Feedback on tank positioning.

[kr2y5]

Looking for some feedback on tank positioning. I've been told that fronts of my tanks hang too low. I fiddled with all the adjustments a bit, not sure that made any difference. The bungees are already stretched a lot, and are pretty hard to pull over the valves, not sure if shortening them further is an option. Also, both SPGs are pressing against my chest (setup as in this video). What can I improve here? Sorry for the low quality of the photos, visibility was not great. ( Disregard the left inflator hose, which obviously sticks out, I tried to go from a 9-inch to a 14-inch one because my regs keep getting rotated under pressure, that was not helpful. ) Any suggestions would be welcome.

Right side:

Right-1

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Right-2

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Right-3

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Right-4

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Left side:

Left-1

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Left-2

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Left-3

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Left-4

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Right side looks a bit different from left, that's because the tank is basically riding on the light canister that I pushed as far to the side and back on the waist belt as I could per rjacks@'s suggestion in another thread, and the front of the tank is now essentially resting on it. There is nothing to support the left cylinder. If I can't make bungees tighter, I wonder if I should consider attaching them differently.

 

[tbone1004]

get the canister off of your waist belt. It shouldn't be there in sidemount unless it is on a small handful of rigs.

Right bottle is OK, bottom might be a bit too high depending on what tank pressure it is at, but it's not bad. If you are lollipopping your SPG's, the valve outlet should be face down, especially if the necks are up where they are supposed to be. That will go a long way in allowing everything to come up

 

[kr2y5]

Thanks! I'm doing the exact opposite, the valve outlets facing my body, the regulators between me and the valves. I'm using HOG D3s, the inflators are coming off the 5th port, and pointing towards each other, the SPGs are pointing up and slightly towards my body. Are you suggesting that I should basically swap the tanks: right becomes left, left becomes right. The regulators will then be on the outside, with the SPGs then pointing up, and slightly away from my body at an angle. Inflators on 5th ports still be pointing straight towards each other, just reversed. Is that the idea?

 

[tbone1004]

sort of, but I am very much not a believing in using the 5th port for inflators. It doesn't work. It works for the razor guys because their tanks are very far forward because of the continuous bungee, but with loop bungees the first stage is much farther back and much higher up, so having the inflator come off of the swivel is much better. Left bottles should have a relatively short inflator that is on the same side as the secondary and it will come straight forward and align with the left regulator hose. Right bottle will be a standard length drysuit inflator hose and go down then come back up to the drysuit.

 

[kr2y5]

Ok, here's the "tbone" mod in action. Tanks swapped, bottom attachments moved to roughly the same position relative to the body. Is there any last-minute fix you can suggest before I give it a test drive?

Front:

New_IMG_20160530_112012

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Top:

New_IMG_20160530_112127

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Left, the wing inflator is using a 9-inch hose:

New_IMG_20160530_112036

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

Right, the suit inflator is using a 22-inch hose:

New_IMG_20160530_112055

• kr2y5
• May 30, 2016

 

[tbone1004]

don't put the long hose behind the valve. With the first stages facing downward you won't be able to have the swivel move forward in an OOA scenario. I would swap the long hose and inflator on the turret, and if there are two ports closer together, use the closest together ones

 

[kr2y5]

Thanks, bro. I will take it for a ride and report back shortly.

 

[BabyDuck]

i tilt the first stages so that the spgs rest snugly against my chest. so as you're cranking them on, tilt the firsts away from the knobs 15-20 degrees.

 

[Subcooled]

Could the trim of the tanks be altered by moving them slightly back?
Are you diving in high current or for miles? Does this minor change really matter?
The setup is flat still.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

If you are lollipopping your SPG's, the valve outlet should be face down, especially if the necks are up where they are supposed to be. That will go a long way in allowing everything to come up

I thought valves facing the body were the proper sidemount setup? I did not realize lollipop spg's make a difference - can you explain why?
Thanks