Do you want your safety reserves for the gas supply to expand a little? Or would you like to begin with technical diving? Then a tage bottle or “stage” will get a new piece of equipment for you. How does one rig this right, with carbines, etc., equipping them so that you can dive comfortably? Therefore I would like to introduce you to this article:

For rigging you need:

• 2 bolt snaps
• Line (about 1m)
• 1 clamp
• cover for clamp (tape or bike tubing)
• 30cm tubing
• 2 rubber bands
• Stage bottle and regulator

Step 1: The upper loop and bolt snap

In the first step, take about half the length of the line, twice, so that you can knot it into a loop at the top. Directly knot the loop onto your first bolt snap. This bolt snap will be used later to attach the bottle to the left chest D-ring.

[adrotate banner=”8″]
Advertisment

Step 2: Thread the line through the tubing

Once you have knotted the top loop, you now need to thread the line through the tubing. For your orientation, in the picture, the whole thing is compared to a 30cm ruler. The tubing is designed to protect the long piece of line in the middle and also to prevent a possible entanglement of the line. When wearing the stage on the shore, the tubing is rather inappropriate.

Step 3: The lower two knots

In the next step tie the two knots at the bottom. As previously, thread this through the second bolt snap carabineer. The first knot connects the two loose ends of the rope together (in the picture, above). The lower knot is used to secure the bolt snap carabineer, the first knot should be open once.

The lower bolt snap

The lower bolt snap then hangs in the loop at the bottom of the rigging. The carabineer is then later clipped onto the left hip D-ring.

Tip: Pay attention that the metal clamp still fits between the two knots!

[adrotate banner=”8″]
Advertisment

Step 4: Laying the upper strap across the valve

Now lay the top loop (with the fitted knotted bolt snap carabineer) onto the valve on the neck of the stage bollte. Make sure that the bolt snap carabineer, as shown here in the picture, is in the direction that the valve opens.

Step 5: Fasten metal clamp

Now thread the metal clamp into the protective coating (either tape or bike tubing). Then place the clamp around the stage and screw it on tight. Pay attention to where the clamp is located between the two knots in the lower portion of the rigging. Pull the rigging taut before you properly tighten the clamp fully.

Step 6: Attach rubber bands onto the stage

In the last step you should now pull the rubber bands over the stage. These are later used to fix the hose of the regulator onto the bottle. At what height your rubber bands are attached is up to you. Experiment with this for your first few dives. I attached a band to the lower part of the stage and a second one to the middle of the stage.

[adrotate banner=”8″]
Advertisement

End results

The fully rigged stage with regulator will look like this. The hose of the regulator is tucked under the rubber bands and is (to some extent) streamlined.

Brief note on the markings: The number at the top is the MOD (maximum operating depth). This indicates the maximum depth to which this bottle can be dived (e.g. 21m means that the bottle contains 50% Nitrox and therefore can be breathed up to a maximum depth of 21 m). The SF on the lower portion of the bottle is used for identification.