Side mounting with AL 80s and deco tank

[SeanW]

Greetings all,

I have a quick question regarding mounting a deco tank when diving side mount in al80s. Assuming the deco cylinder is mounted under the main tanks, where do you clip the bottom off to? Are both tanks clipped to the sliding d-ring? Does anybody use 2 fixed d-rings in this situation? If so, where does the deco tank bottom clip go?

 

[grantctobin]

Seems like something that should have been covered by your SM or later tech instructor. If not, I’d go ask for a refund.

It depends on the rigging on the bottles and the rigging on the harness (and potentially even which harness is being used). It is possible to cross clip on a pair of fixed d rings or to use a standard sliding ring and clip the deco bottle to the drop d on the rear waist belt. There are also manners by which to use a standard, DIR rigged stage, but it tends to be noisy unless the leash is the correct length and the bottle is floaty, be it from helium or emptiness.

 

[SeanW]

Seems like something that should have been covered by your SM or later tech instructor. If not, I’d go ask for a refund.

It depends on the rigging on the bottles and the rigging on the harness (and potentially even which harness is being used). It is possible to cross clip on a pair of fixed d rings or to use a standard sliding ring and clip the deco bottle to the drop d on the rear waist belt. There are also manners by which to use a standard, DIR rigged stage, but it tends to be noisy unless the leash is the correct length and the bottle is floaty, be it from helium or emptiness.

Thanks for the response! During my AN/ DP, we did the dives using steel cylinders so that is what I have experience with. Where things were clipped seemed to make sense to me (primary tanks on the rails, deco on the sliding d-ring). I asked more as a thought experiment than anything else in the event I don’t have access to steel tanks.

 

[grantctobin]

Thanks for the response! During my AN/ DP, we did the dives using steel cylinders so that is what I have experience with. Where things were clipped seemed to make sense to me (primary tanks on the rails, deco on the sliding d-ring). I asked more as a thought experiment than anything else in the event I don’t have access to steel tanks.

What rigging were you taught on the deco bottles?

Few ways to skin a cat, but this is one of them if you’re swimming any distance with the bottles and using something akin to a Stealth/K2/Ray/etc: The Adjustable Stage Rigging Kit - Mexico Cave Diving & Cave Training - ProTec Blog

 

[SeanW]

What rigging were you taught on the deco bottles?

Few ways to skin a cat, but this is one of them if you’re swimming any distance with the bottles and using something akin to a Stealth/K2/Ray/etc: The Adjustable Stage Rigging Kit - Mexico Cave Diving & Cave Training - ProTec Blog

The deco tank was rigged DIR style with a choker on the neck. This looks interesting. I’ll have to try this out. For reference, I use a stealth tec.

 

[J-Vo]

Bungie choker with clip routed between the spg and 2nd stage hose just long enough so the entire clip can be pulled between the hoses. Lower attachment is a bungie leash sized to clip to the butt drop D. I put the lower bungie about about 12" below the valve and make it about 6" long. This way the stage is pulled back and up into your side tank, but you can still reach between if needed.

 

[Jens Bölte]

Hi,

I clip the deco-cylinder to the rear drop-points. They sit below the main tanks. Bungee choker around the valve routed between SPG and 2nd stage hose. The cam-band sits higher than on the main tank, about 10 cm. For the lower attachment I use a bungee whose length I can adjust by pulling it. So basically I use the same setup as J-Vo.

Best wishes Jens

 

[happy-diver]

Just do this, this is all you need to do

 

[SeanW]

Bungie choker with clip routed between the spg and 2nd stage hose just long enough so the entire clip can be pulled between the hoses. Lower attachment is a bungie leash sized to clip to the butt drop D. I put the lower bungie about about 12" below the valve and make it about 6" long. This way the stage is pulled back and up into your side tank, but you can still reach between if needed.

Bungie choker with clip routed between the spg and 2nd stage hose just long enough so the entire clip can be pulled between the hoses. Lower attachment is a bungie leash sized to clip to the butt drop D. I put the lower bungie about about 12" below the valve and make it about 6" long. This way the stage is pulled back and up into your side tank, but you can still reach between if needed.

Where do you have your main cylinders clipped off to?

 

[SeanW]

Hi,

I clip the deco-cylinder to the rear drop-points. They sit below the main tanks. Bungee choker around the valve routed between SPG and 2nd stage hose. The cam-band sits higher than on the main tank, about 10 cm. For the lower attachment I use a bungee whose length I can adjust by pulling it. So basically I use the same setup as J-Vo.

Best wishes Jens

What are your primary tanks in this case AL 80? If the deco cylinder is clipper to the drop rings, but you have to slide or clip an AL forward as it’s breathed, does the deco tank remain clipped off and is just forced further down as you slide the tank forward?