Should all recreational BCD’s have two tank bands?

[KeithG]

You have more dives than me. And you did a "once". Consider "once' with my Tank Lock". -- "a better job of adjusting".....just once. "Get the strap wet". Jeez, is there no right answer here?

The right answer is "get the strap wet".

We only dive al80s. So there is no need to ever adjust the tank strap "length". At the start of each vacation my strap is "too short" for me to close it. Until I get it wet. Then it clamps on just fine.

 

[tdallen]

Before two straps are required on all BCDs, we'll need the sit back style tank racks on all larger dive boats replaced with ones that accommodate the bottom strap.

 

[TMHeimer]

TMHeimer....why would you think I was talking to you? Maybe because my post came right after yours? Is it too much to to think I was replying to the original poster with a bit of advice? My bad, I will be clearer next time so people don't get confused..The advice I gave to the poster was taught to me and has been working for me in my rookie time since 1979 so I feel it is at least a viable option to try. If you disagree because something else works for you, thats great too. the whole idea is to give the poster several things to try so his diving is enjoyable.

Sorry, my bad for sure. It really seemed you were replying to me.

 

[Steve_C]

I have a a single band. With my smooth AL80s, which I never dive anymore, just wet the band and all is good. For my steel HP 100s with a rough surface sometimes wet sometimes don't. Does not matter. Never have had a slip issue.

Now cannot say that for an instabuddy in the Keys. He was happilly going along in good horizontal trim with his tank pointing straight up like a buoy.

 

[boulderjohn]

I have owned a large number of BCDs over the years, including single tank and double tank rigs.. The biggest reason for that large number is changing dive shops and having to wear what they sell. All my personal gear over a couple of decades have had two straps. I never had a problem with slippage during a dive.

For much of that time I have taught OW students--many hundreds of them. For all of them, I have used the shop gear for that purpose--they wore it and I wore it. All of that gear, every one of them, was single strap. I never had a problem with slippage during a dive.

The one exception occurred on one of my earliest dives, and in that case, the cam band on the rental BCD was not threaded properly, and as a newbie, I did not have what it takes to notice it before the dive. I took care of it during the dive.

So I am of the opinion that you dive what you like. One thing I can say for certain is that it is a lot easier to put a single band BCd on the tank and get it straight from the start.

 

[The Chairman]

a second strap also improves tank stability.

Indeed.

I was teaching a class in Royal Springs recently, and realised that my top strap had slipped. I've never had that happen before. Trying to get it to work, I realized that the plastic on the buckle had broken, so it wasn't holding things like it should. Redundancy saved my dives.

 

[Carlos Danger]

Over the years I do not recall ever seeing anyone with a two band setup suffering from tank slippage issues, even thought I'm sure it happens. However, I have seen it plenty of times with single band systems. Personally I have always used a two band configuration and have never had any problems, but I am pretty anal about making sure my tank is properly positioned and secured.

People use single band systems everyday without any of these problems, but to me that doesn't necessarily make it a good idea. Seems to me more like a way to save on manufacturing costs, rather than an execution in thoughtful design.

 

[Rred]

I think you guys have it all cart before the horse.

Just require that a BC or backplate and buoyancy device be permanently attached to each tank. No more guessing about how to thread or work the band, and the dive shops can make gobs more money because they'll have to sell another $400 or so of equipment with every tank.

See? Everybody happy now?

 

[CT-Rich]

I have been around slipping cam bands, had slipping cam bands. I have nothing against twin cam bands, BUT... this is not a huge issue where one size fits all. I haven't had a cam band slippage on my Nighthawk in a long time. When I have, it was usually from swapping tanks of differing sizes and was a failure to properly adjust them, not the number of straps being too few. To avoid losing my pants, I make sure I have a proper fit and use a belt. There really is no need for suspenders, too.

A one size fits all solution just pushes a narrow solution on a broad issue. Two cam bands are not attractive if you are trying to pack equipment that you are going have to lug through an airport or to a remote dive site.

A single slipping cam band doesn't say add another one so much as it says check the one you have twice. Two cam bands just means you have two bands you should check twice, but if you are sloppy and one comes undone, you are covered. If you are sloppy once why not twice and now you have a slipping tank.

 

[mcohen1021]

On numerous occasions Lisa’s aluminum 80 would gradually slip down or the plastic cam buckle would pop open during entry. .

I stopped reading here.

1. In almost 30 years, I have never had the plastic cam buckle pop open. Not mid dive, not on entry. never. I am not saying it's impossible, but to me it sounds like bad gear set up or a defective buckle.

2. Most BCs come with the safety strap at the top that goes around the tank valve. That should be sufficient to prevent the tank from plummeting to the abyss and ripping the 2nd stage out of your mouth. I have removed my own BC to re-adjust a tank strap a few times.

It does not sound like a scubapro BC, and be glad. I've always hated their tank strap/clamp.