Newbie Question - A butt bumper on the tank?

[John TeSelle]

I am new to scuba, and did my first PADI pool dive today. I'm about 6 feet tall and I think the tank was positioned correctly, but the base of the tank hits the bone at the top of my butt/bottom of back. Not always -- kind of depends on body position -- but it seems it would be more comfortable with some kind of neoprene "cozy" wrapped around it. Kind of like one of those foam things you put on a beer can to keep it cold, but something that would not add buoyancy.

After much web searching I have not found anything like this. Is it just me, or is there a simple product that adds a bit of padding here?

Thanks!

 

[Marie13]

It's just you. The standard AL80 tank isn't a fit for a lot of people, though. That's why I dive steel HP80s, which are about 4" shorter.

I see a lot of people doing OW classes at the quarry with the tank hanging past their butt. I was taught to line up top of BC shoulders with top of valve. See if doing that helps any.

 

[John TeSelle]

Thank you. Is there any reason that no one makes a pad like this to put on the tank? Seems like a really simple thing. Maybe my path to riches, who knows...

 

[Marie13]

Thank you. Is there any reason that no one makes a pad like this to put on the tank? Seems like a really simple thing. Maybe my path to riches, who knows...

Just what you need - something making you more floaty.

 

[rongoodman]

What kind of exposure protection were you wearing? The problem might solve itself down the road. FWIW, I'm 5'7" and have never had a similar problem with AL80s or HP100s. As Marie said, your tank might be too low too.

 

[boat sju]

Maybe my path to riches, who knows...

Sorry, but don't quit your day job.

Were you wearing a wet suit in the pool?

 

[Diver0001]

I am new to scuba, and did my first PADI pool dive today. I'm about 6 feet tall and I think the tank was positioned correctly, but the base of the tank hits the bone at the top of my butt/bottom of back. Not always -- kind of depends on body position -- but it seems it would be more comfortable with some kind of neoprene "cozy" wrapped around it. Kind of like one of those foam things you put on a beer can to keep it cold, but something that would not add buoyancy.

After much web searching I have not found anything like this. Is it just me, or is there a simple product that adds a bit of padding here?

Thanks!

What kind of a tank was it?

R..

 

[John TeSelle]

No wet suit. As I said, my first pool dive and so I was not really aware of what kind of tank. But it seemed fairly standard. There were 5 other people in the pool and looking around it seemed the tank was about the same place on their backs as well. I did raise mine up a bit but it would have had to go up a lot to be high enough.

Not trying to raise any hackles here -- it just appeared to be a simple thing that someone might have thought of already. But maybe it is a non-issue to everyone else.

 

[lermontov]

theres a couple of things to consider
1) get your wet suit on it may not bother you as much than being on your skin
2)get a more experienced diver to check you in the water - it my just be adjustment
3) you may not be trimmed out properly
4) be patient and enjoy the journey tinkering is part and parcel of diving

 

[Doc]

- it just appeared to be a simple thing that someone might have thought of already. But maybe it is a non-issue to everyone else.

This too shall pass.

You’ll either simply ignore it, maybe reposition the tank, maybe you’ll just get older and get a fat butt.

Many similar endeavors we pursue present us initially with horrifying insurmountable obstacles, that in retrospect...well, we never even remember them past the initial phase.

You can engineer a padded widget I suppose, but the tank will likely no longer fit into the base holder (usually PVC pipe) that a standard tank is designed to be kerplonked into. And you’ll forget to take it with you, good for the seller of that widget.

Check back in after say...30 more dives.