Stage Rigging

[aainslie]

I find the rope mind-boggling. The first time I saw that one site I was convinced it was satire. "Don't use the handle as a handle." Priceless.

Actually it works pretty well as a handle! They're exaggerating on that website. The secret is to use a socket wrench, not a screwdriver. to tighten up the clamps.

Pretty neat setup, Sludge. On SM it helps to have a bit of slack but I'll bet with BM it really helps to have those straps in close like that to control the cylinders.

How come you didn't put any webbing over the clamps?

How come you didn't put any webbing over the clamps?

As I said earlier, I have tried to reinvent the wheel several times (running the handle through 1" clear tubing, putting webbing over the clamps, 1/2" clear tubing around the clamp junction, looping the webbing around the cylinder neck a la Dive Rite's strap). But what you see above is the way my instructor did it, and it seems to work best.

[Mike]

I agree with Sludge on the handle.
I believe that's a DIR thing ( not that I'm bad mouthing DIR ).
It's not suppose to be used as a handle, that's what the valve is for.
The strap is to be tied down for less drag in the water & to be used as a handle only in the water.
That's what I was told but, I see it as a handle & use it for such.

Mike M

[bletso]

I don't even bother with the tube coverings. Pretty is not the object, but funcionality is.

Dale

[aw]

I don't even bother with the tube coverings. Pretty is not the object, but funcionality is.

Dale

OUCH!! The thought of not having tubing cover the SS clamp scares me. Nick that thing a time or two and it's a sure place to slice your hand open or put a hole in the drysuit.

On a general note, you can get just about everything you need for a stage rigging from Walmart (except the innertubing). Don't need no fancy special rope or anything.

Personally, I don't use the "handle" on the stage or deco bottles out of water either. Don't wanna stretch the rope out and have stages getting droopy on me. In water though, they are great. I can snatch up two or even three bottles off the floor in one hand using the handles to bring them to the surface after I'm done with deco, rather than re-clipping all that crap off just to unclip it all again 2 minutes later.

[trob09]

I don't even bother with the tube coverings. Pretty is not the object, but funcionality is.

Dale

I realize that this is the Cave Diver's Forum and the vast majority of caves people here dive do not have salt water. But if you intend to dive the stage in salt water, the covering does serve a function...elimination of dissimilar metal electrolysis.

The secondary function - as noted - is the covering of sharp edges which can take a toll on water-softened skin or drysuit integrity.

[tflaris]

Here's a pretty good demonstration:

http://www.5thd-x.com/xducation/stages.html

Just don't start taking their ratio deco nonsense too seriously on that website!!!!

Typing "stage bottle rigging" in Google gives some great... and some abysmal answers. The 5thdx approach is pretty good. Here's another reasonable one:

http://dir-diver.com/en/equipment/st...e_rigging.html

USed this method works great. But ignore the rheotric.