Light on the Left Hand

[FireInMyBones]

My big issue is that I have a Goodman handle that I can use, but it is not designed for use without screws. I tried using zip-ties: didn't work. I guess I need to contact Light Monkey and find out what can be done, if I need to spring for a hard one, or if I can use what I have.

Thanks to all for the information on why to wear the light on the left.

 

[kanonfodr]

It seems weird to say "well, just move the light head around after donation, cause then it isnt a big deal," but also saying, "if you route under the long hose you risk trapping it." It seems like working the light head under the long hose to clip off would be just as easy and there would be no emergency taking place at that time at all (as opposed to rerouting after donation)--it seems practice to make it second nature is what is critical. As long as the team is working together, has trained together, and expects a specific reaction to a problem, is routing under the long hose really a big deal?

Yes...and not really. It's just more likely that you will have the light clipped off while doing something, as opposed to be in an OOG situation, but either way the long hose needs to remain free to deploy if needed. Having the light cord on the outside of the long hose will allow you to fully deploy the long hose if the light is clipped off with no drama. If you are currently using your light, then it's a 1.5 second move to free the long hose after gas-sharing has begun, before you fully deploy the long hose. It takes a bit of practice, but I managed to ingrain it during my Fundies class.

But once again the key is that the long hose is deployable with as little drama as possible, and that means keeping the light cord outside the long hose. If you want to check, clip off your light and do a Mod-S Drill on the surface before you get into the water: the long hose should not get tangled in your light cord.

Peace,
Greg

 

[Buritaani]

Hello all, new poster here. I've been trying to teach left-handed light gripping to my friends

I'm not DIR-trained, but have tried to take tips from hogarthian/dir-guidelines when assembling my gear. What I ended up doing is: I have my canister at my right hip. The cable goes up my right side, behind my right shoulder and neck, and over my left shoulder to where I hold it in my left hand. If I clip the light off, I clip it to my left shoulder D-ring.

When donning the rig, I first route the light cable, then put my bungeed second stage around my neck and finally route the longhose. This means the longhose is always accessible, regardless of light clipping.

Does this setup pose some problems or conflight with guidelines I haven't thought about? (Well, except the guideline that everyone should have identical setups...)

 

[LiteHedded]

it goes behind your back?

 

[mikemill]

Hello all, new poster here. I've been trying to teach left-handed light gripping to my friends

I'm not DIR-trained, but have tried to take tips from hogarthian/dir-guidelines when assembling my gear. What I ended up doing is: I have my canister at my right hip. The cable goes up my right side, behind my right shoulder and neck, and over my left shoulder to where I hold it in my left hand. If I clip the light off, I clip it to my left shoulder D-ring.

When donning the rig, I first route the light cable, then put my bungeed second stage around my neck and finally route the longhose. This means the longhose is always accessible, regardless of light clipping.

Does this setup pose some problems or conflight with guidelines I haven't thought about? (Well, except the guideline that everyone should have identical setups...)

Where did you find a light cord long enough to do that? Beyond that, can you reroute it underwater if it became undone for any reason? Would clipping it to the left d-ring be an issue when 1 bottle? 2? 4?

 

[Buritaani]

it goes behind your back?

Sorry for the unclear description. The cable doesn't go between me and the plate, as the webbing at my right shoulder prevents that. I guess theoretically the cable may be subject to some wear and tear if it grinds against the edge of the BP, so that's a possible failure point.

Where did you find a light cord long enough to do that? Beyond that, can you reroute it underwater if it became undone for any reason? Would clipping it to the left d-ring be an issue when 1 bottle? 2? 4?

My canister light is from the Polish manufacturer Light-For-Me, and that's just the cable it came with. I'll measure the length when I get home. It doesn't seem all that long to me. It does travel right next to my neck, though.
edit: 115cm or just under 4 feet

Re-routing underwater: if it came undone all the way, it would be difficult, that is correct, since it goes "underneath" both the secondary and the longhose. In case of an unraveling incident, it would probably be unfeasible to return it to this position. Will have to try it next time I'm in the water.

Thank you, I hadn't realised the ability to return everything to position applied to items/cables that aren't meant to be detached from their set position, but it makes sense.

I doubt stage bottles on the left D-ring would cause any trouble. They should gravitate towards the left side, so the right side is free for the clip, and the cable from the light head would route towards the left shoulder, meaning no entanglement there.


I'd thought it was a nifty way to cut down on clutter in front of my chest (and address the longhose donating issue at hand), but the comments brought up some good points. Cheers! :satisfied:

 

[lobstah]

I'm not DIR-trained, but have tried to take tips from hogarthian/dir-guidelines when assembling my gear. What I ended up doing is: I have my canister at my right hip. The cable goes up my right side, behind my right shoulder and neck, and over my left shoulder to where I hold it in my left hand. If I clip the light off, I clip it to my left shoulder D-ring.

How difficult is it to pass it to the right hand in this setup? This is done quite frequently whenever buoyancy needs to be addressed. Leaving it to dangle will result in OOG response in most of DIR divers I know. Also deco switch or moving bottles around with additional clutter on a left d-ring is not really that smooth.

 

[FireInMyBones]

I've been diving without issue with my light on my left hand for the last several months. It took some getting used to, but a hard Goodman handle helped tremendously.

Thanks to all who helped.