latest SM set up with pics - for anyone getting started it may help....or not

[tbone1004]

looks pretty good actually. For the torch, just take a small piece of bungee and make a loop with it just big enough to get the torch head out, and leave it on the BC strap. It will slide down if you're using the torch, but since it has a flared head on the top, it will stay put when in use

 

[corvettejoe]

unfortunately i do not have my own tanks. so i use the same two shop tanks each time. i have marks on the tanks so i know where to put the hardware. so the neck clips are on a slip knot so i can easily take them off and put back on when needed. just about all our rentals have tank boots. they don't get in my way at all.

Get a pair of cam bands and then attach your clips to them for the bottom band. You don't ever need tools to swap tanks and they are easy to travel with.

I keep permanent clamps on my steel tanks, but all my AL80's I use the cam band setup for since I often swap tanks, monkey dive with them, stage dive with different ones, etc. I can just pop the band off and stick it on another one pretty quickly.

PM me if you want pics. It makes it really easy.

 

[Patoux01]

Yes tbone, that's one of the ways I will try. I just don't have bungee yet (silly diver without bungee!), it's on it's way. But I'm afraid that way it may cause a bit of a problem when adding a second tank.
I've been suggested to put it on the butt d-ring, even though it starts to get a bit crowded there. I'll try both and see which one I prefer.


I would keep steel bands on my tanks, even rental (which is actually what I do). A small screwdriver doesn't take too much space, I do it with my swiss knife that's always in my bag anyway, and it takes 5 seconds to swap the band from one tank to another. I assume your "setup" is simply a triglide on the band and you run the leash through it? Or is there anything fancy that could be interesting to see?
If you're worried about having tools with you, does that mean you don't have anything to change o-rings on your regs/tanks with you when you go diving?

 

[rick00001967]

so i took another look at the square rings and waist strap. i tried moving my left square ring over top of the slider that is sewn onto the harness so they overlap. i left my right square ring alone. i took some pics to show the difference from front and rear. not sure how much of a difference this will make but it should help get me that much closer.
i will move the right one as well and try it next time out. was boat diving with students this weekend so i couldn't get out in the SM rig. hopefully next weekend
also will try out some of the other suggestions given

 

[Sidemount_Stu]

not sure how much of a difference this will make but it should help get me that much closer.

I think you'll be surprised at how much difference it makes, that extra inch can make all the difference.

 

[tbone1004]

you'll be surprised at how much that will actually help, it doesn't look like much, but when you compound the change over the length of the tank, it'll make loads of difference.

As far as getting pics, like I said in the PM, I'll try to set one up this week, but if you look at the DiveRite product page that I linked on here you can see how it works. Run webbing like you would for a stage strap, in the space between the two pieces of webbing you put the hose retainers and the cam band. The piece of webbing closest to the tank should end about 2" below where you want your cam band to live. Run both ends of webbing through one slide lock, this will be the end of the bottom piece of webbing closest to the tank. The bottom piece should extend a few more inches. Put this through a slide lock where you want the bottom of your clip to live, then run the webbing back over itself trapping the bolt snap.

https://www.divegearexpress.com/gas/straps.shtml
You can see it decently well on here. If I get a chance to sew some up this week I'll post detailed pictures, but I'm almost out of 1" slide locks....

 

[rick00001967]

thanks so much to everyone who has posted here. i really appreciate the help and support. a special shout out to gearhound and aquasport for the excellent customer support.
unfortunately i have not been able to do much side mount diving at all in the last couple of months. quite disappointing. but i did manage to get some very bad video (haha) in the pool that i wll post a link to. after making some adjustments i think i am on the right track. still have some changes to make but i think the tank trim is far better.
i am wayyyy over weighted in this video as i am only wearing a full 1mm so you will see a lot of air in the bc. couldn't be helped. hopefully over the winter i will be able to squeeze in some pool time and i may be going south this spring (fingers crossed) where i hope to get in some side mount time. we'll see.
so things are moving along much slower than i had hoped this fall but at least i think i am moving in the right direction
thx again everyone !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnE2LIEbouA