Do you wet your tank BCD tank band(s)?

[mars2u]

I think that I do this because it was how I was taught and I find it more effective.
Whenever I do the first dive of the day and/or if the tankband on my BCD is dry, I always wet it in the water before strapping it onto my tank. Personally I've found that it lessens the ability of the tank to slip off the BCD and cause me to have to remove and replace my BCD underwater to fix it.
I also teach this method to my students who typically are using rented shop BCD's...which tend to be worn from use.

So, do you wet your BCD tank bands(s0?

[Deep Blue]

I would if mine ever got time time dry

[BlueDolphin]

I do, but wasn't taught that way in my OWI. When I bought my Diva they told me in the dive shop about doing that.

[mars2u]

I would if mine ever got time time dry


lol ...:tushywag:

[Deep Blue]

Got to rush out in a minute going for third dive of the day, then back for night dive then 3 tomm including the midnight dive to celebrate new year, only 5 dives left this year ...see when does mine get dry

[BlueDolphin]

You are not making me feel badly at all, I do hope you enjoy them and have a wonderful New Year's dive

[Walter]

I have a Scubapro BC, the bands are designed so they work wet or dry. No need to wet them first.

[wb416]

I only cinch mine snugly (dry) and have never had an issue.

[pennypue]

I used to have to do this when I used a bc. But only sometimes.......sometimes I was lazy. I really think that most of the people that need to do this aren't pulling hard enough when they're tightening it. I know that I'm amongst them. :D

[Walter]

You dive without a BC, now?

[pennypue]

You dive without a BC, now?

Hehehe

Yup

but I replaced it with a back plate and wings......I consulted with the plastic surgeon on some other options but he said he couldn't get me "enough lift".


roflmao roflmao roflmao

Oh I Am So Funny!!!

[Randy956]

no wet bands for me.

How about pants, does that count? :)

[Cold_H2O]

I do not wet mine. I have never had a problem with slippage.
I do have mine set very snug and sometimes have to really work to get them cinched.

I am lucky that I am so buff and able to do it.. roflmao

[Walter]

Darlin', that is a BC.

[Bob]

I had never soaked my band untill Bonaire. I was climbing a set of stairs and the tank slipped out and put me in a major bind. After that, the band got wet before every dive. some lessons are learned the hard way.:(

[wb416]

.snip...


I am lucky that I am so buff and able to do it.. roflmao

You rig your kit up in the buff??? :bath:

Oh baby... can I watch?? :wakwaka:

[wb416]

Darlin', that is a BC.

Technically, yes... I think she was just trying to differentiate from what's typically considered a "bc"....

[Dee]

Nope, never have, never needed to. The bands will hold if they're tight enough.

[kevininpo]

Technically, yes... I think she was just trying to differentiate from what's typically considered a "bc"....

don't get Walter started...

[Walter]

What's typically considered a BC (Buoyancy Compensator) is a piece of gear that allows divers to compensate for loss of buoyancy as they descend.

[kevininpo]

What typically considered a BC (Buoyancy Compensator) is a piece of gear that allows divers to compensate for loss of buoyancy as they descend.

l tried to warn you...just say "thank you, sir" and walk away slowly...

[DyvrDan]

I always do. I've seen too many tanks slip due to dry bands loosening up in the water.

[PerroneFord]

I don't wet mine. Never had a problem.

[wb416]

l tried to warn you...just say "thank you, sir" and walk away slowly...

:D

[Shamu]

I do this out of habit, but with my new BC (Balance), slippage isn't really an issue. That thing grips the tank very well. Never had a tank slip out, but it was something I always made sure wouldn't happen (I've had buddies whose tanks slipped out while diving, and it's a pain to help them get the tank back snug while in the water, with minimal leverage available -- especially in the surf, during a night dive, with a relatively new diver, ha ha). Another thing I do out of habit is lift the BC after strapping in the tank and give it a good shake. If the tank shifts even the tiniest, tiniest bit, I redo the strap.

[fpoole]

Yeah, I found that the bands are different.. I dove apx 300 dives without making them wet and then switched to backplate/wings and just the plain old staps... need to get'em wet before strapping'em on.. otherwise they'll loose'n up...

So now, if I forget to throw them in the tub before walking out the door, I carry a little squirt bottle and douse them.. or dunk in in the ocean just to get them wet...

But a definite must do before or it's really loose..

Hope that helps..

but there are different straps where I never did have to get them wet... and they worked fine...

[scubajim]

I've never wet mine......I've never had mine come loose.I've seen other divers have a problem, but it's something to think about.

[howard]

I never wet mine, but I do make sure that the strap is tight before I snap the lock in place.

