Sidemount Deco Cylinders - top or bottom mounted?

[Doppler]

Stages mounted on top of primary cylinders.

 

[Teller]

Ive tried both and I just cant seem to get my top mounted cylinders trimmed like in Rob's photo. When I put my stages under my SM cylinders I use a standard DiveRite stage strap kit and the cylinders sit low and the swing back and forth. I like SM but this is making me lean towards BM for tec dives. I only dive open water but I still want my stages trimmed. Can you guys post some photos of your bottles and the rigging you use whether you top or bottom mount? Rob I looked at your site but I am still having a hard time putting it together. Thanks.

 

[rjack321]

Ive tried both and I just cant seem to get my top mounted cylinders trimmed like in Rob's photo. When I put my stages under my SM cylinders I use a standard DiveRite stage strap kit and the cylinders sit low and the swing back and forth. I like SM but this is making me lean towards BM for tec dives. I only dive open water but I still want my stages trimmed. Can you guys post some photos of your bottles and the rigging you use whether you top or bottom mount? Rob I looked at your site but I am still having a hard time putting it together. Thanks.

Rob is using an extra long rear clip leash made out of bungie which he's passing between his main SM tanks and his body. Then clipping to his waist in front. He's not clipping the tails of the stage to the rails. But those are bottom stages, not deco cylinders.

 

[Teller]

So you need to add two drings to the waist belt so that they are positioned near the crotch strap when everything is cinched down? Then clip the bottom of the stage to that dring? The tops are just with a leash? Are you going valves up or down?

 

[rjack321]

So you need to add two drings to the waist belt so that they are positioned near the crotch strap when everything is cinched down? Then clip the bottom of the stage to that dring?

Yes

The tops are just with a leash?

With a bungie girth hitched around the valve, as most SM stages are rigged.

Are you going valves up or down?

Pic shows valve up, like most every other stage.

This thread is about deco cylinders though and the rigging Rob's gone with is for bottom stages. You will be forced to swing this cylinder around to verify the MOD doing this for deco bottles though. On a bottom stage, since you start off breathing it you can verify the MOD on the surface before you finish clipping it on.

 

[Scott]

Stages mounted on top of primary cylinders. Right 'rich', left 'lean' configuration.
I initially tried to carry them below the primaries using staging for BM, bad choice on my part, then tried bungee rigging but never care for it.

I was planning on some rec SM fun this weekend. I'll have to take some extra cylinders and play with Rob's new mounting configuration.

 

[Teller]

Bungee girth hitched? You have a photo? Are you saying that you cant hook up the cylinders unless your in the water?

The tops are just with a leash?

With a bungie girth hitched around the valve, as most SM stages are

 

[Tug]

Bungee girth hitched? You have a photo? Are you saying that you cant hook up the cylinders unless your in the water?


With a bungie girth hitched around the valve, as most SM stages are

Rob has an article on his site about how he has stages rigged

Sidemount Stage Rigging | Rob Neto

 

[rjack321]

Bungee girth hitched? You have a photo? Are you saying that you cant hook up the cylinders unless your in the water?

Not stages.
There's only bungie holding them on and it will overstretch something fierce walking around with them on. Similar to this as shown on Rob's site.

Except that if you girth hitch the bolt snaps bungie you can get it much tighter to the valve. Then use a ziptie to ensure the girth hitch doesn't loosen when you remove and drop the stage.

 

[Teller]

Thanks that makes sense. Ill give it a shot. I dont want to change the topic of this thread but with all this talk about top mount vs bottom mount has anyone marked their second stages to ID the gas mix? Ive never done it but I remember reading a thread about it and seems it would be fitting if you top mount deco bottles.