).
The scooter clips to the crotch D ring.
If I'm using the chest mount rebreather, it clips around my neck at the top and to the drop D rings on my waist belt at the bottom.
One computer on each wrist, primary light on back of left hand, convex mirror on back of right hand.

 

[Gone for diving]

convex mirror on back of right hand.

What's this for? How does it mount?

 

[hedonist222]

What's this for? How does it mount?

To view your peripheral vision - or in other words - look behind you.

 

[Wibble]

To view your peripheral vision - or in other words - look behind you.

Look above you. Essential when on a decompression stop line with loads of divers above you.

 

[grantctobin]

Here's what I do:
I put one Trilobite line cutter on my crotch strap and the other one high on my left shoulder strap…
The regular chest D rings just have the clips for my ring bungee system and a short bungee for the LP inflator for the wing. No need to hang anything else from these, except maybe momentarily while I'm using it.

You know, you’d save yourself some hardware if you ditched the silly dive rite ring bungee system and then clipped your long hose reg to your right chest d-ring like the rest of the world does


Edit: typo save vs safe

 

[mdwalter]

What's this for? How does it mount?

I find it useful when solo diving to see myself and whether anything is amiss behind me (since I don't have a buddy to look for me). I find it useful when diving with buddies to see where they are without having to turn around (since I am often leading and need to keep track of where I'm heading without losing track of the rest of the team). Try it some time; everyone I know who has tried it now does this regularly.

Here's how: Go to the local auto parts store and buy one of those stick-on convex rear view mirrors (either 2" or 3" diameter). Drill 2 holes through it of a size appropriate to the bungee you will use. Run some bungee through the holes and tie knots to make it the right length for your hand or wrist. You can make it more stable by using 3 or 4 holes to have 2 bungees around your hand. With the one bungee, just wear it around your hand with mirror on top and bungee across palm and in front of thumb. If you have 2 bungees, then run the second around wrist (behind thumb). I like to move mine a bit toward the thumb side of my hand so it angles in. This prevents me from having to contort my arm to see myself, behind me, and to my left.