Left hip D Ring

[Rainer]

When in MA, we'd often keep rolled up lobster bags on the butt d-ring (just "in case"). The few times I went spearfishing, we'd keep a stringer on the left hip d-ring.

See, DIR works for all kinds of diving.

Bob Sherwood asked why I had a right D-ring on my waist webbing and I explained that's where Florida divers clip-off their lobster catch bag and a spear gun sometimes. He said that was very interesting as he slid it off and let hit the floor...:depressed:

 

[Amphiprion]

If the problem is the long hose, wouldn't that also be an issue with a canister light in the same position as a couple of spools? The only time I've had problems with the long hose is during gear replacement and removals, but that is usually where my long hose somehow gets threaded through my crotch strap or something idiotic like that.

As far as that picture is concerned, if I ever find myself carrying more than 6 tanks for deco I'm just going to get a bail out rebreather...although I have to get a first rebreather beforehand.

 

[kanonfodr]

The Canister light is strapped down and the long hose is tucked behind it, so it's just a sweep of the right arm and it's free. Spools on the other hand can get loose, tangled, etc. and make full deployment of the long hose an issue.

Peace,
Greg

 

[ucfdiver]

If the problem is the long hose, wouldn't that also be an issue with a canister light in the same position as a couple of spools? The only time I've had problems with the long hose is during gear replacement and removals, but that is usually where my long hose somehow gets threaded through my crotch strap or something idiotic like that.

As far as that picture is concerned, if I ever find myself carrying more than 6 tanks for deco I'm just going to get a bail out rebreather...although I have to get a first rebreather beforehand.

I've had 6 bottles and 2 scooters on me at a time, you'd be surprised how the desire to go further, stay longer, etc sneaks up on you. IMO there's absolutely no reason to be using a rebreather if you're doing a 6 bottle dive here and there. If I were doing them every weekend I'd consider a rebreather, but the fact is there's simply too many unexplained deaths to justify one for me right now. All bottles were leashed or on the left. There's simply no need to start doing sillyness like placing them on the right. Even if I did use my left side, there's no way I could swim, it's 100% scooter or setup dive at this point, so the argument of streamlining really doesn't hold water here. MAYBE a 4 bottle dive I could see it, but IMO not worth the risk, nor the hassle of dealing with regs that feed from the opposite side.

Spools go in the pocket, or they'll fall off. Gear replacement and removal is a silly skill. Other than removing it to exit, there's simply no reason to take tanks off and back on. If you have to do that, sidemount is MUCH safer, don't try to force a DIR gear config into a situation it doesn't work for.

 

[Scott L]

as he should, otherwise the strokes would be running the asylum.

I knew what was coming but just forgot about it being on my rig. It's just funny watching their expressions while they go over your gear set-up....

 

[HenrikBP]

Bob Sherwood asked why I had a right D-ring on my waist webbing and I explained that's where Florida divers clip-off their lobster catch bag and a spear gun sometimes. He said that was very interesting as he slid it off and let hit the floor...:depressed:

That is Hilarious! Thanks for the laugh Having done classes with Bob, I can easily imagine the scene

Henrik

 

[PfcAJ]

Umm, no.

Everything else is correct.

FWIW there reaches a practical limit where clipping bottles far back on the left side is even acceptable, but I doubt many of us are doing those dives.

Umm, yes, it significantly slows you down to have stuff clipped off to the right side hip. You can feel the scooter propwash blasting stuff on the right side. That particular problem might be diminished with 300gas clipped off to the tanks, but anything heavier is very noticeable.

This issue there is a lack of real estate and the ridiculous asymmetric drag that develops when a bajillion tanks are on one side. You end up going through the water kinda sideways.

 

[Blackwood]

As far as that picture is concerned, if I ever find myself carrying more than 6 tanks for deco I'm just going to get a bail out rebreather...although I have to get a first rebreather beforehand.

They aren't using those bottles for a dive. They're cleaning them out of the cave.

If the problem is the long hose, wouldn't that also be an issue with a canister light in the same position as a couple of spools?

Not sure I understand the question. Are you suggesting that a battery canister (maybe 12" long) threaded onto your webbing has the potential to trap or interfere with long hose deployment in the same way a clipped deco cylinder (maybe 25" long) may?

If so, I disagree. Even if you pump your drysuit full of air so it's squeezing against the canister, you can pull the hose out. If it's been clipped over, you must unclip first, and even it it isn't, there would be substantially more length to clear with a cylinder.

Maybe if there are also some spools cross clipped beneath the hose you could run into trouble, hence the non-"DIRCCR" crowd not clipping anything down there.

 

[ucfdiver]

Umm, yes, it significantly slows you down to have stuff clipped off to the right side hip. You can feel the scooter propwash blasting stuff on the right side. That particular problem might be diminished with 300gas clipped off to the tanks, but anything heavier is very noticeable.

This issue there is a lack of real estate and the ridiculous asymmetric drag that develops when a bajillion tanks are on one side. You end up going through the water kinda sideways.

I try to keep the prop-wash pointed down center. Not sure why left or right effects drag, if anything I would think you'd be more streamlined with one bottle on each side. There's clearly other issues with that (regs need to feed from different sides, long hose entrapment, etc), but I can't see propwash favoring one side or the other.

 

[PfcAJ]

Clip some off to the right side sometime and see what happens. Its not great, I promise you that.