Top mounting stages

[Smache]

I've been experimenting with some of the different ways of carrying stage bottles in sidemount. So far, I've always attached them below my main sidemount tanks, but I know that some divers put stages on top.

I'm interested in hearing why from divers that do this. Does it make donning/doffing easier? Do you top mount stages all the time, or only sometimes? Any other considerations that a new sidemount diver might be missing?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Top mounting is one way to keep the bottles separated. I used to top mount my stage and bottom mount the 100% deco bottle. It also helps to keep things cleaner and less cluttered underneath.
Depending on the dive profile I'd have my bottom gas in LP85's or LP 75.5's. Stage al40 or al80 on tope and al40 or al30 of deco gas underneath. This was for deep, long quarry dives and practice with multiple bottles. Top mounting one and bottom mounting the deco bottle also made donning them in the water easier for me.
Would not have to fight with one or the other to get them clipped on. Usually I would wear the deco bottle on the harness. Hang the mains and stage on a drop line.
Get in and clip the mains on. Get horizontal, clip the bottom of the stage to a waist d-ring, place the bottle while holding the top leash, bring the top leash down to one of two shoulder d-rings above the one the deco bottle is clipped to so less clips on one d-ring.
As to when to do this it also depends on the dive. And if top mounting is going to cause a snag hazard. If that's possible, then it goes on the bottom.

 

[rjack321]

I've been experimenting with some of the different ways of carrying stage bottles in sidemount. So far, I've always attached them below my main sidemount tanks, but I know that some divers put stages on top.

I'm interested in hearing why from divers that do this. Does it make donning/doffing easier? Do you top mount stages all the time, or only sometimes? Any other considerations that a new sidemount diver might be missing?

What gas in is the "stages"? The same as your backgas or are you switching gasses?

It's nearly impossible to verify gasses in top mounted cylinders. So "NO" if there is any kind of gas switch. If its the same mix as your backgas and you verify that before putting them on then top mounting can be ok, although honestly a top mounted AL80 stage basically makes you as fat as backmount anyway.

 

[Bowers]

Im interested in reading the responses because i too have been playing with it. I can tell you that what ive found so far is that an inflation bottle topmounts great, and an al40 sits nicely, but bigger tanks defeat the purpose of sidemount since things get fat. But i also switch to backmount primaries and sidemount stages if im going to bring that much along. Sidemounting 6 al80’s is cluttering up my front when i could be capitalizing on the real-estate of my back. But im still hard core sidemount for the rest

 

[Smache]

I'm also curious whether people who top mount stages use standard DIR stage rigging, or something else.

 

[rjack321]

I'm also curious whether people who top mount stages use standard DIR stage rigging, or something else.

Oh lawrd no no. DIR rigging is completely incompatible with top mounting stages.

I have top mounted in the distant past. This was mostly because a full 80 of 32% will hang down pretty bad if front mounted. Top mounted they ride on the normal steel SM tank. I used bungie for both the neck and lower clip attachments. After you've dropped it (in the cave) and return to pick up the now ~1700psi cylinder up, it can then be front mounted. The near empty will ride buoyantly up into the crook of the steel SM tank.

This is a testament to why SM and all the various permutations of BCs and rigging is in general "baloney" in open water

 

[grantctobin]

I'm also curious whether people who top mount stages use standard DIR stage rigging, or something else.

Thankfully it has long since fallen out of common practice, but at the time, the dominant schools of thought practicing this (aka N FL) used:

Cave Adventurers - Cave Adventurers Sidemount Stage Rigging - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

Cave Adventurers Sidemount Stage Rigging

www.caveadventurers.com

There were often additional bungees attached to either the cylinders or the harness itself that would then wrap around the cylinders such as to restrain the tail floatiness as they were depleted.

Topmount an AL19 for inflation? Sure. Deco bottles? Dumb.

