Check and double check your gear!

[MoxisPilot]

It seems as though I have an accident on just about every single dive - nothing major, just the learning experiences of a new diver. Watch your head, salt water coming into the reg is not normal, don't smash into the other divers if you can help it (yeah, I had some steering control problems to start), etc.

Well, nothing was really big, and slowly the problems started dying off with time, and I guess I got complacent or distracted or SOMETHING. Anyway, we did a dive last week and I did my giant stride...and when I hit the water, I felt my tank start slipping down my back, out of the BC strap. I assumed I had clipped the strap on the boat on the way down, I had my buddy fix it, and that was that.

Well, on the second dive that day, the same thing happened, but, thankfully, it was on the boat and not in the water that time. I hadn't been tightening my strap tightly enough, and though I lifted the BC with the tank attached off the bench to test its hold, the weight of the tank after about five minutes on my back caused it to start slipping out. I've been on four dives since then, and I've double checked it, and had my husband check it, every time.

Lesson learned!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

This is one of the reasons I hate single cam band BCs. I so much prefer having two cam bands. My tank isn't going anyplace!

 

[laurelgsc]

Try wetting your strap before putting it on your tank. I find that mine can stretch a bit when it's wet. Then just make sure it is really tight. Pick your BCD up and make sure the tank doesn't slip before putting it on. That's why I love liveaboards so much. Put your BCD on a tank on Sat and don't take it off til Friday.

 

[MoxisPilot]

Try wetting your strap before putting it on your tank. I find that mine can stretch a bit when it's wet. Then just make sure it is really tight. Pick your BCD up and make sure the tank doesn't slip before putting it on. That's why I love liveaboards so much. Put your BCD on a tank on Sat and don't take it off til Friday.

I think that's exactly what happened - it's a new BC, the strap stretches when wet.

I did try picking the BC up and testing the tank the second time (strap was wet), but I think a lot of factors may have been part of the problem then (the boat was crowded, so I didn't have a lot of maneuvering room to tighten it, I was distracted, etc). Next time, I'll just have to pay a little more attention, wet the strap, and tug harder.

 

[The Kraken]

Moxis . . .
. . . NEVER become complacent. Complacency in any hobby/sport that has an inherent risk will kill you.

I don't mean to sound hysterical or over reactive, but facts are facts.

Develop a pre-dive and post-dive check list and go through it with your buddy EVERY DIVE.

the K

 

[DomaNitrogen]

Ahhh;
The last two years i've been diving BP/W with 2 Steel cams never had an issue even when not wet.
I went diving with my bro so he wanted to try my gear so i got a normal rentel BCD.
The second dive was a drift dive by the shore at the end of the dive we walked back with full gear that tank was slipping. I did every thing to try to prevent the tank slipping from the cam.
The gear was worn out but again 2 cam setup is much safer...

 

[Cave Diver]

Haven't had a problem with this since I started bolting tanks on...

 

[D_B]

I have seen that you need to shake your gear pretty good to check your tank mounting ... good for you to be more observant, less complacent

the scubapro style stainless over center cam band is the way to go if you have a single band setup .. I shake the *ell out of it, don't even wet it anymore, and I have never had it come close to being loose (maybe because I have it set so tight that my finger is jeopardy , lol)

 

[Randy43068]

It seems as though I have an accident on just about every single dive - nothing major, just the learning experiences of a new diver. Watch your head, salt water coming into the reg is not normal, don't smash into the other divers if you can help it (yeah, I had some steering control problems to start), etc.

Well, nothing was really big, and slowly the problems started dying off with time, and I guess I got complacent or distracted or SOMETHING. Anyway, we did a dive last week and I did my giant stride...and when I hit the water, I felt my tank start slipping down my back, out of the BC strap. I assumed I had clipped the strap on the boat on the way down, I had my buddy fix it, and that was that.

Well, on the second dive that day, the same thing happened, but, thankfully, it was on the boat and not in the water that time. I hadn't been tightening my strap tightly enough, and though I lifted the BC with the tank attached off the bench to test its hold, the weight of the tank after about five minutes on my back caused it to start slipping out. I've been on four dives since then, and I've double checked it, and had my husband check it, every time.

Lesson learned!

I'll bet that doesn't happen again.

 

[BKP]

My wife and I both use Zeagle BCs (two cam bands). However, even then, my first instructor emphasized dipping the BC in the water (the bands) just prior to dropping it on the tank, and for whatever reason, I never forgot that little bit of advice.
I still check the bands every dive, however, had never had them slip.