If you don't need the 80 cu ft of gas that your aluminum 80 provides, then you're carrying extra weight, causing extra drag, and requiring more energy to move about than is necessary to perform the dive. Consider switching to a 40, or even a 30, depending on what cu ft of gas you calculate that you actually will consume.
Next, move your O2 cylinder over to your left side. You will not be unbalanced with both bottles on your left. As with the other stage/deco bottle, there is no need to carry enough O2 to last you four or five dives on every dive. Calculate the amount of gas you need and carry that much gas. Two 40s, or a 30 and a 40, will serve you better than slinging two 80s when you don't need to.
This free's up your right side for running the long hose properly, that is to say, held in position by either a knife sheath or a cannister light at your right waist, then running up along your body around your neck and into your mouth. The real benefit to this is being able to both drill and actually deploy the hose nearly instantly, yet be able to restow it in nearly as little time. Any other configuration may require too much effort or time to deploy the 2nd stage in a genuine emergency, and makes practicing difficult due to the difficulty of re-stowing the long hose.
Its good you're putting some thought into it. Try the different configurations yourself with a buddy. Especially, try them with your mask off, and/or with your mask blacked out with some papertowel. Being slick and clean is more difficult when you can't see squat.
Configure yourself in whichever configuration allows you to most effectively and efficiently deploy and then re-stow your long hose, entirely without any assistance from your buddy.
I suspect I know which configuration you will select, but its good for you to prove it to yourself. Time you spend working on things like this in a pool or confined water is priceless when it comes to debating the issue either with yourself or others. You won't regret taking the time to get it squared away for yourself - regardless of what any other diver may tell you (myself included!)
Regards,
Doc
Next, move your O2 cylinder over to your left side. You will not be unbalanced with both bottles on your left. As with the other stage/deco bottle, there is no need to carry enough O2 to last you four or five dives on every dive. Calculate the amount of gas you need and carry that much gas. Two 40s, or a 30 and a 40, will serve you better than slinging two 80s when you don't need to.
This free's up your right side for running the long hose properly, that is to say, held in position by either a knife sheath or a cannister light at your right waist, then running up along your body around your neck and into your mouth. The real benefit to this is being able to both drill and actually deploy the hose nearly instantly, yet be able to restow it in nearly as little time. Any other configuration may require too much effort or time to deploy the 2nd stage in a genuine emergency, and makes practicing difficult due to the difficulty of re-stowing the long hose.
Its good you're putting some thought into it. Try the different configurations yourself with a buddy. Especially, try them with your mask off, and/or with your mask blacked out with some papertowel. Being slick and clean is more difficult when you can't see squat.
Configure yourself in whichever configuration allows you to most effectively and efficiently deploy and then re-stow your long hose, entirely without any assistance from your buddy.
I suspect I know which configuration you will select, but its good for you to prove it to yourself. Time you spend working on things like this in a pool or confined water is priceless when it comes to debating the issue either with yourself or others. You won't regret taking the time to get it squared away for yourself - regardless of what any other diver may tell you (myself included!)
Regards,
Doc
