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By the end of this topic, you should be able to answer this question: 1 How is equipment at the Tec 40 Diver level arranged and configured as worn by a Tec 40 Diver? Head to Toe Some variations on the following rigging procedures can still meet the standardized philosophy and/or may be necessary due to the constraints of your equipment. Remember to follow the overall tec equipment philosophy and agree upon procedures with team mates because standardized equipment configurations speed up your reaction time. Tec diver with instruments on wrist or arm Photo credit Fourth Element Start with your cylinders As mentioned in the section on Dive Equipment, assembling cylinders is a job for your PADI Dive Center or Resort. The height of the cylinders should be adjusted so you can reach both regulator valves and the isolator inwater. Be sure to adjust your harness and any other equipment to fit you before assembling your equipment. Always analyze and label cylinders before equipment assembly. Even if you are only adjusting your configuration, having cylinders labeled avoids a situation where you assume it’s ok to dive the equipment because it’s assembled. More on predive checks later. Add keel weights to back mount cylinders before mounting your wing/BCD. With single cylinder and back mount twins/doubles, next attach the wing/BCD, backplate and harness. The primary wing/BCD inflator hose is usually routed over the left shoulder, retained by an inbuilt retaining strap or a small bungee loop so it won’t float away. If using a double bladder wing/BCD, the backup inflator is often clipped behind the wing to avoid confusion with the primary. Note that you never use both bladders at the same time. If the backup bladder has a low pressure inflator (LPI), many divers bungee the hose in place, but don’t connect it so as to avoid a runaway ascent if the inflator malfunctions or gets pressed accidentally. In a wing/BCD failure situation, divers use oral inflation if they need to quickly establish buoyancy, then connect the LPI hose after stabilizing the situation. The backup bladder may only have an oral inflation mechanism. These are generally smaller and lighter, but should still be secured to avoid them moving out of reach during the dive. Sidemount divers connect the wing and harness, if not integrated, but don’t attach it to the cylinders. The primary wing/BCD inflator hose may be routed over the left shoulder, retained so it won’t float away or under the arm and across the chest, clipped or bungeed to the right chest D-ring. The backup inflator in a double bladder sidemount wing/BCDs is usually an oral inflator stowed where it can be easily reached, but is not confused with the main inflator. Tec diver with instruments on wrist or arm Photo credit Shearwater Attach your regulators Attach regulators to your main cylinders, checking that they are configured correctly. For back mounted cylinders: Route the long hose straight down behind the wing/BCD, under the bottom of wing/BCD, up at the hip and clip it to the right chest D-ring until it’s needed. When you are wearing your equipment it goes up at the hip, across the chest, behind the neck from the left and around into the mouth. Although it may not seem like it when you’re on land, the loop around your neck makes it easy to hand off your second stage to an out of gas diver when in a horizontal position. You don the long hose last to make sure it is not trapped under any other equipment. The other second stage (first stage mounted on the left cylinder valve) runs along the back of the wing/BCD and harness and over the right shoulder. The mouthpiece of this second stage fits in a bungee necklace to allow it to sit on your upper chest ready for use in an emergency. It must be underneath the long hose. Photo credit Fourth Element The SPG routes under the left arm and clips onto the left hip or chest D-ring. The low pressure hoses for your backup wing/BCD usually routes to the right, under the arm if possible. Your dry suit inflator hose can route to the right or left, under the arm if possible. Considerations include dry suit inflator valve position and hose length. Routing to the right simplifies hose identification because the hose routes to the opposite side compared to the wing inflator hose. Routing it to the right can also make it easier to don and remove (and less likely to get trapped) if you wear your deco cylinder(s) on the left. It also avoids confusion with an offboard inflation system or LPI from a deco cylinder, if you have them. Sidemount divers stow their regulators against their cylinders until donning the cylinders. The long hose usually routes down along the right cylinder, held in place by stretch bands, before routing across the chest, behind the neck from the left and around into the mouth. The long hose should be donned last to make sure it is not trapped between any other equipment. The second stage from the left cylinder routes up to the left shoulder, behind the head and over the right shoulder. The mouthpiece of this second stage fits in a bungee necklace to allow it to sit on your upper chest ready for use in an emergency. It must be underneath the long hose. Note that all hoses route in or down, to avoid entanglement. LPI hose routing for sidemount is influenced by the wing inflator position, as well as the placement of the dry suit inflator valve. Choosing the correct hose length is vital to reach inflator valves easily while avoiding too much slack or loops in the hose. Make sure you can quickly and easily identify all LPI hoses (including offboard inflation system or LPI hoses from your deco cylinder, if applicable.) Open all cylinder valves and the isolator all the way. Do no close back a partial turn. This assures they only turn one direction in a shutdown emergency – closed. Stow accessories Place and stow any accessories you will carry on your backplate and/or harness, such as weight pockets, cutting tools, pockets, DSMB/ lift bags, reels/spool, lights, inflation system. Attach the regulator to your deco cylinder and stow the hoses tidily in the bands. Image place holder for images that are 365x365 Photo credit Aqualung/Apeks Stow any accessories you carry in your suit pockets, such as wetbook/slate, spare mask, compass, backup DSMB and spool, etc. to make sure they fit and are easily accessible. Gather any other equipment that you will put on before the dive; weight belt, mask, fins, hood, gloves, etc When wearing your equipment make sure that you can reach and use everything. If you’ll be wearing a dry suit, make sure your inflation valve is accessible.