drrich2
Contributor
Hi.
Strictly a recreational diver, bit of an air hog (SAC runs around 0.65 - 0.75 cf3/min.) normally wearing a Sherwood Avid BCD, TUSA split fins, Atomic B2 reg. & no wet suit shore diving Bonaire. 6'1", close to 275 lbs., tend to get around 40 minutes to an hour on an 80 cf tank with average depth over the dive of 20 - nearly 30 feet.
I'd like to dive a pair of tanks. EAN 32. I'd like to do it with 'off the shelf' provided 80 cf aluminum tanks. As easy and 'off the shelf' as I can.
I've been considering a Hollis SMS 100 for side-mount. I'm a bit put off by the prospect of rigging the tanks. I bought a Dive Rite travel stage harness and worked with it and an 85 cf steel tank quarry diving. Needed to use a couple of hose clamps to make the lower strap stay put. Would be irritating to have to switch to different tanks often (say, 3 or 4 dives per day).
I'd written off doubles since manifolds and those metal brackets to bind 2 tanks into a single rigid unit looked like way too much hassle.
But I saw another thread where someone discussed diving independent doubles (no manifold) - more akin to side-mount in some ways, rather than traditional manifolded doubles.
So I wonder; what is the easiest way to dive 2 independent tanks? Ideally it'd let me mount tanks the same way a traditional single tank jacket BCD does; drop 2 regular BCD cam bands over the tank, clamp down tight and call it good.
Is something that easy a pipe dream? Is there a side-mount or doubles product that's that easy?
Thanks in advance.
Richard.
Strictly a recreational diver, bit of an air hog (SAC runs around 0.65 - 0.75 cf3/min.) normally wearing a Sherwood Avid BCD, TUSA split fins, Atomic B2 reg. & no wet suit shore diving Bonaire. 6'1", close to 275 lbs., tend to get around 40 minutes to an hour on an 80 cf tank with average depth over the dive of 20 - nearly 30 feet.
I'd like to dive a pair of tanks. EAN 32. I'd like to do it with 'off the shelf' provided 80 cf aluminum tanks. As easy and 'off the shelf' as I can.
I've been considering a Hollis SMS 100 for side-mount. I'm a bit put off by the prospect of rigging the tanks. I bought a Dive Rite travel stage harness and worked with it and an 85 cf steel tank quarry diving. Needed to use a couple of hose clamps to make the lower strap stay put. Would be irritating to have to switch to different tanks often (say, 3 or 4 dives per day).
I'd written off doubles since manifolds and those metal brackets to bind 2 tanks into a single rigid unit looked like way too much hassle.
But I saw another thread where someone discussed diving independent doubles (no manifold) - more akin to side-mount in some ways, rather than traditional manifolded doubles.
So I wonder; what is the easiest way to dive 2 independent tanks? Ideally it'd let me mount tanks the same way a traditional single tank jacket BCD does; drop 2 regular BCD cam bands over the tank, clamp down tight and call it good.
Is something that easy a pipe dream? Is there a side-mount or doubles product that's that easy?
Thanks in advance.
Richard.