[dutch]

I have a Scubapro BC, the bands are designed so they work wet or dry. No need to wet them first.
and thank goodness only a few stubborn old dinosaurs are still using the stabs w/steel band. i didn't like diving with a crash helmet on.:(

[Zendiver]

I never really wet mine, even though I was taught to do so. I figured as most do, that if I cinch it up tight enough, it will be ok. That was true, up until I started working the boats. The first couple of times I worked the boats, I cinched it as I always do, but that 3 to 5' drop from the boat to the water ALWAYS seemed to knock it just lose enough that my tank would slip out. Now I always wet it before setting it up on the boat and have just gotten into the habit of doing it all the time. Nothing more embarassing than the DM having his tank come lose with 34 passengers standing on the rail - pointing and laughing. *shakes - head*

[fpoole]

Yeah, as I mentioned..
It depends upon the Straps - material... some you don't need to water, other types you do...

34 passengers.. LOL... yeah, been there, done that...

[Marion]

Strap-wetter here. :wavey: I've had my tank come loose with my old BC so I continue to do it with my current one.

[denisediver]

i have a seaquest diva which has two straps, one velcroe and one buckle, i wet mine as taught if it is convenient but usually am dry. The only time my tank slipped was in Hawaii when I had the divemasters switch my gear and I did not check it, silly girl. They had done the buckle but not the velcroe.

[tiggrr]

i have a seaquest diva which has two straps, one velcroe and one buckle, i wet mine as taught if it is convenient but usually am dry. The only time my tank slipped was in Hawaii when I had the divemasters switch my gear and I did not check it, silly girl. They had done the buckle but not the velcroe.


I have the sherwood luna also with 2 straps. Sometimes I do wet it.... sometimes I don't. And like you, only time I ever had a problem was cozumel when the DM switched mine and I didn't check it. :) It was good practice to fixing your tank under water though, not something I want to do often.

[Seawitch]

Absolutely. I was tought to do this in class.

[Cold_H2O]

I have never allowed anyone.. DM or dive buddy to set up my gear. I have to do it. It is the only way I am confident that it is correct.. There have been a few times.. when I have forgotten something.. at least I know who to blame when that happens.

[PacketSniffer]

I have never wet my straps (dang, that just sounds bad :evil_4: ). I've never needed too either. I have two straps (which makes a big difference) on my back plate and immediately switched out the plastic for metal upon purchase. I went with the Dive Rite stainless cam straps. You can use the cam to ratchet the strap tighter if needed (Does everyone do this???). The probability of having a metal cam breaking is next to nil.

The one I got is pictured in the middle. It's heavy duty. Could double duty as a terrorist weapon on a plane too. :ohmy: :abadsmile (grumbles @ security screeners...)
http://www.diveriteexpress.com/bcs/tankstraps.shtml



Richard

[Fish_Whisperer]

My BC is a Dive-Rite, with the steel buckles that pull and then clamp. I've never had a problem with tank slippage, wet or dry.

[PerroneFord]

I don't generally have any straps to wet, but when I do, no, I don't wet them. No need.

[pez]

wetting the straps does make a difference, if you aren't going to tighten your tank properly, but i think that someone who is going through the motions of wetting the straps, also realises they need to tighten up properly.
i think a lot of people have their tank slip once (i have) and from then on, they tighten up properly.

tighten it up, grab the cam thingy and wiggle it up and down, if it moves, tighten it again, if it doesn't, tighten it again.

after we let our divers do their buddy checks, we do our own checks before divers enter the water. does everyone really have a computer, are their inflaters plugged in (psst psst), got weight?, tank on, wiggle tank cam, check drysuit zips :-)

i was lucky, mine just slipped and i got my gear off underwater and fixed it, a guy i know had his tank slip whilst exiting at the beach through the surf. the wave dumped his cylinder onto his leg, breaking it.

[Fish_Whisperer]

When I was using a jacket-style BC, I did my giant stride off the boat in Key Largo over Dry Rocks Reef, and my tank immediately came loose. I straddled that thing and rode it all the way down to the sand, shucked my BC, repositioned the tank, tightened the hell outta' the strap, and continued the dive.

I wish the Velcro straps would go away, and tank straps were all converted to the steel buckle system similar to the Dive-Rite straps. It would save a lot of aggravation.

[pez]

couldn't agree more. decent buckle systems save me lots of grief, as do divers who double check their gear :-) unfortunately, as you and i have both found, experience is sometimes the best teacher

[Far_X]

No, as I have two steel buckles on my single set up and it doesn't apply to my doubles.

