Alright, it’s Michael from SubGravity here to show you how to set up your stage rigging on your bailout or deco bottle. Included in each Stage Rigging Kit is a stainless steel hose clamp with protective sheeting, preassembled stage rigging with two 316 stainless steel clips, and two EPDM hose retaining tank bands.
For assembly onto your tank, the only tool that will be needed is a flathead screwdriver. First thing we’re going to do is drop the stainless steel hose clamp onto the cylinder and push towards the bottom. On the rigging, you’ll notice that one side, the top, has a large loop designed to go over the valve and handle of the tank.
With that in place, you can push the stainless steel clamp through the hose clamp on the bottom. It might be necessary to loosen the hose clamp in order to get the bottom clip through it. Before you tighten that down, we want to adjust the position of our clips.
The upper clip is adjusted by loosening this knot and should end up right as the tank crown turns into the flat portion of the tank. The position of the handle and the clips should be opposite of the valve or slightly in. After the top clip is positioned correctly, you can pull the rigging tight, place the hose clamp in between the two knots, and tighten it down.
Just using your flathead screwdriver, make sure that the hose clamp is even and flat, and tighten that down. If you are only carrying one or two deco or bailout bottles and you find that this leash length is too long, you may wrap it through the handle to shorten it.
In review, the clips should be opposite of the valve handle or in a little bit. The upper clip height position is right where the crown of the tank turns flat. The hose clamp will go between the two knots on the rigging, and you need to make sure that the hose clamp is flat and that the protective sheathing is covering that stainless steel hose clamp so it doesn’t cut into your rigging.
After the rigging is all assembled, to prepare for diving and your regulator hose management, we’re going to install the EPDM rubber tank bands. These will simply stretch over the tank and over the rigging. Slide the first one on to a lower position, and the second one can go higher up on the tank.
It’s a little easier if you stretch them out ahead of time. These EPDM tank bands are UV and ROT resistant. Placing these over the rigging makes it easier for stowing your regulator hoses into the tank bands. The Subgravity stage rigging kits come with everything you need ready to install and are available in multiple sizes HERE.
Stage rigging setup is something often done hastily and without much thought, but we have found that taking the time to do it neatly and correctly can make a large difference.