D-rings

nigelh

I happily dive an Inspo with the standard harness and stages from boats.
I sit on my bit of bench space and pull everything together about me.
Clip on the stages then put on my mask and gloves.
optional: try to get up, get somebody to untie me, get up
Dive

This last weekend I tried something new.
Beach diving with stages.
I put all my kit on and carried the stages and fins into the water.
The fins were a problem but the stages were impossible.
Could I clip them on?
Could I heck.
D-rings? What D-rings?
No stage in hand then there are lots of D-rings just where I expected them to be.
Hold a p-clip? No chance and I don't bend well enough to reach right across with the other hand to help.
Fortunately somebody helped or I'd still be there.

So what's the trick?

Don't say change the harness because if I do that it's going to be a whole new rebreather. I dived something else on Saturday and it has all sorts of features I've been rude about in the past but suddenly I want one.

__________________
nigelh

Digger

Nigel,

Are you telling us that you've gone through Mod 1-3 without removing and replacing stages in the water?

Seriously?

What happens if you need to get stages off in the water to get out of or through a hole?

This was one of the main drivers for me to get rid of the standard harness. Afraid that's the solution to your problem maybe.

The other option is practice, it is doable to clip almost any clip onto any point on a harness given time or technique. I did find it much much easier without counterlungs in the way.

Digs.

Ben Field

I've seen and experienced many people struggling with stages, since moving to the Armadillo and curing all ill-water stage bottle issues I've turned my attention to the kit up/de-kit issues.

Alot of the issues as I see them stem from people trying to lift the stage and find/attach the clip with one hand, IMO your hand/arm looses its dexterous skills when doing heavy lifting, power and control cancelling each other out!

I tried this weekend alittle idea I'm working on, instead of a normal tail clip setup I tried my Field Clip- a typical stage bottle clip but on a short length of climbing sling cord (about 300mm) The cord ends at the bottom of the stage where the normal clip would be with a second clip (I used a suicide clip for the test)

In practice you lay the stage next to you and holding just the clip on its leash you locate the d-ring (often located behind you between wing and unit or some other hidden location) pass the clip through the d-ring and pull the cord so the stage goes to the d-ring itself- clip the clip on the leash to a suitable point at the top of the stage (I have a ring around the tank neck)

The tank is now hanging from the back d-ring by a strong cord close to the tail clip, simply reach back and clip it on, or just clip the top clip to your chest/top clip d-ring.

Next time out I'm going to try an automatic tail clip and a single clip at the end of a slightly longer cord- idea being as before, locate back d-ring, pass clip on cord through it, pull hard and stage slides up to and clips itself into the d-ring, then pass cord though ring at top of stage bottle and use that clip as top clip to attach stage to your top clip d-ring.

I thought it worked pretty well. Also for handing stages up after the dive or to another diver you can undo it and hand the clip-on-a-leash over for them to begin mounting/lifting without letting go of your tank, IMO less chance of loosing the whole set.

Just an idea...

__________________

Beware Fridge Suck

Kevin Swindin

Ben, got any pictures? I am a visual person!

thanks

Kevin

__________________
Kevin Swindin

Rebreathing since September 07, starting all over again!

richc

Hi Nigel,

For stages I like the big P clips with the big rings at the bottom of the clip that the stage kit loops through. I then can put a finger (usually the middle one) through the large ring to take the weight of the stage and manipulate it and use my thumb to operate the clip itself. I also have a stong preference on my harness to use the D rings on the hips that are welded to stick out 90 degrees. Not everyone's taste I know, but I find it helps a lot.

And practice. Muscle memory is a huge help with stages in my opinion. I get into my kit and clip off the stages once in it even on the boat. I just find it helps me remember where things are once I get in the water!

Hope that helps

Rich

Beanie

I can't say I've ever had a problem but then I never had a problem doing shutdowns on twinsets either (long flexible arms)
but the P clip with the big o for the middle finger is good as above
middle finger in ring thumb on trigger and clip in, does help to find the d ring first and pull it (so its a 90 degree to the webbing) out so 1 you know where it is and 2 its sticking out in the right way

If your still on the AP harness slap some verti clips on

__________________
Beanie
Gallery Admin & Library Assistant.
www.outlawdivers.org.uk
www.beandiving.co.uk
www.beanengineering.co.uk
www.divelife.co.uk

JS1scuba

[quote=nigelh;189158]

So what's the trick?

[quote]

Flip down the tailgate of your truck and gear up on that -- then walk into the water. It's just like a boat bench.

You might consider doing a little pre-dive practice in your living room. Till you get it right. Consider some extensions on the rings or change the D-rings to the offset type.

Sounds mostly like you need some practice.

Cheers

JDS

__________________
Joel Silverstein, VP COO
Tech Diving Limited a Division of Scuba Training and Technology Inc.

http://www.nautilusdiveplanner.com
FREE NAUTILUS DIVE PLANNER DEMO - REGISTER HERE
KISS # 275

rewrites

I liked the AP harness too until I changed over to my old SS backplate and harness - can't believe the difference. Should have done it sooner.

I use long and large double p-clips for fastening anything weighty. These allow me to grip the clip with most of my hand thereby giving more strength and precision. Fixed D-rings are also essential - the floppy AP ones are just too tricky to locate I found.

I'a also give a thumbs up for the Armadillo - fantastic piece of kit!

PH

__________________
Always running with scissors ~8~

omech

I find floating face down on the surface shifts all the important bits to more reacheable positions. The connection points that are a bugger to reach on the surface are in just the right spots once the unit's weight is off the harness.

And an added benifit of the face down position is the water muffles the curses before they reach the ears of innocent children playing near by.

Owen

EBT

lazy tricks.

1. chuck stage in water and put it on in there.
2. clip stage via top clip to waist d-ring, walk through surf.... sort it out underwater.
3. stop cocking around with short diving.

__________________
Eagles May Soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!

Rebreather World Terms of service
Real diving t-shirts for real divers