Mounting tanks upside down

[Bob3]

The basic question of inverting tanks has been answered; valves & regs get bashed up too bad when not underwater.
That being said, I'll wear a 72 upside down (ala Scott HydroPack) when I use my Desco demand mask.
Might as well look wierd all the way, eh?
Too bad the canvas Bunny Suit shrunk on me.
I also have a set of those cute AGA 4500 psi jobbies (still being made). It's a bugger finding a hydro joint that'll pump to the 12kpsi needed for the + rating though.
Got a little bungee wrap on the shoulder strap around at boob level to keep the 2nd from wandering too far, holds pressure gauge too.
I still use smaller singles inverted when I go crawling through tree branches & other junk. Allows the hose routing up under the armpit to dodge the snags better.
Heck, I sometimes even wear a short stubby crossways on my butt.:mean:
Oh yah, about that + rating thing; that got started during WWII as an emergency measure to transport more volume of HP gasses across the pond w/o having to make more storage bottles & save on room. It stuck around, confusing the crap outta people ever since.

Hookah~ check out the page at Keene Engineering's website: http://www.keeneeng.com/pamphlets/introHooka.html

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

budgy,

I have a side mounted 2nd stage exhaust (Omega II). It breathes noticably harder when lying on my back. devjr's explanation about the second stage sensing the ambient pressure and the pressure difference (more when the lungs are below the reg and less when the lungs are above the reg) makes sense. It's like breathing through a snorkel. The air goes in at sea level pressure but work must be done to get it into the lungs which are at ambient air pressure + the pressure of the small water column on top of them.

I've got my reg set so that it goes to slightly positive pressure once the pilot valve is triggered. It literally blows air into my mouth. When I'm lying on my back checking lobster holes above me, there is a noticable increase in breathing effort. My lungs are deeper in the water than the second stage.

Larry Stein

 

[budgy]

Its starting to make sense now thanks Larry

 

[otobmark]

I think the British Navy still dives Valves DOWN.

An eighty year old man w/ arthritis can crank valves at hip level!

Why don't we dive valves down? Test this for yourself: place back of hand on butt (yes, your own butt...). Not hard to do is it? Compare to scratching between shoulder blades.

I realize some engineering might be necessary to prevent creaming you reg when sitting down but what about the idea in general? In the old days the ole treste double hose needed to be at head level to work but now is there a really good reason to put the valves up? Is it just tradition?

 

[drbill]

I dive with my pony bottle valve down for the very reason you mention... it is far easier to reach the valve, and IF I ever need to, I want it to be as easy as possible. I've also slung the bottle, but find it gets in the way when I'm on the bottom videotaping. As for the main tank valve, I see no real value.

Dr. Bill

 

[911_abuser]

Got a question. I work for the fire department. We mount the tanks valve down for obvious reasons like god forbid something fell onto the valve.

Why dont we do this in scuba diving? I was thinking that since not everyone can reach the valve itself when reaching behind their head but most could reach the bottom of their tank easily wouldnt it make more sense from a safety point of view to mount t inverted?

All hoses could be "wrapped" along the bottom and sides of the jacket thus reducing risk of entanglement/snags. Also a lost regulator would be much easier to find and quickly replace.

Just a random thought I had today while sitting on the crapper...let me know what you think.

Fernando

 

[drbill]

another thread on this same subject already running. Use search to find it.

Dr. Bill

 

[luvdiving]

I read this thread and started thinking of all the reasons why the valve needed to be in the valve up position. Except for PADI changing all of it's OW manuals and videos, I can't come up with a good reason. There may be one, I just can't think of it.

I've used SCBA bottles and it's much easier to turn the valves at hip level than at behind the head level.

Good question. What other things do we do because it's always been done that way?:boom:

 

[Sebastian]

because we would be approached by too many non-divers telling us that our tank is 'upside down'

and I guess it would also make boat diving a bit more difficult.

 

[100days-a-year]

Hose routing,valve accessibility to other divers pre-dive and in an emergency,putting most vulnerable part of your gear where it can be sat on or fallen on in seas,any debris or water in the tank will go straight to your valve(not that you should ever have this problem)put your BC on ,put air in it, try to reach that valve now,it's not as easy as reaching over your mostly unobstructed shoulder for most people.Anyone else want to chime in?