Question Sidemount tank positioning advice

[kappa22]

Hi,
I'm new to sidemount and this group. I'm seeking some advice to improve my trim and tank positioning.

My current set up consists of

Bcd- halcyon contour
Tanks- 12.2L steel fabers
Suit- 7mm wetsuit
Diving in the ocean

I've attached pictures of my gear and trim to further elaborate.

I usually clip them to the back rail on my BCD and not my waist d-ring. As I thought this would keep them closer to my body.

I'm using a independent single loop bungee.
I've read many people opt for a 2nd loop and include a bolt snap. Which I imagine would
Provide a large range of adjustments.

As far as I understand both my tanks tilt valve down and also sit too low.
Is that an accurate description?

Would appreciate any guidance

Thanks

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I think it's 6mm.

I used 6mm for all my rigs. But there are different degrees of 6mm quality and stretch wise. The bungee from Piranha Dive Mfg is heads and tails above the stuff you usually find on amazon.
That said I kept my loops pretty tight and used the bolt snap to the top shoulder drings to grab them.
I had students put a small loop of 4mm on the loops for their thumbs instead of the bolt snap. That worked as well.
That Halcyon is not the best SM rig and takes some tweaking by an instructor who knows what they are doing to get it right.
The door handle positions are stupid. I'd get some custom hardware from Andrew at Sump UK to put on the waist belt and take those door handles off.

 

[kappa22]

Big thanks for everyone that responded.
Your help was much appreciated.

I tightened the original bungee and added a second one and it made a huge difference.

It was more secure and inline with my body.
I've attached some photos to demonstrate this.
I also placed the bolt snap further up the tank.
I'm thinking to just get a thicker bungee to replace the two separate ones.

 

[kappa22]

Seems the bungee needs adjusting or, as mentioned, is too thin.

One "trick" is to tie a knot in the bungee leaving tails to hold. The knot can then be finely adjusted.

Not specifically for sidemount; it's a rebreather and the bailout issue, but tails make life a lot easier when grabbing the bungee. The knots can be adjusted so the cylinder hangs flat as in the lower picture.

View attachment 859828View attachment 859830

Thanks. I'll give it a go and get back to you.

 

[grantmac]

With those tanks on that rig you're probably looking at the best tank trim you are likely to achieve.