Rigging stage bottles

[Dan Gibson]

Some do stow under the bottom, not the top once depolyed and then restowed during the dive. Personally, I find the hose lays flatter against the tank this way.

http://gue.com/Projects/WKPP/Equipment/equip/stage_w_reg_r.jpg

Not sure I understand this. Once you deploy and want to restow are you not going to be grabbing at the bottom tube?

 

[Soggy]

Generally just the top one. Once you get more than one stage under your arm, reaching the bottom one is a pain.

That's a bad habit to get into. It's fine if you are using 50% and 100% for deco, where the odds that you'll get entangled are pretty low, but when stowing a bottom stage, you may still have more bottom time left and having half your hose sticking out isn't optimal. To get to the bottom band you have to throw the tank underneath you and hump it a little.

 

[limeyx]

That's a bad habit to get into. It's fine if you are using 50% and 100% for deco, where the odds that you'll get entangled are pretty low, but when stowing a bottom stage, you may still have more bottom time left and having half your hose sticking out isn't optimal. To get to the bottom band you have to throw the tank underneath you and hump it a little.

Hmmm, the people around here diving bottom stages dont seem to do it like that.

Tech2 is not in my immediate future, but I have been using an AL80 stage to avoid bringing 2 sets of doubles, and just stowing it in the top one like others (that do have Tech2) are doing.

With dry gloves I am not sure its going to be possible to get the hose under that bottom innertube

 

[Soggy]

With dry gloves I am not sure its going to be possible to get the hose under that bottom innertube

It is possible. I find it no more difficult than the top band. The only time I just stow the top band is when switching off my deco bottle to climb the boat ladder. But on the bottom, I think it is important to stow the hose in the best possible way. The only reason not to is laziness, really.

 

[nadwidny]

I have been guilty of only stowing with the top band but Soggy is correct; it is a lazy practice and can only lead to trouble, especially when your're trying to juggle a stage, 3 decos, a camera and a scooter. I cut my bands wider so that it is easier to get underneath and most importantly I practice stowing; a lot.

 

[limeyx]

I have been guilty of only stowing with the top band but Soggy is correct; it is a lazy practice and can only lead to trouble, especially when your're trying to juggle a stage, 3 decos, a camera and a scooter. I cut my bands wider so that it is easier to get underneath and most importantly I practice stowing; a lot.

Hmmm, well, I have a class coming up so I will definitely be asking the question.

However (and my memory is a little foggy here), I have had a stage workshop (2 deco bottles) and it came up in tech1, and in each case we just stowed it under the top one, and that was deemed fine by instructor.

I can see the logic of it getting entangled though. I am a long way from Tech2, but using 2 stages (2 deco or 1 bottom and 1 deco) is definitely something I will be doing.

 

[MonkSeal]

During Tech-1 we were taught to stow the hose only under one band and it can be done in very nice and clear way. The other band is used only as a backup if first one is broken.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

I think the confusion here is coming from the fact that there are two acceptable methods for rigging a stage bottle.

In the first method, the hose is secured with an innertube, and the second stage is secured with a bolt snap. A second innertube may be added as a backup, and is usually placed over the hose clamp until needed. Note that this is "old school" DIR.

In the second method, no bolt snap is used, and the second stage and hose are each secured with an innertube - actually, the hose is secured with both innertubes - one of them is just snugged up closer to the second stage. Note that this is the method that is described in "Dress for Success".

With the first method, the hose is a little more difficult to deploy (bolt snap must be undone), but easier to stow (only one innertube to fool with). It is also (IMO) a more secure method of stowage, since there is very little risk that the hose can be accidentally pulled loose. With the second method, the hose is very easy to deploy (just pull it out), but more difficult to stow. It could also be argued that the second method is more in the "spirit" of DIR, since it accomplishes the same thing with fewer pieces of equipment.

Depending on when you were taught (and how you were taught), it's entirely possible that you only used the upper tube to secure the hose. In this case, you should have secured the second stage with a bolt snap. If you are using the "two tube" method, then you should be pulling the hose through both tubes when stowing it. Otherwise things will flop around, which increases the risk of entanglement.

So either way, there should be two points of contact - one for the hose and one for the second stage.

 

[Boomer7]

I do also have dress for success. Is this the new manual for equipment??? I notice that a lot of pictures and explanations are a little different than from what I orriginally believed. For one he was using a double ender on his lighthead and on his primary reg. I know there were more but I don't have the book infront of me. Sorry to get side tracked.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

I do also have dress for success. Is this the new manual for equipment???

It is a manual for equipment - don't know that it's considered the manual.

I notice that a lot of pictures and explanations are a little different than from what I orriginally believed. For one he was using a double ender on his lighthead and on his primary reg.

A double ender on the ballast of the lighthead is now the preferred method for temporarily clipping off. A fixed clip is still used on the Goodman handle. As far as I know, a fixed clip on the primary reg is still the preferred method.