Different entry technique with multiple travel gas / stage / deco cylinders

[divezonescuba]

Hello:

I recently saw a video which demonstrated a different entry technique than conventional approaches and am interested on others opinion on this method.

The technique consisted of a twinset and three additional travel gas, stage, deco tanks.

What the video illustrated was a diver standing on the swim platform of a boat with the three tanks next to him resting on the deck. The three additional tanks were secured by the upper bolt snap to a tank leash. Apparently the diver had to wait a long time in this position before jumping.

I don’t know ether the diver jumped in the water and attached the tanks on the surface or while descending.

Obviously there is some danger in dropping the tanks, but that also exists during an ascent with a bottle rotation.

i have not used this technique and I am not saying that this is a good nor a bad approach. But, I am curious what other divers who use multiple cylinders think of this technique and I am particularly interested in hearing from someone who has actually used this technique.

Thank you.

 

[rjack321]

It's normal to pass down the extra cylinders after splashing. Then clip them in their respective places while in the water. Otherwise they can take on a trajectory of their own and wack you in bad places.

Obviously 1x al40 is no big deal but 2x 80s and a 40 plus a scooter, camera and more is a pile of stuff that can really hurt you or damage other gear. Especially when you might have to wait to splash it get heavy and falling over is equally bad news.

 

[Alex Ouroboros]

Hello:

I recently saw a video which demonstrated a different entry technique than conventional approaches and am interested on others opinion on this method.

The technique consisted of a twinset and three additional travel gas, stage, deco tanks.

What the video illustrated was a diver standing on the swim platform of a boat with the three tanks next to him resting on the deck. The three additional tanks were secured by the upper bolt snap to a tank leash. Apparently the diver had to wait a long time in this position before jumping.

I don’t know ether the diver jumped in the water and attached the tanks on the surface or while descending.

Obviously there is some danger in dropping the tanks, but that also exists during an ascent with a bottle rotation.

i have not used this technique and I am not saying that this is a good nor a bad approach. But, I am curious what other divers who use multiple cylinders think of this technique and I am particularly interested in hearing from someone who has actually used this technique.

Thank you.

Yep, I use this technique if entering from a hard boat with more than 2 bailouts, I’ve found it best to leisurely sort of slowly flop in rather than a large giant stride as I don’t want anything clattering in to either myself or the rebreather, sometimes I jump with them and hold the handle part of the leash never had a problem. the leash itself is a loop of strong marine cord about 5mm thick (I have a tube cover over one half of the loop to act as a sort of handle and keep the shape slightly ovalised,, I think Joachim from inner space explorers on YouTube explains it all best) anyway when pulled tight as a loop it’s roughly as long as a span of one’s hand, outstretched thumb to little finger, I sort of clip it on on the start of the decent, and it’s easy to unclip the whole leash and bring it in front to swap bottles, easier than you would think, you attach it on the left hip D ring with a double ender when you swim with the cylinder(s) attached by their upper P clip to the leash you can sort of kick gently and have the leash restrain the cylinder clip so it’s just on the inner of the left thigh it’s remarkably comfortable, it allows me to stack 2 Ali 80,s under the left arm and I can have at least 2 more on the leash. Hope that helps.

 

[divezonescuba]

Yep, I use this technique if entering from a hard boat with more than 2 bailouts, I’ve found it best to leisurely sort of slowly flop in rather than a large giant stride as I don’t want anything clattering in to either myself or the rebreather, sometimes I jump with them and hold the handle part of the leash never had a problem.

Hello Alex. When you use this technique do you attach the cylinders on the surface or during the descent?

 

[rjack321]

Hello Alex. When you use this technique do you attach the cylinders on the surface or during the descent?

Surface - you only have two hands.

You don't want to be dealing with suit, power inflator, loop volume, watching your ppO2 and your buddies all potentially with a hand occupied on a scooter trigger. All of those bottles are negative and will sink into the abyss if you drop one.

 

[boulderjohn]

The obvious problem is current. I have splashed in situations where this sort of thing was absolutely impossible.

 

[PfcAJ]

I’ve done 1x on the chest and 2x on the swim platform on a leash. Clip it off when you hit the water and go. If you take a scooter, have it staged on the platform, clip it off when you walk back there, and it’s a less than graceful flop into the water.

Also, I’ve done a fair bit of back roll entries with two deco gases and a scooter. Scooter shroud rests on your flippers and you and the whole kit and caboodle rolls into the water.

 

[rjack321]

The obvious problem is current. I have splashed in situations where this sort of thing was absolutely impossible.

Me too, but I'm also not standing alone, strapped into 80+kg of bottles, on a giant swim step, not even a rail to hold, while the boat rocks and motors around into position for me to drop. Forget it not safe.

It's quite plausible to drop in 100s of meters up current of "the spot" and kit up in the water though. When everyone is ready you scooter the remaining distance downcurrent to the shot and drop.

 

[lermontov]

The situation will vary depending on other factors - current is a big one -hypoxic gas is another
im not in favour of struggling with lots of tanks on a boat where a slip will cause injury - If your doing 5 tanks its likely a significant dive and youll probably have support divers. you can hang around in the water and get support divers to help you gear up or ideally a platform where you can sit and gear up

if you have a really low hypoxic gas then even more care is needed, id opt to gear up (with support) in water at a safe depth where your not going to get distracted and risk passing out

 

[bipolarbear]

Where I dive the entry mode is backwards roll. It becomes a little bit of a handful (literally) when doing a hypoxic dive with 3 deco tanks (typically 2x AL40 and 1x AL80) and a scooter.

The way I do it is as follows:

1. Get into your doubles harness, stow your long hose, fins on, mask over my right wrist.
2. Clip my AL40 of 02 by its neck boltsnap to my left waist d-ring (it's the one I'll need last).
3. Clip my AL80 of 50% to both my left shoulder and left waist d-rings.
4. Clip my AL40 of travel gas on top of the 50%, onto both my left should and left waist d-rings.
5. Because my left waist d-ring is now very jammed up, I typically get my SPG and kind of tuck it between my back and my backplate. This makes bottle rotations easier, and it seems to stay nicely in place.
6. I'll then go through pre-dives. For me, that means S.T.A.R.T.
7. On a hypoxic dive, I will then do a 'gas switch', including verification with buddy, and get my travel gas regulator in my mouth.
8. I'll then have the boat crew hand me the scooter, which I'll grab with my right hand.
9. When ready to go, it's a backwards roll (only maybe 3 feet or so), tucking my tanks and holding the reg in my mouth with my left arm/hand, while using my right hand to make sure the scooter stays clear and doesn't bonk me in the head on the way in.