Why SPG on hip and not arm?

[RTodd]

You may have the wrong mental picture. Its not actually being tucked into the waist band. The SPG is clipped to the D-ring like it normally would be. You are just pushing it back to rest between your back and your backplate. It will eventually fall out on own, especially when using stages so I only tuck it back there when preparing to go through a restriction.

I think maybe part of your gear is set up wrong then. D-ring sits about 2 inches from the backplate. Needs to be in order to deal with a fully inflated wing and lots of bottles. Clip on the SPG isn't that long. So, no way to push the spg back there where it will "stick" for any amount of time.

 

[KMD]

I think maybe part of your gear is set up wrong then. D-ring sits about 2 inches from the backplate. Needs to be in order to deal with a fully inflated wing and lots of bottles. Clip on the SPG isn't that long. So, no way to push the spg back there where it will "stick" for any amount of time.

The gear is setup correctly, I think its just tougher to explain it than to show it. I don't think its as useful when wearing stages as the mass of the stage will cause the d-ring to swivel back and forth and pull/work the SPG out.

Its just a small trick that one can do before going through a restriction to make the gear that much tighter. Sorta like taking up any slack on your light cord.

Another piece of fun and games one can do with the spg is when carrying a stage and towards the end when it gets butt light, pull the SPG away from your body and tuck the stage between the SPG and your hip. Note the clip order stays the same, just the spg is now outside the stage. This pushes down on the back end of the stage streamlining it a bit more.

 

[RTodd]

The gear is setup correctly, I think its just tougher to explain it than to show it. I don't think its as useful when wearing stages as the mass of the stage will cause the d-ring to swivel back and forth and pull/work the SPG out.

Its just a small trick that one can do before going through a restriction to make the gear that much tighter. Sorta like taking up any slack on your light cord.

Another piece of fun and games one can do with the spg is when carrying a stage and towards the end when it gets butt light, pull the SPG away from your body and tuck the stage between the SPG and your hip. Note the clip order stays the same, just the spg is now outside the stage. This pushes down on the back end of the stage streamlining it a bit more.

Bad practice since it doesn't translate to stages. Plus, the SPG just really isn't in the way. Look at the mess the RB80 switchblock creates and even that isn't really a big deal. Stuff stages inside the spg hose puts unnecessar strain on it and is also a bad idea. There are better ways already explained to deal wit that. Plus, I would guess your hose is too long if you can even do it.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

when carrying a stage and towards the end when it gets butt light, pull the SPG away from your body and tuck the stage between the SPG and your hip. Note the clip order stays the same, just the spg is now outside the stage.

Thus exposing it to damage. I'm curious - is this something that you came up with on your own, or did someone "teach" this to you? If it was taught, then in what type of class and by whom?

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

D-ring sits about 2 inches from the backplate. Needs to be in order to deal with a fully inflated wing and lots of bottles. Clip on the SPG isn't that long.

This is exactly the way mine is set up too. The hip D-ring is set far enough forward that it can be folded up flat against the webbing, and it will just touch the backplate. I don't know if that's the "official" placement, but that is how I have always done it. I use a medium size SS bolt snap on the SPG, and tie it on the fitting, as close to the gauge face as I can. The HP hose (which is 24" standard) goes pretty much straight down from the left post first stage to the D-ring, with little to no slack. As RTodd pointed out in his previous post, there would be no way to stick a stage bottle in there even if I wanted to.

My argon bottle actually sticks out further than my SPG, and even that does not present a problem, so I don't really understand where this recommendation for tucking the SPG comes from. Maybe it's people trying to be a little "too slick". I generally have no trouble with lines or restrictions, as long as I maintain good awareness of where I am relative to everything.

For whatever that is worth.

 

[RTodd]

I think most of the paranoia about the gauge sticking out and other little things is from people that have never actually crawled through the silt or "tip toed" through a forest of stalactites to get through a restriction. Once you get the basic configuration right it is all about buoyancy skills and knowledge of where you are in the water. It isn't like we are perfect tubes with nothing that could ever snag on us. The goal is streamlining things as much as is reasonable, but not being ludicrous about it.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

I think most of the paranoia about the gauge sticking out and other little things is from people that have never actually crawled through the silt or "tip toed" through a forest of stalactites to get through a restriction.

My first dive to Courtyard in Madison Blue pretty much cured me of that fear.

 

[TSandM]

Well, as a Cave 1 diver, I'm still trying to fine tune and polish everything, and I HATE touching anything, or getting hung up (partly because I feel that if I do, I've screwed something up). Diving Yax Muul was the first time I had to maneuver my body in close quarters between the line and the ceiling, repeatedly, and I didn't do a very good job of it, and got briefly hung up on the SPG repeatedly. I came home with the suspicion that something was wrong with my equipment setup (D-ring placement or bolt snap size), but maybe it's just a technique problem (as usual).

 

[RTodd]

My first dive to Courtyard in Madison Blue pretty much cured me of that fear.

My first dive via the cross under tunnel we met Trout and I don't remember who else coming out of the cross under pushing long bodies through. Not a fun entrance. When we got back after the dive, Trout had left the page from his wetnotes where they discussed how badly we had been $%^& by their exit on my O2 bottle. It was pretty funny. Almost made it worth it.

 

[nadwidny]

Well, as a Cave 1 diver, I'm still trying to fine tune and polish everything, and I HATE touching anything, or getting hung up (partly because I feel that if I do, I've screwed something up). Diving Yax Muul was the first time I had to maneuver my body in close quarters between the line and the ceiling, repeatedly, and I didn't do a very good job of it, and got briefly hung up on the SPG repeatedly. I came home with the suspicion that something was wrong with my equipment setup (D-ring placement or bolt snap size), but maybe it's just a technique problem (as usual).

You need to relax way more and analyze way less.