Loop Bungees on backplates

[tbone1004]

Lol. My bad.....next time. I promise.

we'll use it as an excuse to finally go cave diving together!

 

[Dsix36]

@Dsix36 one of the issues that I have with sidemount, and sidemounting bailout bottles on the breather is dealing with the ability to use DIR configured bottles. Sure we have ways to deal with sidemount stages, but when diving in mixed teams, or if you are borrowing bottles, etc. having the ability to use what has been accepted as standard rigging is important to me. I also appreciate hard clips for boat diving.
The way I've been using the loops is with standard rigging then just snapping the bungee over the valve to keep the neck up.

I use the standard DR rigging on all my tanks regardless of sidemount or stage, my loop system makes them all interchangeable. My tanks might be sidemount for one dive but be a stage cylinder on anther dive and i do not want to worry about adjusting riggings all the time. Everything is standardized for me.

 

[kensuf]

So I came across this video randomly a few months ago. I have had loop bungees on my backplates for a while, but they were anchored to d-rings like we normally do in sidemount. I don't always have a stage/deco bottle on, and they certainly make gearing up a pain. I saw this and tried it. Good lord is it brilliant.

Curious what others are doing or thinking. @PfcAJ can you weigh in on whether anything like this is used in your circles to keep the left side bottles in line, or if not, why not?

They're called bungee keepers and are simply a loop of paracord or smaller bungee that is tied around the 2" webbing so that they can slide up/down. When you're donning the rig you can slide them down, mount up, then reach down to find them and pull the loop bungee up under your armpit. As you said, tying into the d-ring can be a PITA when donning, this solves that problem.

Bungee's aren't necessary at all for backmount diving, heck they're not even needed for backmount CCR diving with stage bottles for bailout. Last week I was on a dive where I managed 6 or 7 stage bottles without the aid of loop bungees.

Ken

 

[kensuf]

3 stage bottles butt clipped, 3 more on the left side (you can only see the 70' bottle, the 120' and 20' bottles are on the other side of me).

I'm ashamed that my light cord was dangling out, but I was in trim.

 

[tbone1004]

@kensuf interestingly, I find it less necessary with multiples than I do with singles on the side, but sidemounting the first ones just made it a lot more comfy. I used to use a bolt snap and since everything was on the left, I just clipped it to the hip d-ring when not using, but it never felt right.

 

[kensuf]

Just be sure to tuck the light cord. I'm gonna get in trouble with my fundies instructor for that.

 

[tbone1004]

Just be sure to tuck the light cord. I'm gonna get in trouble with my fundies instructor for that.

If I run into you next week, let me show you how I run mine. I have really long cords for butt mounting in sidemount. Had to figure out how to route them on the backplates, especially with the side gland. The cables are run between the tanks and the plate, then up the left side of the plate in the channel between the center and the left bottle. Comes out over my left shoulder and stays up there. I'm sure I'm not the first/only one that does that, but I do genuinely prefer it to the standard cable routing, only downside is it doesn't work quite as well when on the right hand, but that's what helmets are for....

 

[kensuf]

It's simple, you tuck the cord under the waist strap when your light head is parked. I was otherwise occupied and didn't do it.

 

[JohnnyC]

The loop bungees on CCR are really for the first two bottles. Anything more and the other tanks all sort of hold everything together. A long adjustable bungee'd boltsnap on the bottom lets you pull the third and fourth cylinder in and tight against the first and second sidemount cylinders. Anything else would go on a leash. It's less optimal on DIR rigged stages than sidemount rigged bailouts. Easiest on the SF2 without an external counterlung, but BMCL's are fine too since the bungees are in front of the CL's. I never could figure out a really good way of doing it on my Meg with OTSCL's. It was ugly no matter what.

Truth be told though, it's annoying as hell to deal with that many cylinders and I'd really only do that if I had to carry it all with me. I'd much rather look less cool on the way in and use DIR rigged stages and drop the gas quick and be done with it. Just drive on with the two sidemounted tanks. Picking the rest up on the way out and throwing it on a leash works a treat. Bailing out in anger I'd be dropping the empties on the way out to speed up the exit, which sort of removes the issue anyway. I don't particularly enjoy the deep open water diving that would necessitate I do the whole dive with that much gas on my person. It's just not fun for me, even with most of it on a leash.

I'm really enjoying seeing how other guys do it. Lots of fun stuff out there.

 

[Tug]

I use the standard DR rigging on all my tanks regardless of sidemount or stage, my loop system makes them all interchangeable. My tanks might be sidemount for one dive but be a stage cylinder on anther dive and i do not want to worry about adjusting riggings all the time. Everything is standardized for me.

I do the same with my bailouts, makes things easier. The only difference is I run them valves down and some have opposing valves.