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George I thought you were only asking for Tom Pettys configuration as I have posted mine on the net and the why I do it on numerous occassions. Because you have requested it I will once again post it.I hope this answers any questions you had on my configuration? Equipment configuration Tom mount 1. The doubles are manifolded together with an isolator valve. . 2. The regulators are placed so that all hoses extend downward vertically from the valves. a. The long hose is on the right post and is the regulator that is breathed from. (This hose runs behind the wings and then if wearing a waist light under it, when buttmounting it just runs behind the wings , then it is wrapped around the neck) b. The short hose is the backup regulator and is secured by a surgical loop at the divers neck. This second stage should be right at the base of the neck just below the chin. When using this system it is prudent to periodically check the left post to insure the valve has not been closed off. (When breathing from stages, the long hose second stage is clipped off.) 3. The SPG has a custom length of 22 inches as does the BC inflator hose. a. The SPG is on the regulator on the left post and runs under the left arm. It attaches to either the lower D ring on the left shoulder of the Transpac or to a d ring on the hip attached to the waist strap. b. . The inflator hose runs through innertube sections that are on the inflator hose leading from the BC. The hose is attached via the retainer on the left shoulder of the Transpac. 4. Although the system may be used with either a transpack or backplate, I use a transpack. The reason I use a transpack is it provides more support for my back and creates less stress on my back. I have an old football injury and a backplate causes my back to hurt whereas when diving a transpack I do not experience the discomfort in my back that a backplate produces.To me that is a perfect reason for using a transpack a . The transpack has been custom fit and the adjustment tabs have been cutoff and secured with innertube rings, in other words it is now a fixed size, non adjustable. I removed the chest strap and I have fixed D rings on the waist strap for stage cylinders. The crotch strap has been modified to resemble the adaptation by George and the WKPP. It is a loop that goes over the waist strap, approximately six inches back from the loop a small D ring has been fastened into it. This is ideal for DPV diving as it puts all the stress on the backpack and not the waist strap. Further back an additional D ring is installed as a utility D ring. This overall crotch strap config works well for DPV riding, towing DPV�s becomes an option and extra reel storage area is gained on the back ring( this is an example of taking the desirable components from some one else and incorporating it into my personal system, as recommended in the IANTD equipment config video) b. When diving dry I wear either a standard wing or most often the dive rite Rec wings as they are the most compact I can find. The dry suit acts as a backup BC in event my primary wings fail. (It should be noted the dry suit should not and is not used for buoyancy control. It is normally kept in a slight squeeze adjustment. It is only used for buoyancy control if the primary wing fail. c. When diving wet ,a backup wings is used or DiveRite Superwings, or OMS dual bladder wings. d. The reason I wear dual wings when diving wet is because having had a wings failure several years ago the work of exiting 1500 feet without wings from a cave made it apparent that a back up BC system is an extremely important part of a life support system. Those of you who dive regularly may have seen or experienced the same thing. Even George reported a wings failure in one of his post and how he used his dry suit(a backup BC system)to compensate for the failure. 4. The primary light for use in cave or wreck diving may be either butt mounted or waist mounted. When diving in areas that are narrow, such as some sections of wrecks or constricted caves, butt mounting is a logical choice. I buttmount my light about 60% of the time as it is the most streamlined method of configuring a light and is ideal in narrow passages. I waist mount it around 40% of the time, even though it does create slightly more drag, It is good in less constricted areas and it is ideal for long hose storage. 5. The safety lights are mounted at the back portion of the backpack with the base being snapped onto the bottom D ring hanging from the waist strap. The light then faces upward and runs through surgical tubing located on the lowest of the small rings attached to the sides of the Transpac. This allows ease of access to the lights while keeping them removed from busy areas and reducing drag.( This is an idea I stole from Larry Green who configures his lights on a backplate in this manner,again an example of incoporating the outstanding components from someone elses system) 6. Reels as needed (I use only what I need )are carried on the waist D rings and sometimes on the aft crotch strap D ring. 7. In open Water,The lift bag is carried by tucking it through surgical tubing loops run through grommets at the base of the transpack. 8. Loops on the right side of the transpack are used for carrying a small argon cylinder for dry suit inflation on moderate length dives. On longer dives a larger cylinder is either carried on the doubles or attached to a deco cylinder 7. Stage tank rigging a. When decompression gases containing differing mixes are used, the highest EANx or oxygen is carried on the right side. Other stages are carried on the left side. b. Stages for penetration are normally carried on the left side, although with three stages one will be carried on the right side. When using ride on DPV;s the cylinders are balanced equally to left and right to stay balanced on the dPV. c. Rigging of stage cylinders is accomplished by using heavy gauge line attached around the neck of the cylinder with a hook attached at the flat of the cylinder and then the line runs under a hose clamp, a hook is then attached with only one finger width clearance. This enables easy connecting yet keeps the cylinder snug to the pack. The stages are attached to the backpack. They are configured so the valve faces up towards the face, and the pressure gauges are rigged so a simple glance allows you to read the pressure. Regs containing different mixtures are of a different design and the oxygen reg has a green hose as well All cylinders are labeled with mix and MOD.
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