Two tank Straps for BCD? Why not?

[scubadada]

I have 2,300 dives using a single Scubapro Super Cinch Tank Band and have never had a loose tank. My family has another 750 dives, never a loose tank. A single band can work quite well.

 

[tursiops]

I have 2,300 dives using a single Scubapro Super Cinch Tank Band and have never had a loose tank. My family has another 750 dives, never a loose tank. A single band can work quite well.

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I agree. Those are great bands. I have the Piranha clones on my BP/W, two of them in fact.

 

[BoltSnap]

I have 2,300 dives using a single Scubapro Super Cinch Tank Band and have never had a loose tank. My family has another 750 dives, never a loose tank. A single band can work quite well.

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I never had issues with them nor my friends or students or customers. I always had one of them.

 

[lexvil]

A well designed b/c has some grippy support which makes a second band unnecessary

 

[Belzelbub]

Yes they do, even the travel BCD’s have 2.

They do, but there is at least one (Covert XT) where one of the bands is purely for better control. It's basically just velcro attachment with no cam buckle. Still better than just having one. The jacket style (at least the Marina and Bravo) have two real straps. Not sure about the Resort.

 

[ReadyDiverOne]

I don’t see why, if the OP wants two bands, we can’t agree that that’s ok?

Leaving that aside, I dive the original Zeagle Covert, which comes with two bands. I replaced the second Velcro only band with a cam band so now I have two “lockable” bands securing my tank. Have never had even a hint of a problem. As have said numerous times, the Zeagle Covert is an awesome travel/everyday BCD. I’ve even used it wearing a 7 mil plus 3 mil shorty diving La Jolla Cove with 30 pounds of weights and it worked fine, no issues.

 

[morescuba4me]

I had a terrible incident where my tank slipped out of my current BCD that only has one tank strap. That took me down the rabbit hole don’t BCD have two?

Since it is not fun to not be able to secure a tank 30 minutes into a dive at 60 feet deep while trying to maintain buoyancy I’d like a BCD with two straps. In my current Mares jacket I was able to place a second strap.

Even if the BCD does not come with two, do you know of any that you can add a second one?

I was looking at Scubapro Hydros Pro but it’s not possible to add a second strap.

Scubapro tells me that one cannot be added to the Seahawk, but in looking online some people have?

Currently have a jacket and am looking at a back inflate. I am also a drysuit diver and do travel to warmer waters.
Thank you for your help.

I have only read a couple of replies, but my comment is less about options for new/different equipment, and instead would be addressing the proper use of your existing BCD, if you actually like the way it functions other than the tank slipping incident. As a former instructor I am a person that has seen and helped with slipping tanks many, many times, and am also a diver that had it happen to myself a couple of times back in the day. I will promise you that properly soaking the strap, having a grip sleeve on it, have a tank with a non painted finish, and having the strap's tail properly woven through the buckle, all combined will easily assure the tank will not get loose during the dive. So, IMO you should not need a second strap, or a new BCD if you like what you currently have, you just need to improve your strap tightening technique, and use tanks with a rough finish. I hope you do not find my suggestion in bad taste, I simply offer this advice in hope it may help you or someone else. BTW, We have been diving HP steel 100's for about 25 years, and they are several lbs. more negative and therefore would be more prone to pull out of the strap (except for the galvanized finish) than alum 80's (which are often very slick when wet). So one other suggestion is for you to try diving with "bare" alum tanks that are either OEM brushed or blasted finish. Both my wife and I dive Seaquest BCD's with single straps with no concerns of tanks slipping. We have tried out double strap Zeagles, Scubapro SeaHawk, and LadyHawk, as well as others, and both like rear inflate jackets most of the time, but ironically she absolutely loved her old Dacor Extreme Elle jacket style weight integrated BC because it had a neopreme vest built in that make it both comfortable and secure, as far as she was concerned. Lastly, the Seaquest BCDs we prefer do have a nice size soft blue rubber grip area that is molded to the back pack where the tank makes contact, so they don't even need a grip sleeve on the strap.

 

[RobPNW]

I forget what they’re called but my cam bands go on with about 90% of the tension and then you semi slam the buckle down for the last 10%. That tank is never coming out. For me, the biggest advantage of having 2 straps on the BPW is so that the tank doesn’t rotate off centerline.

 

[Bob DBF]

It could be as simple as replacing the cam strap with a good one. I replaced the strap on my jacket with one like the ones on my BP/W. It seems the original composit band did not have as aggressive cam than the metal one on my other rig, and lacked any significant leverage.

That's one reason the Scubapro band

works so well.

 

[happy-diver]

Just quickly

Whether I bought - built the bc or sewed the band to the buckle or bc myself, one band or two
I always incorporate a loop so the bc hangs on the tank no wrestling hands free, the same spot
with the band being firmly affixed to the bc, with tri glides, or bolts, or something, for purchase

With the webbing removed from the last slot I pull the webbing to tighten
and then with the buckle half closed, webbing back in, then clickity closed

No wetting no soaking, no gripping things no time wasting, never slipping

No the force of ten men required

It's just not much good applying physics to your buckle with band slippage

This has been just one story of millions in the city of the naked cam buckle

No really where's rsingler regs don't blow tanks slip we need a new course