Having trouble with steel cylinder trim - New Xdeep stealth 2.0 Tec diver

[sidemounting_DFK]

Hi everyone,

I am new to sidemount diving and have just purchased my Xdeep Stealth Tec 2.0 SM wing - I love it already.

However, I do have some issues with my cylinder trim and would love some insightful suggestions.

I am using 7L HP cylinders (300 bar), so they are very dense and hence very negatively buoyant in water. I found them less floaty than the more commonly used steel 12L LP cylinder. And I think this might be the primary reason why I am having trouble.

The cylinders are in trim (horizontal) when I clip them onto the square D-ring, but I want to save the square D-ring for my pouch, GoPro, SMB, etc. However, when I clip them onto the round D-ring, the bottom seems to point downward.

I have set up my D-ring as far back as possible (please see the attached photo) onto the square D-ring, and the square D-ring can't be moved back anymore.
I'd like to avoid using a butt plate so I can attach a but pouch there

What should I do to improve my cylinder trim? Should I move the cylinder band/clamp down a bit?

Thanks a lot!

 

[NYCrecdiver]

I dive steel tanks with the xDeep stealth tec also. In the picture, you seem to have clipped your tanks on the sliding D-ring. If I do that with full LP85s, they also hang too low. Need to clip full tanks on the square drop D-rings. If you have some space under your armpits, you can indeed bring your tank bands down. Mine are much lower. I'm 5.11.

 

[NYCrecdiver]

Interesting, your D-rings are added but fixed onto your drop squares. You cannot move them independently. I have sliding D-rings there so that I can slide forward when my steel tanks are getting floaty.

 

[drakcheslav]

I use this method of attaching on my wing for steel 12l. and it works great, you just need to move the drop ring as close to the spine as you can.

to trim out the bottle, move the leas lower and shorten it, it will push the valves more to the front and will be horizontal. Also you can incorporate spin to you tanks to trim them out.

 

[Mike1967]

You could also move the D-ring to here, that would give you another inch and a half ish.

 

[sidemounting_DFK]

Agree! This method works wonderfully for steel 12L, just not for my heavy 7L HP
I was thinking taking the boot off. Have you tried it, and if so does that make the bottom more floaty?

The Square drop D ring is as far back as possible already, so there is no more room to manipulate it unfortunately.

I use this method of attaching on my wing for steel 12l. and it works great, you just need to move the drop ring as close to the spine as you can.

to trim out the bottle, move the leas lower and shorten it, it will push the valves more to the front and will be horizontal. Also you can incorporate spin to you tanks to trim them out.

View attachment 850478

 

[sidemounting_DFK]

Hey Mike, yeah! was thinking about the same, but would it make clipping cylinders much harder?

You could also move the D-ring to here, that would give you another inch and a half ish.
View attachment 850474

 

[sidemounting_DFK]

Interesting, your D-rings are added but fixed onto your drop squares. You cannot move them independently. I have sliding D-rings there so that I can slide forward when my steel tanks are getting floaty.

I do have another sliding D ring separately in front of this square / round D ring complex, so I can fixed my cylinders to both points. However, in saying that, my steel 7L HPs have never been floaty so far.. haha

 

[sidemounting_DFK]

I dive steel tanks with the xDeep stealth tec also. In the picture, you seem to have clipped your tanks on the sliding D-ring. If I do that with full LP85s, they also hang too low. Need to clip full tanks on the square drop D-rings. If you have some space under your armpits, you can indeed bring your tank bands down. Mine are much lower. I'm 5.11.

do you have a photo of your tank band set up/height? I am only 5.4 ish (165cm)

 

[NYCrecdiver]

do you have a photo of your tank band set up/height? I am only 5.4 ish (165cm)

Cannot take a picture right now. I have 35 cm between bottom of valve stem and top of boltsnap. The regulators are sitting snugly under my armpits and my tanks are trimmed out next to me.