Seat for gearing up

[mc42]

It's totally doable to stand the doubles up yourself and then keep them balanced by holding onto one of the shoulder straps. You get one arm in this way then kinda lean them into your back/shoulder as you shimmy the other arm in. Might take a little practice but we do this all the time at Lobos. Much easier with a buddy holding it up while you get your arms in.

+1. Lots of us GUE types around here use doubles with their pickups or SUVs. Bonus points if you have a flat floor, bumper, or tailgate at the perfect height to rest on while you chew the fat with other divers because you don't want to be walking around with the rig on your back any more than you have to. A lifted truck is probably not a good idea unless you're taller.

Now, I did have a sedan previously with doubles, and what I did was to lay down a thick rubber mat on the trunk opening, which let the bottom of the doubles rest against the bottom edge and the sides against the weatherstripping on the top edge of the trunk. The doubles will lie somewhat vertically, maybe 15 degrees off vertical depending on the shape of your trunk opening, and the rubber mat keeps pretty secure.

It was a pretty reasonable solution and didn't hurt the car if you were careful. It was easier than having to raise them up from laying horizontally, but I eventually gave in and got a 4Runner and it's been a great dive vehicle.

 

[divezonescuba]

Sad to say that I was present when someone left their al80 twinset standing on one side of a tailgate a few years ago. At the time, I was still sitting in mine on the other side.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the twinset do a nose dive into the pavement.

It seriously damaged both first stages and the tank manifold. That person could not use the rig to make the dive. The problem was, it was the instructors rig. He had to borrow someone else’s rig to teach the class. That person, could then not dive. Fortunately, he was not a student taking the class. It was interesting in that the person who loaned his rig, admitted to having done the same thing a couple of years earlier.

If you are going to tailgate, please lay your twinset down, if you are not within arms reach.

The video should be done tomorrow. Please subscribe to the channel. It is listed as dive zone scuba. The channel does not cover general scuba topics. It focuses on specific topics related to diving solutions and technical diving. It’s not monetized as far as I know, but it’s nice to know someone is benefitting from the videos.

 

[formernuke]

Sad to say that I was present when someone left their al80 twinset standing on one side of a tailgate a few years ago. At the time, I was still sitting in mine on the other side.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the twinset do a nose dive into the pavement.

It seriously damaged both first stages and the tank manifold. That person could not use the rig to make the dive. The problem was, it was the instructors rig. He had to borrow someone else’s rig to teach the class. That person, could then not dive. Fortunately, he was not a student taking the class. It was interesting in that the person who loaned his rig, admitted to having done the same thing a couple of years earlier.

If you are going to tailgate, please lay your twinset down, if you are not within arms reach.

The video should be done tomorrow. Please subscribe to the channel. It is listed as dive zone scuba. The channel does not cover general scuba topics. It focuses on specific topics related to diving solutions and technical diving. It’s not monetized as far as I know, but it’s nice to know someone is benefitting from the videos.

I think I just did.

 

[divezonescuba]

 

[Marie13]

I saw the original table I linked to in action today. Someone was using it to gear up with their SM CCR, but I’ve also seen it used for doubles.

 

[formernuke]

That is odd according to lifetime the load capacity of that table is 75 pounds. I weigh a bit more than 75 pounds.

 

[Marie13]

That is odd according to lifetime the load capacity of that table is 75 pounds. I weigh a bit more than 75 pounds.

Haha! I’d expect your doubles weigh more than 75lbs!

 

[formernuke]

Haha! I’d expect your doubles weigh more than 75lbs!

Nah they are lp50's. The hundreds will but they will be boat diving ones.

 

[Compressor]

Interesting solutions offered which I appreciate.
I am not getting an SUV. I drive a nice Toyota. And here is my solution which I made up with some scrap wood and some screws as well as a small purchase at the home depot of door hinges.

It's not commercial grade but from experience I have put doubles on it without any issues. I used it for 2 years now and it's stood up to the rigors of my diving. And when not in use, it folds.

 

[divezonescuba]

I have seen different capacity specs for the tables. I am not sure what their safety factor is or how they determined it. Some specs list the taller table as less than the lower one. It probably has to do with the increased length of the tubing. The tubing appears to be the same gauge. The steel legs lock in place and are slightly splayed.

I investigated a large number of tables for this purpose and the several had higher weight ratings, but also had bent aluminum tubing for legs. Those did not seem satisfactory.

All of the rigs easily exceed 75 pounds. On the shorter one which I sit on regularly with a rig, while donning and doffing, the momentary load is close to 300 pounds. The taller one I don’t really sit on, so that one doesn’t exceed the weight of the rig.

Should anybody else use these tables, in any manner, given the possibility that the person and / or rig would exceed any published specifications? That is an individual decision.