Low hanging of tanks, is this a specific fashion, ignorance, or normal?

[Nemrod]

Nemrod, the same way people cannot assume that tanks will always be low in the water, you cannot defend it in absolute terms, because for some people they still are low in the water and still cause problems.

This one is so low it's past the butt and clearly pushing the diver hips down, which is not good for trim.

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When the tank gets lighter, if only connected to the BCD at the top, it can have the opposite effect and act as a lever.

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And yet, it's possible to have it not hitting the head and not going down past the butt in a more central position.

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Of course that we don't know how these tanks look on the surface and maybe even for the third diver it could look as it it was too low. But this is to show that there are too low tanks even in the water. They may be because of trim, as some people mentioned, but I think there are better solutions, because of the person's dimensions (it's possible to get shorter 12 l steel cylinders) or because the divers don't know better. And I think it's relevant to discuss this and acknowledge that it's not always been done correctly. At least divers should question how they are setting up their cylinders and see if there are reasons or not, what are the implications on their trim, finning fining, comfort, etc, experiment a bit and see what's best for them.

Nice try but not going to work. I am not defending too low, just not up behind your head, a position dictated by the use of a doubles plate for single tank diving. The photos you present have issues for sure and the least of all of their worries are the tank position. Looks like they need some new cambands and a BC that actually fits.

N

 

[tall78]

As to the question of low tank location. I n the beginning of scuba, we all had our tank valves between our shoulder blades. As per recommendation of US Divers Aqua-Lungs, They were designed o breath the best at the same height as your lungs, thus low tank positions.

 

[eelnoraa]

Most people turn their air supply on before entering the water. And with a singles rig there is no further reason to need to manipulate the valve once turned on, usually before entering the water is preferred by experienced divers, we usually do a spg pressure check and watch the spg needle. If during the dive an O-ring blows, hose explodes, whatever reason you can invent, leave the valve open and continuing breathing as normal if possible. If not possible, better have a buddy or if solo an alternate supply and in any case the dive is over and you are going up.

N

Under the normal situation, of course tank on before splash. But I am sure you have seen people jump in with tank off. In fact, I have seen boat crew accidentally turn off people's tank when they try to check if the diver's tank is ok. Mean well, but screw up. IMO, single or double, being able to manipulate valve is a must.

 

[gypsyjim]

Position of my tank on my back varies. Diving modern single hose regs, my tank sits up a bit, with the first stage even with the top of my shoulders.

Diving my Kraken, double hose, the regulator breathes best when the tank is slung as low as possible, placing the 2 stages "even with my lungs", as mentioned above by tall78.

As long as your tank is firmly attached to you, you can reach your valve in an emergency, and your trim is decent, it is no business of mine where you wear your tank.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The photos in Redshift's post don't look like tank positioning problems to me as much as possible overweighting problems and crappy choice of BC.
Also a still photo only shows a moment in time. Those divers could have averaged a better body position but the photo might have snapped right when they weren't at their best. Maybe the guy looked up for a second and arched up when the pic was taken. One of the picks looks like a typical near empty AL 80 problem with a light butt end.The look of being pried down is usually more an affect of overweighting where the weights being lower than the air bubble in the top of a BC tends to work as a lever not the lowness of a tank. Besides, an AL 80 is so inherently light at the butt end they make lousy levers.

I have several tanks that have strap harnesses only with no plates of any kind. With these the tank rides directly on your back. I use thick wetsuits so there is enough padding with the suit alone that it doesn't bother me. With this style I must place the rank low other wise it WILL hit my head. I have a 7.25" dia. Very long steel 120 that I occasionally use with straps and I have no choice but to have it hang down past my butt. That's what your butt crack is for, to form a notch to hold a scuba tank in the "V" that it forms. Another perfect creation God gave us.

I'll bet if half of you were filmed diving you'd be quite humbled with your attitudes.
You can show me the best pic you can find of the biggest best badass GUE/DIR diver and I'll show that their tanks appear to be pointing uphill. Why is this? Because those flat doubles plates are resting on the part of their backs that slope high to low from front to back, and because those flat square plates do not allow the tank to be lowered down in between the shoulder blades you will always have this problem.
Go ahead and hike the tank as high as you want to go even to the point of falling forward and nose diving, you will never be able to fix this problem.