[dawnskies]

I have never had a problem with my tank slipping, so I do feel the need to wet mine. Plus, I bought a new BC this year that has a secondary strap that goes around the tank valve, so this probably helps too.

[PerroneFord]

I wish the Velcro straps would go away, and tank straps were all converted to the steel buckle system similar to the Dive-Rite straps. It would save a lot of aggravation.


Making them go away is simple. DON'T BUY THEM. When those cheap, crappy, solutions sit on the shelves, manufacturers will buck up, spend the extra $4 or whatever it costs them, and put *2* real straps with metal buckles on tanks.

You notice you don't see any of that garbage on BP/W do you? I haven't wet a BC strap since OW class.

[Fish_Whisperer]

Bingo, Ford. I don't like Velcro. I don't trust Velcro. And especially when it's responsible for securing something that's so vital to my well-being, like my friggin' AIR!

Question, though: Why don't BC manufacturers, if they insist on using Velcro straps, make some kind of adjustable pocket on the rear of the BC, that would support the bottom of the tank? It could have a buckle around it to increase/decrease for tank diameter, and it could be cinched up for someone diving a 60 cu/ft tank, or let out for someone diving a 100 or 120 cu/ft tank. Something like a ballistic denier, or some other material that would stand up to the abuse...

[Far_X]

Bingo, Ford. I don't like Velcro. I don't trust Velcro. And especially when it's responsible for securing something that's so vital to my well-being, like my friggin' AIR!

Question, though: Why don't BC manufacturers, if they insist on using Velcro straps, make some kind of adjustable pocket on the rear of the BC, that would support the bottom of the tank? It could have a buckle around it to increase/decrease for tank diameter, and it could be cinched up for someone diving a 60 cu/ft tank, or let out for someone diving a 100 or 120 cu/ft tank. Something like a ballistic denier, or some other material that would stand up to the abuse...
OMG - talking about complicating things!!! lol

[Fish_Whisperer]

Yeah, probably... But it would solve the slippage problem with tanks.

[cjcardinal]

I see most of the slippage is due to the strap not properly threaded in the buckle. The how to is not explained in OW, and the instructors/DM just wizz through it to save time. Too bad they don't use the old SEATEC buckles that came standard years ago.
Woodworkers use an adjustable SS bandclamp to attach dust bags. It would easily adjust for 7-1/4 and 8" tanks. Maybe the solution is too simple.

[TWD]

I do, mostly because the last 2 times I didn't my tank came loose during the dive. Some might say I didn't have the band tight enough, but I couldn't get it any tighter. Maybe I'm just a wuss!

[pennypue]

I do, mostly because the last 2 times I didn't my tank came loose during the dive. Some might say I didn't have the band tight enough, but I couldn't get it any tighter. Maybe I'm just a wuss!:wavey:I was a wuss too. Now my tanks are BOLTED on.:D

But I had one BC in particular, even wet it constantly would slip. And I'd get others to try tightening it down. Fortunately, it was not my bc. :) But never had trouble with one with two straps.

[Fish_Whisperer]

I wonder if it would be possible to retrofit a jacket-style BC/Velcro straps with the Dive-Rite buckle-style straps?

[Fish_Whisperer]

Dive Rite steel buckle tank straps: $30/pair (http://www.diveriteexpress.com/bcs/tankstraps.shtml)

[alcina]

Boy, I didn't realise this was such a problem! I've never wetted my tank band and it just hasn't been an issue.

We don't have our students wet the bands, usually though we do make mention of it, and I haven't seen many of our divers on tours do it. We rarely have an issue.

Very interesting.

[pennypue]

Boy, I didn't realise this was such a problem! I've never wetted my tank band and it just hasn't been an issue.

We don't have our students wet the bands, usually though we do make mention of it, and I haven't seen many of our divers on tours do it. We rarely have an issue.

Very interesting.
Simple, you're south of the equator. Things don't 'fall down' there. They'd have to 'slip up'...........hehehe

I'm bored.

[pez]

oh good grief! hehehe

retrofitting a jacket style bcd with other straps should be quite easy. the ones i've own have come out quite easily

[ntxdiver]

I've wet and not-wet them and have never had a problem with the tank coming loose. I think it is more of a factor of how tight you get the buckle.

[Randy956]

Never...

[Cold_H2O]

I have two tank bands. My tank has only slipped if I have failed to secure the buckles.
I NEVER wet them first. :nope:

I have seen alot of single bands slip.

[Far_X]

I have to wet them when setting up equipment in front of students otherwise I don't. :D

[Dee]

No, never have, and have never had a tank slip. If the buckle is threaded properly and the band is tight enough, it's not needed.