How you ID your Deco tanks

[stuartv]

I'm wondering what the actual split between 'all left' and 'rich-right/lean-left' really is.

I see more divers carrying tanks on both sides...so I'm surprised to hear someone say they thought "most" divers wore tanks all-left. Is it a regional thing?

Don't all entry level tech programs (i.e. where you are only certified to carry 1 deco cylinder) teach to carry that cylinder on the left? If so, I assume that would comprise the biggest group of tech divers, so it would make sense to appear to be "most". Obviously I am not very experienced in tech diving yet, but I have, so far(!), never personally seen anyone carry a slung cylinder on the right (except for a side mount cylinder for primary breathing gas).

 

[Remy B.]

I have seen both, but I have seen more that carry all deco on the left, not that I have been a lot involved in tec diving. ( note when I say all deco that means 50% and 80 or 100 all together )

"Edited" To clarify I have seen this more in backmounters divers.

I have been challenged of why I use "right is rich", but as rookie as I'm I don't bother to go in to a pissing contest, it is the way I see it safer and easier to carry.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

View attachment 388132 End result for my 19cf Deco 80% tank, with some of the recommendations given.

I found that when I used bungee to hold my hoses in place they had a tendency to roll off the tank when I deployed the hose. I was too cheap to spend the money on flat rubber bands, but now that I use them they are worth it.

Also, I agree w/ Stuart on your stickers being upside down. The big stickers are for others to look at, and regardless of which side you have your bottles on they should be oriented right-side up for divers on both sides of you. The small one you have, which you might want to move up higher on the neck, is for you to verify before doing your switch.

As far as a bottle on the right, if you're diving with the long hose it interferes with long hose deployment because now you have to swing it around that to try and get a regulator to your distressed, out of air buddy.

If you're diving with a buddy I would recommend switching things up a bit. If you're diving solo then it doesn't really matter and you just need to keep things straight for yourself.

 

[stuartv]

I found that when I used bungee to hold my hoses in place they had a tendency to roll off the tank when I deployed the hose. I was too cheap to spend the money on flat rubber bands, but now that I use them they are worth it..

When I rigged my first deco bottle, I thought it was obvious that the bungee should go under the stage rigging strap, to ensure that the bungee couldn't roll off and be lost. Then, during training, a GUE DM who was helping my instructor told me I should put the bungee on top of the stage rigging. So, I've been doing it that way ever since, because in the face of uncertainty, I generally choose to do things how I was trained.

But, since then, I've continued to ponder the best way to do it and read what I could on the subject. From what I can tell, the reason for putting the bungee on top of the rigging is so that the rigging creates a small gap under the bungee that you can use to grab the bungee and lift it up when you are attempting to stow your hose. And I've read at least one opinion that, if you're diving warm water with no (or thin) gloves, it's okay to put the bungee under the rigging. And/or if you have a loop or other "gizmo" on the bungee that lets you grab it to pull it up and stow your hose under it.

Thoughts?

What about if you put the bungee under the rigging, but before you stretched the bungee around the cylinder, you gave it a half twist and then pulled it around the cylinder? That would still give you the gap on either side of the rigging to let you catch it and lift it up, and it would also ensure that the bungee can't roll off the cylinder and be lost. It would also help keep the bungee in whatever position you choose, so it doesn't ride up when you deploy the reg.

 

[LiteHedded]

Put it above the stage rigging. It's infinitely easier to get your fingers on it. Gloves or no

 

[Remy B.]

Also, I agree w/ Stuart on your stickers being upside down. The big stickers are for others to look at, and regardless of which side you have your bottles on they should be oriented right-side up for divers on both sides of you. The small one you have, which you might want to move up higher on the neck, is for you to verify before doing your switch.

Look again to the picture, that is my right side small Deco tank, the position of the letters is correct, and on the other side ( Inside towards me )the small letters are a little bit higher, but that is just one small indicator of what tank I will breath from, The size of the bottle is different, My hose color is different, my clip is way different, My 1st stage is different, My 2nd stage color is different and it is on my right, and will add a mount piece cover as 5th indicator, including the buddy I have in total 7 visual barriers/indicators to miss before I take the wrong regulator to my mount.

As far as a bottle on the right, if you're diving with the long hose it interferes with long hose deployment because now you have to swing it around that to try and get a regulator to your distressed, out of air buddy.

No, it doesn't interfere.

If you're diving with a buddy I would recommend switching things up a bit. If you're diving solo then it doesn't really matter and you just need to keep things straight for yourself.

Thanks, but I prefer to keep it like it is, they can see my MOD in both of my Deco tanks, at surface I make clear what pointers I have before the dive, I will keep the tank size difference between left and right and if possible color, as hopefully I continue getting in bigger dives, as per my own contingency my gas Deco planning, I shall finish the Deco either on 50% or 80% in case I have problems with any one of them, plus the back gas and its conservation factor.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

Look again to the picture, that is my right side small Deco tank

I know, you explained that in a previous post. Look at the markings in this video, both are oriented the same with respect to your buddy (i.e., your buddy can read them on either side of you).

 

[PfcAJ]

Look again to the picture, that is my right side small Deco tank, the position of the letters is correct, and on the other side ( Inside towards me )the small letters are a little bit higher, but that is just one small indicator of what tank I will breath from, The size of the bottle is different, My hose color is different, my clip is way different, My 1st stage is different, My 2nd stage color is different and it is on my right, and will add a mount piece cover as 5th indicator, including the buddy I have in total 7 visual barriers/indicators to miss before I take the wrong regulator to my mount.



No, it doesn't interfere.



Thanks, but I prefer to keep it like it is, they can see my MOD in both of my Deco tanks, at surface I make clear what pointers I have before the dive, I will keep the tank size difference between left and right and if possible color, as hopefully I continue getting in bigger dives, as per my own contingency my gas Deco planning, I shall finish the Deco either on 50% or 80% in case I have problems with any one of them, plus the back gas and its conservation factor.

All those things break down super easy and really just serve to muddle the process of tank identification.

A million little "barriers"diminish the importance of the most important one: MOD on the tank.

 

[Remy B.]

I understand your points, but I believe you have to be self reliant to know from what tank you need to breath from without a buddy.

If one pass to not notice all these visual pointers by your self at 21m then I guess one deserve to die.

Your first barrier is your self the second your buddy.

 

[PfcAJ]

I understand your points, but I believe you have to be self reliant to know from what tank you need to breath from without a buddy.

If one pass to not notice all these visual pointers by your self at 21m then I guess one deserve to die.

Your first barrier is your self the second your buddy.

You're completely missing the point.

100 barriers is not "better" than 1.