How to rig a twin-tank set up?

[hon]

Can anyone show me pictures of how a twin-tank set up is rigged? I have found photos showing DIR set up. I would like to see those non-DIR set up or BSAC set-up if there is any. Thank you.

[MikeTonge]

Can anyone show me pictures of how a twin-tank set up is rigged? I have found photos showing DIR set up. I would like to see those non-DIR set up or BSAC set-up if there is any. Thank you.

There's no such thing as a BSAC setup. In terms of other setups I've seen almost as many different combinations as you could think up.

What are you going to use the set for then people might be able to give some recommendations as to which setup might work best for you?
Also what bits do you already have as this may influence how you set it up.

Mike

[Woz]

This is how I rig mine if it helps:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9483745/twinset/P1020595%20%28Small%29.JPG

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9483745/twinset/P1020597%20%28Small%29.JPG

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9483745/twinset/P1020599%20%28Small%29.JPG

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9483745/twinset/P1020600%20%28Small%29.JPG

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9483745/twinset/P1020602%20%28Small%29.JPG

[Nigel Hewitt]

And from the Blasphemous Heretic Stroke (http://www.nigelhewitt.co.uk/diving/rig.html) side....

[Richard Whitcombe]

Can anyone show me pictures of how a twin-tank set up is rigged? I have found photos showing DIR set up. I would like to see those non-DIR set up or BSAC set-up if there is any. Thank you.

What sort of setup?

Manifold twins or independents? Wing or no-wing?
Standard long-hose or BSAC retard-hose primary regs?

[bythesea]

My favourite so far seen on a BSAC diver is two 12s, one 232 one 300 mounted on a buddy jacket with more hoses than a hosiery.

Basically there is no right, no wrong, there is however what is simple and works and what is over complicated and works...for my money the DIR set up is simple, streamline and easy to use.

If it is good enough for 10Km cave penetration then it is good enough for my comparative bimbles.

[Richard Whitcombe]

My favourite so far seen on a BSAC diver is two 12s, one 232 one 300 mounted on a buddy jacket with more hoses than a hosiery.

That sounds like a setup that only a BSAC club could possibly allow or invent!

[MattS]

Here's a picture of my twins set up.

http://www.mssystems.co.uk/images/msbk1.jpg

Ignore the captions, it was part of a joke about not being DIR. But yes, that is the Saratoga behind me :D

[paul_c]

the honest truth is you can rig them however you want to.

i started with what my kindly LDS christened the rig of impending doom

a cressi LINE bcd witha set of twin 10s bolted onto the plastic back plate

i ran a single 1st stage from one post with a standard octo and primary rig.

i wasnt looking then for redundancy i was looking for a larger "cylinder" to make life easier on deeper dives and also as a stepping stone towards tech. say stepping stone as it was done slowly due to cost constraints.


this then was upgraded to having 2 1st stages and turning it into a semi decent looking rig breathing of the right pillar withthe left for the octo, BCD inflate and the SPG.

i also for a tiem had a slob knob fitted which went tot he wing system below but i was able to ditch that after training with an ace instructor from TDI


this all changed when i went to a wing system


this is where i differ greatly from msot people as i dive a dual bladder wing because i need redundant boyancy as i dive in a wetsuit.

my right pillar has

my BACKUP wing inflate and my long hose for primary donation

my left pillar has my

backup reg loosly necklaced to allow for non primary donate people to take it if they realy need it and because i dont liek stuff tight around my neck. that one goes under my left arm
my Primary wing inflate
a SPG which comes over my left shoulder to clip to the left shoulder D ring.

it means for me that i dont have any hoses over the manifold valve and i actualy USE both 1st stages for soemthing. an dif one fails im only changing one thing to bail out on either the reg OR the inflate not both.

[bythesea]

it means for me that i dont have any hoses over the manifold valve and i actualy USE both 1st stages for soemthing.

How does that differ from mine Paul? I have no hoses over the manifold, the right post inflates the wing and feeds the primary reg, left inflates the suit and runs the backup reg as well as supplying the contents gauge so both first stages do something.

Or am I missing something? It wouldn't be the first time ;)

[paul_c]

when i rigged mine the way you do i found that the hoses for the inflators went over the manifold bar. crossing pretty much bang on where the isolater was. granted mine are going tot he same place on each side so they would be doing that. its why i went that way. have a looksie next saturday

[AndyA]

What you want from a twinset is that each cylinder should have a regulator ie 1st and 2nd stage. One cylinder should also provide bouyancy to your wing, the other cylinder to provide bouyancy to your suit. Whether you chose to just have one spg or one on each side is up to you as is how you wish to have your hoses. This way you have redundancy if there is a problem with either side.

[Willem]

Hello, I was just wondering the same thing!
I recently upgraded to a Dive Rite Wing and Harnass (no steel backplate, just webbing). I have tried different hose configurations, including adding a long hose for the first reg, but everytime I end up with the same problem: My two Mares regs are both right handed! Guiding the reg on the left pillar valve to the right makes it cross the manifold, which makes the manifold less accessible.

Also, I am using wing nuts to attach the wing/harnass to the twinset. But I feel this is unsafe as the nuts might loosen up under water. Are self blocking nuts (or whatever they're called in English) not better?

Hope someone can help me out with this!

Cheers, Willem.

[Lanny]

Hi Willem,

Two right hand second stages should not present a problem - this is what most people dive with. The way to not obstruct your manifold is through neat hose routing. All the hoses from the first stages should point down so they do not get in the way. You can make this easier by rigging your first stages so the diaphragm ends point inwards. The picture here shows Apeks DS4s, but the principle holds good for most regulators.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://i2.tinypic.com/v2sl5w.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/forums/dir/125292-regulator-set-up-twins-apeks-scubapro.html&usg=__cjy1lblB_Mg1KQk755wNNBtqX9k=&h=480&w=640&sz=125&hl=en&start=0&sig2=D4S24yl4H-wqOVu1De-5Vw&zoom=1&tbnid=2kl4vT66ly0KYM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=170&ei=CzFyTZCEJc6IhQfh0-VK&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtwin%2Bset%2Bhose%2Brouting%26hl%3Den %26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D173 8%26bih%3D1005%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Divnsfd0%2C5 &itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1440&vpy=107&dur=3000&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=181&ty=115&oei=CzFyTZCEJc6IhQfh0-VK&page=1&ndsp=55&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0&biw=1738&bih=1005

You can get locking nuts to attach a set to your harness. They do exactly what it says on the tin, so removing your harness will be difficult. Wingnuts work well for most divers. Just make sure you do them up tightly before each dive and don't have any hoses, webbing or bits of wing trapped. There is little pressure and no turning force on the (protected) wingnuts, so they are extremely unlikely to come undone unless they are much less than finger tight in the first place. I have never had a wingnut come undone over hundreds of twinset dives and don't know anyone else who has. I have had to use normal, non "wing" nuts on rented sets overseas and it was a bit of a pain in the hoop as I needed a spanner to tighten them instead of checking them by hand.

Best of luck with getting your kit sorted.