BCD carrying handle

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Grocio

Contributor
Messages
133
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Location
The Netherlands
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi there!

When I took the SDI Solo Diver course last year, my instructor recommended me not to place the BCD carrying handle over the cylinder valve, so that I could use the handle to carry the BCD. His recommendation sounded perfectly logic to me, as I suppose that that is why the thing in question is called a "carrying handle". Right?

This year I joined the local dive club, which is affiliated with CMAS. In the club I noted that everyone there has been taught to position the handle over the valve; I've got the impression that they do it simply because it's the customary practice in the club, without asking themselves what the justification for the practice is.

It seems to me that an advantage of not placing the handle over the valve is that the handle can be used as such until the scuba equipment gets disassembled, which may be useful, for example, when boat diving. By leaving the handle free, you can hand an assembled equipment to someone in the boot, by holding the BCD and the rest of the equipment from the handle. On the other hand, I wonder whether leaving the handle free would not transform it into a potential source of entanglement in certain sites.

I was just curious to know the reasons why you position or not the BCD carrying handle over the cylinder valve.
 
I think the reason hanging the BCD from the webbing loop is to position the tank height correctly for the BCD. If I was using a BCD(as opposed to my BP/W) I don't think I would want to trust that "handle" to support the entire weight of the rig, especially if using a heavier steel tank.
 
Depending on the BCD, the "handle" is normally ONLY for carrying the BCD, not for carrying the BCD+tank/reg...it is just not strong enough (the strap is probably OK, but the attachment points are the problem). If your handle has an adjustable length, the purpose of that is to adjust it so when you put it over the tank valve, the BCD hangs at the correct height and the cam band can be easily tightened without needing three hands.

There is nothing in the SDI Solo class about BCD carrying handles. That was an instructor opinion.
There is no problem, and there is probably more security, if you carry the assembled scuba unit by the reg/valve.
If your BCD has a handle integral to the backplate/harness, it is probably OK to use that for handling the assembled unit.
 
People always confuse the "Tank Height Marker Strap" with the "BCD Carrying Handel." They are two different things and serve two different purposes and are used and adjusted in a different way. If it is a "BCD Carrying Handel," it is used to carry or hang the BCD but not to put around the Tank valve to mark the BCD height on the Tank. If it is a "Tank Height Marker Strap," it should be used for marking the BCD height on the Tank but not to carry the BCD. Two different tools for two different jobs!!!
 
I actually brought a Seac Pro 2000HD on the weekend. When playing with it (because who doesn't love playing with new gear) I discovered it actually has 2 'handles'.

The first is the fabric strap in line with the tank, I personally don't believe this is purely a handle but for the tank only. Behind the bladder is an actual plastic handle for carrying which is connected to the back-plate.

I would say that those using the fabric near the tank have adopted it as a handle when a proper one is now there. Before my new Seac my old BC had no handle, relying purely on the shoulder straps to move their device around.
 
I'll just say what everyone else wants to..........whether it's an actual carrying handle (some have rubber hand guards) or a alignment strap, get rid of it and get a bpw!
 
that is not a handle... That is a cheap piece of webbing they use to "position' stab jackets on tanks and allows them to get away with using one cam band instead of two. Don't use it as a carrying handle

Yeah, what he said.
 
I'll just say what everyone else wants to..........whether it's an actual carrying handle (some have rubber hand guards) or a alignment strap, get rid of it and get a bpw!

Why is that? On my BP, I tied a loop of cave line to/through it so that when I'm diving a single tank I can put the loop around the tank valve and let my rig hang there on the tank while I buckle the (Quick Release) tank straps. It makes the whole process much quicker and easier than not having a way to hang it and much quicker and easier than using regular cam bands that you have to slide down the tank.

The loop of string isn't that long so when I dive doubles I just sandwich it between the BP and wing and never know it's there.
 
Unnecessary bandaid.......there's a reason 99% bpw's don't come with one. You've used quick release straps for a reason but now you've had to add something else to over come a short coming. In the end, you decide what works best. Personally, I wouldn't use quick release tank bands.......
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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