SPG position? On the left? Why?

[AfterDark]

I'm not sure what the problem is but you might try buying a small light that you can strap to your forearm so it illuminates the spg while your holding it. I just change the light to my right hand hold my spg with my left read it, and put my light back in my left hand. I clip my light off to my harness not my wrist. My reel when I use it is clipped to my harness also. I'm a fan of re-tractors.

 

[DevonDiver]

I'm not sure what the problem is....

I think the problem is with task loading, rather than configuration.

A few more dives with the SPG at his hip and he'd probably wonder himself at what the fuss was about

 

[TSandM]

One of the problems with putting the SPG on the right hip is what you fasten it to, if you are using a canister light. If you put a D ring on a triglide on the right side, the canister won't slide past it, and will end up hanging in front of you. Either that, or you have to take it off each time, put the canister on, and then put the triglide and D-ring back on. It would be a huge nuisance!

In practice, putting the light head in the right hand and unclipping and checking the gauge becomes second nature. Running a length of bungie over the top of the light gives you a cheap and easy "thumb loop" for a temporary hold like that. It's a little more cumbersome with a reel, but still quite doable. But I do sometimes wonder how the guys who are doing exploration, so they're scootering AND running line, manage it!

 

[Subcooled]

Yes, too many buttons, too many hoses, too much gear

Enabling the backlight of the computer...
Gear handling while checking SPG...
I have other things to do too...

I must say though, that this has (again) been a very informative thread. Learned a few things.

 

[Gilldiver]

I don't think there is much 'tradition' about it. I'd say that it is primarily to do with hose routing - which is mostly determined by the port availability on regulator 1st stages. QUOTE]

Correct, If you want to go back to when the SPG first started to be seen on the left side you need to go back to the early to mid 60’s when SPG were used with double hose regulators using a banjo fitting. If you run a banjo down the right side it can interfere with the valve knob. If you run it down the right side there is no interference with a J-valve.

Just about all single hose regulators from the 60's to today mirror the process of a Double hose regulator, the air from the tank feeds from the right, exhausts to the left, and the SPG/banjo was on the left. Lets, go to the US Diver Conshelf series regulators of the 1960’s and 70’s, the 2nd stage comes off to the right and feeds over your right shoulder and the SPG came off the left side to run down your left side. With the CONSHELF XII a 2nd LP port was added at an angle to the SPG so that a BC inflator could be added.

So Why does all SCUBA equipment allow/favor the SPG to come down the left side – Because the equipment of the 1960’s and 70’s was designed to run it down the left side, not due to any other tech type requirement or practice. All of these other statements or arguments only give reasons why it should stay on the left side.

 

[AfterDark]

I don't think there is much 'tradition' about it. I'd say that it is primarily to do with hose routing - which is mostly determined by the port availability on regulator 1st stages. QUOTE]

Correct, If you want to go back to when the SPG first started to be seen on the left side you need to go back to the early to mid 60’s when SPG were used with double hose regulators using a banjo fitting. If you run a banjo down the right side it can interfere with the valve knob. If you run it down the right side there is no interference with a J-valve.

Just about all single hose regulators from the 60's to today mirror the process of a Double hose regulator, the air from the tank feeds from the right, exhausts to the left, and the SPG/banjo was on the left. Lets, go to the US Diver Conshelf series regulators of the 1960’s and 70’s, the 2nd stage comes off to the right and feeds over your right shoulder and the SPG came off the left side to run down your left side. With the CONSHELF XII a 2nd LP port was added at an angle to the SPG so that a BC inflator could be added.

So Why does all SCUBA equipment allow/favor the SPG to come down the left side – Because the equipment of the 1960’s and 70’s was designed to run it down the left side, not due to any other tech type requirement or practice. All of these other statements or arguments only give reasons why it should stay on the left side.

My Scubapro MK5 has HP left and right + 5 LPs that swivel. I can route my hoses any way I want to and do. When diving IDs the spg for the right hand tank runs down my right side the left tank spg down my left side.

 

[KY]

task loading??? what utter tosh..... what complete and utter tosh...

its all down to just ease of access...

 

[boulderjohn]

My HP hose is long enough I used to route it under the left arm and under the strap, but I did not fasten the SPG anywhere. It was dragging... Then I started to clip it to my harness. It's much better that way.

I tried to look at the SPG without unclipping it. Never even tried to unclip.

If you are cave diving, carrying a reel and a dive light in your left hand, then there is a lot of hassle to grab anything with your left hand. Oh well, maybe all that is tought on a cave diving course. I would just prefer knowing it already...

Diagonally over the chest would make it cover the drysuit inflator button. Hence inconvenient place in this case. It would also cross the diving light cable. With wetsuit and torch it could work.

You are right on the edge of what my cave instructor does.

He routes it along his inflator hose and then attaches it via a bungee to the drysuit inflator button (after it is connected). He just has to glance down to see it. I couldn't bring myself to do it, but he didn't care what I did as long as I could get to it easily. (I use the left hip D-ring.)

 

[Peter Guy]

The obvious answer to the OP's real issue is to have a wrist mounted, AI computer!

 

[Atom]

Reach down with the left hand, unclip the SPG, raise the SPG to chest height, read the SPG whilst illuminating it with the torch (in your right hand).

I do slightly differently.

Most SPGs will glow in the dark after being illuminated, so I shine my light on the SPG for a few second, and then unclip/raise/read (granted it's a bit trickier with stages) . You still got your right hand available while looking at your SPG if you do it this way and I found that the reflectance of the glass would often blind me if I shined the light in an improper angle so this avoids it.