SM Stages - Top Mount vs Bottom Mount

[Manatee Diver]

Ass clip the third bottle via a stage leash. Pull it out and use it when you're ready to go to it. You can even do this with four, five, or six stages.

Do you have to plan for your location too? Like I think running an ass clipped stage into the rabbit hole at Madison might be difficult. Or does the flow push it down?

Sidemount really is not the answer when you need more than 4 bottles though, and you should seriously consider alternate configurations. I also believe that CCR's are far safer when you are getting that far back in a cave because they buy you time to solve problems that OC simply can't do.

Yeah I am getting that feeling, TBH I don't imagine I would be running double stages all that much. Most of the places I want to go in the short to mid-term, I can probably get to with a single stage.

CCR will probably be my long term plan, as I think for hard overhead diving the benefits way outweigh the negatives. I wonder how much I can sell a kidney for.

 

[tbone1004]

@Manatee Diver you have to think about where you're going and how you deal with stages as you go through there. Every space is different. Flow helps knock them down, but ass clipped stages in sidemount are really annoying since you are butt heavy to begin with and they just make it that much worse. You want to avoid ass clipping full bottles of anything less than 35% helium if at all possible in sidemount.

What bottles are you using as backgas?

 

[Manatee Diver]

What bottles are you using as backgas?

Just the standard LP85s.

 

[tbone1004]

Just the standard LP85s.

Consider using Faber LP121's as backgas. They give you a stage and a half of range

 

[Manatee Diver]

Consider using Faber LP121's as backgas. They give you a stage and a half of range

I'll have to handle a pair in person. I have a LP108 I never leaves the house as it is heavier than I like.

 

[tbone1004]

I'll have to handle a pair in person. I have a LP108 I never leaves the house as it is heavier than I like.

they're heavy for sure, and another 108 would save you a full stage vs the 85's, but it's a LOT less unwieldy than dealing with the extra stage.

 

[JonG1]

T-Bone I know you rack in OW, but for those of you that SM CCR bailout and require a 3rd cylinder I am guessing you bottom mount it, I am thinking 1 Ali 80 of bottom mix, 1 Ali 80 of 50% and a Ali 40 of 100% for circa 70m dives.

Just not sure how easy it would be on the boat to add the 40, I guess it could be nose clipped and then moved at the bottom of the shot into position.

 

[tbone1004]

@JonG1 fill the butt mounted cylinder light around 150bar/2000psi so they are mostly floaty then nose clip to hip or leash. Pull forward and "bottom mount" it like you would in OC sidemount and you should be able to climb up pretty easily

 

[rjack321]

T-Bone I know you rack in OW, but for those of you that SM CCR bailout and require a 3rd cylinder I am guessing you bottom mount it, I am thinking 1 Ali 80 of bottom mix, 1 Ali 80 of 50% and a Ali 40 of 100% for circa 70m dives.

Just not sure how easy it would be on the boat to add the 40, I guess it could be nose clipped and then moved at the bottom of the shot into position.

Al80 left, Al80 right, al40 goes under the left cylinder.
Bad news? Makes the switch to the actual reg on the deep BO or the O2 difficult to distinguish. I have a BOV on the deep left bottle so its no urgent, just a little eyebrow raising how crammed they are.

I dont really ever have support on a 70m dive (despite it being a nice option) so I avoid rotating bottles unless I really really have to.

I ditch all three bottles on tag lines, no way can I climb a ladder with all that or walk across a deck

 

[JonG1]

We're lucky enough to have lifts over here so getting back on boat would be ok, it's the getting in!

Will have a play in FW post lockdown 2.0 and then build up to a concept for getting off the boat before next season.