Where you stage your deco gas

[scuba.ie]

Hi all,
I do a lot of cold water diving (dry suit) with a twinset and one or two (steel) deco tanks. Some people prefer to hang their deco on the left and use the richest mixture there, but others use "lean on the left, rich on the right". Still others hang both tanks on the left. Can anyone give me the pros and cons of each method? I generally use one on the right, or one on each side.

 

[karstdvr]

I always place stage/decos on the left,and place them in order of richest mix closest to my body. For example oxygen next to me,50/50 next,intermediate trimix next,deep trimix on the outside. When I pick tanks back up they go in the same order. The con is I can have too many tanks on one side to deal with,the pros is that I don't ever accidently go over to the wrong gas mix. Of course I never become complacant that I did everything correctly,so I always trace the regulator back to the tank and verify tank content (MOD).

 

[Jason Ooi]

I always place 50/100 on my left hand, if carry 4 will put left and right depend what gases mix

 

[MikeFerrara]

I always place stage/decos on the left,and place them in order of richest mix closest to my body. For example oxygen next to me,50/50 next,intermediate trimix next,deep trimix on the outside. When I pick tanks back up they go in the same order. The con is I can have too many tanks on one side to deal with,the pros is that I don't ever accidently go over to the wrong gas mix. Of course I never become complacant that I did everything correctly,so I always trace the regulator back to the tank and verify tank content (MOD).

That's how I do it.

If I'm carrying a bunch of tanks in just to drop them off (it's only temporary) and I have too many I'll use a leash and hand them off my left hip d-ring.

I've also hung leashes on both side using a bungie loop on the right where I don't have a d-ring.

The few times that I had to get a bunch of tanks through a small section where the tanks on the leash would be banging off stuff I have temporarily hung a couple on the right.

I'll also rotate used bottles to the hip d-ring just hung by the neck to store them out of the way.

In open water, I've even taken used (buoyant) tanks and just sent them up the line to get rid of them.

Though I have had to carry and stage steel tanks that belonged to others, I generally don't use steel stage or deco bottles myself. Depending on the tank of course, they can just get too heavy.

 

[scuba.ie]

Though I have had to carry and stage steel tanks that belonged to others, I generally don't use steel stage or deco bottles myself. Depending on the tank of course, they can just get too heavy.

Yes, for that reason I'm thinking of moving to alu tanks...means the wing will have a little bit of an easier job!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I like balance and dislike the bulk that comes from stacking. So I carry one on the right and one on the left with the leaner mixture on the right and the richer mixture that is used last on the left where it will be what's "left".

I mark the base of the tank on both sides with 3" MOD numbers so that it can be seen from either side. I find that a 40 inch hose will go up over the left shoulder and around the neck from either side.

 

[limeyx]

Hi all,
I do a lot of cold water diving (dry suit) with a twinset and one or two (steel) deco tanks. Some people prefer to hang their deco on the left and use the richest mixture there, but others use "lean on the left, rich on the right". Still others hang both tanks on the left. Can anyone give me the pros and cons of each method? I generally use one on the right, or one on each side.

The "Safest" way (in my opinion) is that each tank is marked with the MOD (generally in 3" letters) on both sides (so both you & your team can read it)

This means that you dont need to have any convention of where you place a bottle or what color/shape reg your 50% or 100% bottle has on it. You simply check the MOD.

All stages (for me) would be AL tanks, carried on the left. Up to 2 bottles would go under the left arm. Any more clip to the hip D-dring only (or on a leash)

 

[Bigcape]

I did my first Stage/Deco Dive today. It Was FUN AS S***. Talk about going to the next level!!!!!!!! I went from the mundane same ol same ol to feeling like there a purpose to the dive.

Whooo Hooooooo Weeeee.

I had 2 AL40's on my left. Walking to the water was a feat but once in the water they floated just enought to be completely out of the way. I did not even feel they were there.

The reason for the dive was to fill a grotto with air that 4 people could sit in and have a conversation that I found last year. We did this in a grotto that was 80ft In the lake. So it was like a nite dive. Its dark at that depth. Freash water is "heavy" and still.

Whats funny is how many people came up to us asking if we were rescue divers or EPA or looking for the missing bodys from our recent drownings EEEWWW.

 

[Fotoz4FX]

Wow... what a bunch of nut cases... I think I'll hang out here.

 

[JimC]

Walking to the water was a feat but once in the water they floated just enought to be completely out of the way.

Next time walk the bottles down, put them in the water, then go back for the rest of your stuff. Get in the water and put them on. Reverse the process when getting out. There was a lady at Little River that walked out with 2? 3? stages on and didn't make it to the top of the stairs. By the time she keeled over her blood was foam. I may have some of that wrong - going from memory.