Been busy diving

[Marie13]

I tried drop D rings. They were too low. My primaries get clipped to big door handle on built in butt plate.

 

[stretchthepenn]

This is where I have landed currently and has been the easiest for donning/doffing four stages so far. I always look for my system to scale up. The lower bungee gets one wrap if it's the first on a side, no wraps if the second. Lower bungee goes strait to the drob D (not around the primary clip). Upper goes to shoulder D.

I do realize the SMS system mounts totally different then mine and this may not apply.

That setup looks like it's easily adaptable topside and manageable underwater. Interesting! Am I correct in assuming that all the orange is bungee? It looks like bungee, but it's hard to tell from the photo.

Pardon me for asking a dumb question, but are drop-D rings to which you refer attached to your waist webbing? As you noted, I'm using an SMS 100, and like Marie, I have "doorknobs" on the lower back to which I clip my lower boltsnaps.

And if they are attached to the waist webbing, what kind of drop-Ds are you using? I bought some (or at least thought I did) when I was experimenting with top- vs. bottom-mounting my deco bottles, but I couldn't make them work for crap.

 

[J-Vo]

Orange is bungee.

My drop D's came from Northeast scuba I believe. As you can see they are in close to my lumbar plate. I'm sure for butt rail attachment I would probably just need to adjust the lower bungee length.

 

[Marie13]

Someone got a couple of photos of deco bottle during today’s dive. It is very butt up. A couple of people have suggested I look at Rob Neto’s method of using a long bungee leash clipped to a waist D ring to keep the deco bottle down. I looked it up in his book tonight. Not going to work for me as not being able to access waist D rings is why I have to top mount.

I’m definitely able to drop and pickup the bottle easily. So that’s a massive improvement. I’m going to move the worm clamp down and reposition the bottom leash, which should help.

 

[J-Vo]

Help us understand the issue reaching your D-rings.

Can you not reach your hand between you body and side tank from behind?

For from mounting a stage on the left I would, first clip to the shoulder D, then grab the lower clip with my right hand, reach between the left tank and my body with my left hand, and hand the lower clip from my right to left hand. Now I just pull my left hand back and clip to the drop D. Seems for top mount it wouldn't be much different, just reverse.

 

[Marie13]

I have a short torso with little real estate. I cannot position a D ring such so I can easily access it after elbowing my left primary out of the way. Simple as that. I know several other female tech divers with the same issue who also top mount their deco bottles. I’m only 5’5”. This solution was arrived at after discussion with my instructor.

 

[J-Vo]

You describe reaching forward in front of your tank, while I describe reaching behind and in between the tank an torso.

BTW: My wife is 6" shorter than me and we sit eye level at the table, so I feel you on the short torso.

 

[Marie13]

You describe reaching forward in front of your tank, while I describe reaching behind and in between the tank an torso.

BTW: My wife is 6" shorter than me and we sit eye level at the table, so I feel you on the short torso.

Reaching across my back? Dude, ain’t gonna happen! I’ve tried. Short arms. My original SM instructor wasn’t happy about the location of the bottom leashes on my tanks. Had to have them there just so I could reach.

 

[Marie13]

Also remember - I’m diving dry with thick undies and dry gloves. That’s going to limit my reach more.

 

[J-Vo]

Reaching across my back? Dude, ain’t gonna happen! I’ve tried. Short arms. My original SM instructor wasn’t happy about the location of the bottom leashes on my tanks. Had to have them there just so I could reach.

I must be communicating badly. I'm trying to say I reach behind my left tank with my left hand and put my left hand and forearm between my left side tank and my body. The valve and reg will move down and forward in the process. I can reach any D ring on my waist even with two stages on that side.

I dive cold water, so everything has to work with dry gloves for me as well.