Tank Banger

[Blue Moon]

Of course, a buddy that actaully pays attention to you is a better solution than adding equipment to solve a problem that should not exist in the first place...

Roak

Tank bangers are simply a means of u/w communication that is far safer than banging your unsheathed knife against a tank.... Of course they do not provide the same level of excitement that a new diver cutting hoses or BCDs with a knife can add to a dive...

I rarely use mine and when I do, more often than not it is to get the attention of fellow u/w photographers when I occasionally find something interesting to shoot... That if of course after I've already shot it.... Occasionally they can also be used to alert other divers to the newbie that is thrashing their knife about...

Blue Moon

 

[Fouremco]

I was actually suggesting that the OP consider one like mine, made from ¼” Black Marine Grade Bungee "shock cord" as they fit different size tanks better and the big advantage is that they will not deteriorate or break like the ones made from surgical tubing IMHO...

What would you suggest for the ball?

 

[Blue Moon]

What would you suggest for the ball?

For starters, I would suggest that the OP or anyone for that matter spend $4 - $7 and purchase a tank banger, either the surgical tubing variety or the bungee variety, instead of spending the time to build one.... While they both work great I've just found that the surgical tubing variety does not weather the temps in my garage or hangar as well as the bungee does, other than longevity, they are about the same.

Personally I only take the effort to build something when I can not easily purchase something as good... That said, since I've built a couple of airplanes, including the one in my avatar, I understand the desire to do it yourself… Having done that, I have come to a deeper understanding that it is more fun to fly than build…

If I were to build my own, the goal would be to keep it lightweight, neutrally buoyant, and safe to use against the tank. I would also want to be able to mold it into a pleasing, marketable shape that would be a must have for the entire scuba community… At first thought, I would likely use ABS or a similar polymer... Of course, as I mentioned before, I'll keep getting mine at ScubaToys....

Blue Moon

 

[CompuDude]

I was actually suggesting that the OP consider one like mine, made from ¼” Black Marine Grade Bungee "shock cord" as they fit different size tanks better and the big advantage is that they will not deteriorate or break like the ones made from surgical tubing IMHO...

Interesting. I have only ever seen the surgical tubing ones, but your point seems well taken. I store my tanks indoors and have not had any problem with my bangers deteriorating after 2 years, but if I do, I'll strongly consider seeking out the shock-cord style bangers. Got a source?

 

[Blue Moon]

CompuDude, I was only suggesting Cbborromeo consider bungee because he was looking for a DIY route and in that case bungee has an advantage that I wanted to make sure he considered, especially since he was asking about tank size in his post... Other than that, I was not suggesting that anyone replace a perfectly good silicon tube tank banger for a bungee, that would be crazy...

After taking a look at his bio, now I'm more inclined to think that he would likely be more keen to have the silicon tubing variety as they tend to be more advantageous in other departments, including better looking, lower profile design and a bit more refined... Not to mention that he was leaning in that direction to begin with... I would be surprised if anyone could easily make either as well as what is available on the open market and that was the point of my post. It would be simple to purchase either variety on the net very inexpensively...

When I Outfitted My Diva last year, I dressed her in black and went with the Trident silicon black tank banger because it was black, looked the best and it was available from our LDS, ScubaToys.

Blue Moon

 

[bperrybap]

Personally, I've found that a large Carabiner you can get
for a $1.00 or so works just as good or better.

--- bill

 

[wilkie]

Doto on the bunjie cord, you might want to use a metal "banger" also a large nut will do, makes a lot more racket than any sort of plastic.....Nearly as good as your knife-butt...When we had big knives, with the "hammer" end