Rob Dobson(Offline)

Rubber bands on stages never seem to last too long and and restowing a hose with gloves on can be a bit of a phaff.

I thought these looked interesting; harder wearing than rubber bands and something to grip whilst restowing.
http://www.deepseasupply.com/page18.html

I ordered a few sets for me and the rest of the 4divers massive and they turned up yesterday. They look to be just the job, already sized for ali80's and the standard size looks to be OK on a 7L ali as well. I took 2 inches off of the bungee for an ali40 and that took minutes (inc finding a tape measure!).

The instructions are useful and include some basic advice on how to avoid making a hash of replacing or adjusting the bungee as well as recommendations for resizing the bands from an ali80 to 40's & 30's.

I don't know what if any entanglement risk might be associated by the delrin blocks that secure the bungee in place, but I have thought about it and I can't foresee any likely scenarios that might put me off of using them.

My initial thoughts are that these are a worthwhile investment and a practical solution to the issues I find with using rubber bands on stages. My first chance to try them for real will be on the Scapa trip next week so I'll post an up date with how they faired in the real world.

davy(Offline)

When I started out using stages I used thick bungee with a big knot in the end so I could grab it for stowing etc.

It worked OK, but the reg. hose was not as secure...
The bungee would "roll" up and down the bottle often leaving the 2nd stage to dangle.

When I tried the rubber bands, at first they were hard to use since there was nothing to grab, but they do hold the reg hose much better in place.
especially while scootering.
With practise you should be able to stow a reg with one hand. even with 7mm 3-finger mittens. and in under 20 secs.
What I do is make a loop in the reg hose and put it in my left hand, then follow the garden hose down until I find the rubber band.
If you have the rubber band over the garden hose you can put your finger under the band easily if you do it right next to the garden hose where the band is lifted up a bit.
Then with the band lifted I put the hose underneath with my thumb.
Then it's just a matter of pulling the loop from the other side and done...
That said I don't use a rubber band at the top of the bottle to store a reg, just 2 of them down at the hose clamp.
One acting as a backup should the first break and to shield the hose clamp.
Sometimes I clip off the second stage into the top bolt snap eye...

I've been using rubber bands from racing bike inner tubes for 5-6 years now and only had to change 2 or 3 of them.
They seem to last a lot longer than I expected at first.
However they have to be the right size...and this can be the tricky part... I found the ones supplied with the halcyon stage kit way too tight...
They work better if you cut them in half (make 2 bands from 1)
But I'd rather have a wide band (5cm) that isn't very tight... it holds the reg even better.
If they are too tight, they are hard to use and will degrade and fail much faster.

Never used the DSS gadget.... so can't comment
But it looks like a nicer option than what I used to do with the knots where the ends would unravel etc.

Ziggi(Offline)

If it's about bungies, I use only inner tube to protect the tank form the galvanizing action the clamp.

But to stow my regulator hose, I use normall bungies, and those don't give any problems with thick gloves.

Chris B(Offline)

Although I think this is really one of those tiny issues and either way works well enough. Rubber bands do hold hoses more securely, especially when using just one band (as is often the case when re-stowing hoses on the move, for gas breaks...etc).

I found the key to this was take the way too broad/thick Halcyon bands and cut them nearly in half BUT use this extra to create a tab that can be lifted even with the thickets of dry gloves. this Tab, as it is part of the band sits flat against the tank so is no snag hazard.

My personal experience is this only works if you have a small bolt-snap on the reg, if there is another way to do this consistently and easily I would be interested to hear it.....

Yes, this is the way I do it, but what happens to the 2nd stage whilst you are doing this and how do you make a loop one handed?

Humm I don't doubt you but I'd have to see an image of this to see how it works one-handed

Me too, so I am struggling to see how this is a one-handed operation without pics.

Ahhh OK now that is what I was talking about

I've been using cut-down H rubber bands for 2 years, never had to replace one and by the look of them, it will be a long while yet....

Ditto

Have to try that

Best

Chris B

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peter_steinhoff(Offline)

I've tried all kinds of contraption when it comes to stage bottles and I found that the simplest solution is the best in the long run.

Use innertube or ready-made rubber bands. Adjust their width depending on the size of the bottle versus the size of the rubber band. Smaller band is easier to lift but doesn't hold the reg as firm. Find the best compromise.

Now, put the rubber bands over the stage handle and use your thumb to lift them when stowing the reg. This is essential. I always stow the reg with the bottle clipped to me because in this position it's very easy for me to slide my thumb down the stage handle and catch the rubber band and lift it. I normally use commercial dive mittens so if you have regular dry gloves (or wet) you should be able to do this without a problem. When you use my method you don't need any tabs or anything else to lift the inner tube or rubber band. Also try to avoid bungees or similar as they have a tendency to roll off when you deploy the hose. You should always have your left hand on the bands anyway while deploying to avoid this but wider inner tube doesn't roll.

You can use two rubber bands, one up high and one at the hose clamp or lower. After I used a bottle I only stow the reg in one rubber band because my bands are cut reasonably tight. When you stow the reg, fold the hose and push it through the inner tube and then pull on the hose until it's good looking

Just my 2 cents.

__________________
Peter Steinhoff
GUE DIR-F, Tech1, Tech2, Cave1, Cave2, Cave3, RB80-1&2, DIR-F/Cave Instructor Candidate.
NAUI Tec Instructor (Trimix, Technical DPV, Technical Wreck Penenetration etc)
WKPP Support Diver, Halcyon Product Development Team, Gavinscooter Representative.
Various IANTD, NSS-CDS, NACD, PADI & NAUI.
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lizardland(Offline)

You can buy similar thingies to the Deep Sea Supply bands for a couple of quid from a yacht chandlery. Usually called sail wraps or similar.

I prefer inner tube. Bungee can roll off the bottle too easily.

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LauNar (Online)

I use strips of bicycle inner tube, cut and tied to the correct length. The stiffness of the loop can be easily varied, and you get a nice, big knot that is easy to grab for stuffing... Not very rule #6 but easier than hunting for the correct size tubes. Has worked fine this far with dry gloves.

//LN