 

[PfcAJ]

Nice try but not going to work. I am not defending too low, just not up behind your head, a position dictated by the use of a doubles plate for single tank diving. The photos you present have issues for sure and the least of all of their worries are the tank position. Looks like they need some new cambands and a BC that actually fits.

N

I'm not about having it behind me head either, and its entirely possible to have it at a comfortable, non-nogging banging level with a backplate.

Exhibit 1. Dat's me, enjoying a single tank dive with a backplate.

There's a tendency for divers (single tank and double tank) to have their tank(s) too darn high. Cartoonishly high sometimes. Loosen dem shoulder straps, tighten dat crotch strap, and get on with your life.

 

[Nemrod]

I'm not about having it behind me head either, and its entirely possible to have it at a comfortable, non-nogging banging level with a backplate.

Exhibit 1. Dat's me, enjoying a single tank dive with a backplate.

There's a tendency for divers (single tank and double tank) to have their tank(s) too darn high. Cartoonishly high sometimes. Loosen dem shoulder straps, tighten dat crotch strap, and get on with your life.

Then we agree. Peace and love.

When I had an STA (still do on one plate) I modded it and cut new slots allowing the upper cam band remain off the tank shoulder. With my Freedom Plate it is just not an issue, I can put the tank anywhere and my VDH plate has slots again allowing any position of the tank relative to the plate.

Carry on, this a silly thread anyways.

N

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I often wonder why I'm still here myself, boredom I guess?
I really do have better things to do. Many times I think I am preaching to the choir with one small group and with the rest It just falls on deaf ears.
It would be interesting to get all scubaboarders together sometime and witness the dynamic. I'll bet people would group off with their own kind much like they do in everyday life with the people they are the most comfortable with.
I have a feeling I would be fairly awkward and hard to categorize.
Divers for the most part seem to seek out safety with like minded people and gear choices and styles.
they are quite reluctant to change and once they feel a sense of belonging they shut their minds off if everything's goes well enough and problem free, regardless if something better is in plain view.
Divers are very myopic in this regard.
I've been here for 10 years now and see very little change if any at all.
I'm going to say that scubaboard has probably run it's course with me and offers little to nothing except for a few entertaining chuckles now and again.
It's pretty hard to take 99% of the crap here seriously.

 

[AdivingBel]

Yep...that would be one group...

 

[rx7diver]

I often wonder why I'm still here myself, boredom I guess?
I really do have better things to do. Many times I think I am preaching to the choir with one small group and with the rest It just falls on deaf ears.
It would be interesting to get all scubaboarders together sometime and witness the dynamic. I'll bet people would group off with their own kind much like they do in everyday life with the people they are the most comfortable with.
I have a feeling I would be fairly awkward and hard to categorize.
Divers for the most part seem to seek out safety with like minded people and gear choices and styles.
they are quite reluctant to change and once they feel a sense of belonging they shut their minds off if everything's goes well enough and problem free, regardless if something better is in plain view.
Divers are very myopic in this regard.
I've been here for 10 years now and see very little change if any at all.
I'm going to say that scubaboard has probably run it's course with me and offers little to nothing except for a few entertaining chuckles now and again.
It's pretty hard to take 99% of the crap here seriously.

Eric Sedletzky,

I've been thinking to respond to your post since reading it: Each of us posting to these boards really should keep foremost in our mind just why it is we are posting. If we are certain we are not attempting to *convince* anyone of anything—especially not to dive a certain way—then participation in these forums is much less frustrating, I think. I, personally, enjoy reading what others have to offer, even though much (most?) of it I can see myself *never* doing (like rec diving in open water in significant exposure protection without ditchable weight, or handing off a pony bottle to an on-the-verge-of-panicking OOA open water diver during a recreational dive, or ...!).

Safe Diving,

rx7diver