Slinging bottle on right side

[LG Diver]

Hi All,

Is slinging a bailout bottle on the right side a bad idea?

Background: I'm a new diver (24 dives), just purchasing gear. I currently have a reg with long hose, bungeed backup, and clipped off SPG. I'm about to buy a FredT plate and Oxy 45# wing. I don't have a can light, and don't plan to buy one for a while (I might eventually, but I don't see it being in the budget for a while). I'll be getting into some wreck diving later this summer and I'd like to carry an Al 40 bottle as a bailout bottle/redundant air source (favoring this size so I can use it as a deco/stage bottle as I get into more tech diving down the road).

If I don't have a can light, can I add a right side D-ring and sling the bottle on the right side? I know this isn't DIR, but I'm considering it for the following reasons:

1) could use the butt of the bottle to stow the long hose (is this a bad idea?)

2) wouldn't clutter access/viewability of the SPG.

3) I'm left-handed, and if I have a reel clipped off on the butt D-ring, it would be easier to reach around the left side with my left hand to get it if there's no bottle on the left side.

The biggest drawback I can see is that I'm learning wrong habits. I can foresee a time in the future where I'll potentially have to sling bottle(s) on the left side (when I get a can light) and I'll have to relearn some things, but I think this is manageable. What does everyone think?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

As long as it does not conflict with the space used for a cannister light and it does not cause confusion during a gas switch, I don't see a particular problem with it. Switching to the wrong gas is I think the single biggest tech diver killer.

I do carry a deco bottle on the right side when using 2 deco gases, but I always configure so the highest O2 gas in on the left side since it should be what you have "left" to use when you make the last gas switch. Personally, I think this provides far less potential for confusion than stacking two deco gasses on the left side.

If I am carrying only one deco gas, I stay with convention and carry it on the left side to stay in the habit and practice of using the "left" side gas last.

 

[grazie42]

the way I see it there are 2 cons:
-It may interfere with deployment of the longhose.
-You propably will need to re-learn down the road.

Do not underestimate the effort it takes to re-train ingrained habits! If you need something to tuck your hose beneath, buy some shears in a sheath and tuck the hose underneath that...or use your knife if you already have one...

When I got to the point of using two decobottles I tried one on each side, thinking I´d end up "balanced"...well I did but ended up with a bunch of other issues and decided it was less hassle to dive with all decobottles on the left...

YMMV

 

[Rick Inman]

I've heard it said, "Right rich, left lean."

 

[HNITSUJ]

It was eplained to me, and to me makes sense, if right handed you are inclined to reach accross to the left (as I do) so my leaner mix goes on my left. Also coincides with right = rich left = lean

 

[limeyx]

I've heard it said, "Right rich, left lean."

works "great" until some helpful person on the boat clips the wrong bottle on each side. Or you have to pass one off to a buddy in a lost bottle, or you need to drop them (in a cave maybe) and pick them up later.

What's wrong with sticking to the left?
If you put it on the right:

1) might get in the way of long hose and can light (so why not put it out of the way to start with)
2) Now you need to learn two different switching methods -- why make things harder than they need to be especially during a critical point when you can easily injure yourself by switching to an incorrect gas.

 

[brianstclair]

1) might get in the way of long hose and can light (so why not put it out of the way to start with)

You could also just stuff your long hose and breath your short hose

To those folks who have used stage bottles on their right side (either from having too many on the left, or for some other reason), how do you route the hose when you're breathing off of the stage? Obviously not around your neck like with stages slung on the left. Straight from the stage and just let the hose fly around? Leave part of the hose bungied?

Brian

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I secure the extra hose lenght under the waist strap, mostly because I dive an OMS light with it's much thinner battery clipped to the backplate. This of course then allows you to carry a deco bottle on the essentially empty right side and with the hose under the waist strap, the deco bottle does not interfere with long hose deployment.

I am really not a big fan of carrying two 30's or 40's on the left side, mostly because it starts to get bulky and makes it slightly more difficult to reach through to clip/unclip the SPG - especially with dry gloves and cuff rings. Plus the left side upper D-ring area is already pretty cluttered with one deco bottle and the inflator in the general area. Adding another deco bottle just complicates things further.

 

[grazie42]

What you can do is clip the second decobottle on the left to the first so that you still only have one clip on each d-ring...that also makes it easier when you unclip them to leave them...I´ve found that getting into tight spaces (if you decide to keep them on) is easier, for me, when I have all my "stuff" on one side...

 

[super opus]

stick to your left tell your diving with 2 stage/deco when or if you start your Dir class it will make your life a lot easier. Are you diving doubles if not if your using wights use that to tuck your long house or use a knife that works great too or even a PVC pipe tell you get your light to get you use to diving with it there i believe you should keep it to your left but it is up to you try both ways see what you like the best what fits you the best