If you need more than four total bottles in sidemount, you’re probably on a scooter or dropping 1-2 of them and should utilize a leash. I can’t think of many people doing said types of dives on OC these days and if you’re north of two extra bottles, might as well move back to BM and a leash.

 

[mdwalter]

although honestly a top mounted AL80 stage basically makes you as fat as backmount anyway.

Not really. If done right, top mounted stages are do not make you anywhere near as thick from top to bottom as back mounted doubles. Also they are much more flexible and can be pushed in or out to make your vertical profile in some cases nearly as small as with just the mains (though now wider horizontally) when necessary.

 

[mdwalter]

I've been experimenting with some of the different ways of carrying stage bottles in sidemount. So far, I've always attached them below my main sidemount tanks, but I know that some divers put stages on top.

I'm interested in hearing why from divers that do this. Does it make donning/doffing easier? Do you top mount stages all the time, or only sometimes? Any other considerations that a new sidemount diver might be missing?

For open water diving, if I wanted to have multiple stages, I would bottom mount 2 stages (with bottom mix) and top mount 2 deco stages. Here's why:
For a long or deep (or both) dive, I'm going to breathe the bottom stages first, even before the mains. As they get lighter, they just float up against the mains, so everything stays in trim. When a stage is empty(ish) I can either throw it (look up what that means if you have to) or it just stays pinned up against the mains until deco time. Next I breathe the mains (steel) which don't get too floaty even when empty and won't be breathed completely anyway because reserve gas. Even if the combination of floaty empty bottom stages under neutralish mains gets a bit positive, I still have the full deco tanks pushing down, and there is always the option to move the mains bottom clip to a lower D ring as would be done if there were no stages at all. Now, when I get to deco, presumably back at the anchor or other up line or near the entry / exit point, I will reach around my left side to get the top mounted 50% bottle on my left side and bottom clip it on the left side. If there was an empty bottom stage still in that spot I can either throw it (up the anchor line or just free), clip it (to the anchor line or whatever) until it's time to ascend, or move it to the top position on the left. Likewise with the 20' stop, I do the same on the right with my 100% bottle and any stage I may still have on that side.

For cave and certain wreck diving, more or less the same, except the 100% gets dropped at 20' and the bottom stages get dropped at 1/3 empty and picked up on the way back to be put back in the same spot they came from. Deco rotation, same (except 100% is already removed from right top). And of course I can't throw a stage in any overhead environment.

 

[Bald Wookie]

For open water diving, if I wanted to have multiple stages, I would bottom mount 2 stages (with bottom mix) and top mount 2 deco stages. Here's why:
For a long or deep (or both) dive, I'm going to breathe the bottom stages first, even before the mains. As they get lighter, they just float up against the mains, so everything stays in trim. When a stage is empty(ish) I can either throw it (look up what that means if you have to) or it just stays pinned up against the mains until deco time. Next I breathe the mains (steel) which don't get too floaty even when empty and won't be breathed completely anyway because reserve gas. Even if the combination of floaty empty bottom stages under neutralish mains gets a bit positive, I still have the full deco tanks pushing down, and there is always the option to move the mains bottom clip to a lower D ring as would be done if there were no stages at all. Now, when I get to deco, presumably back at the anchor or other up line or near the entry / exit point, I will reach around my left side to get the top mounted 50% bottle on my left side and bottom clip it on the left side. If there was an empty bottom stage still in that spot I can either throw it (up the anchor line or just free), clip it (to the anchor line or whatever) until it's time to ascend, or move it to the top position on the left. Likewise with the 20' stop, I do the same on the right with my 100% bottle and any stage I may still have on that side.

For cave and certain wreck diving, more or less the same, except the 100% gets dropped at 20' and the bottom stages get dropped at 1/3 empty and picked up on the way back to be put back in the same spot they came from. Deco rotation, same (except 100% is already removed from right top). And of course I can't throw a stage in any overhead environment.

So in this situation you're diving with 5 or 6 tanks? Stage, main, deco?