If you are looking to refresh your memory on how to quickly assemble your scuba diving equipment, you have definitely come to the right place.
I have noticed in fact that with Covid-19, many divers have decided to take a break or simply could not reach their preferred diving destination. If that’s your case, you can use this post as a quick refresher before flying for your next diving destination.
It is also useful in case you are planning to start an open water diver course and are looking how to perform one of the most important scuba diving skills: equipment assembly (some divers call it scuba setup, or dive gear assembly).
Equipment assembly is a quick and easy scuba diving skill, and after having done it several times I am quite sure you will be able to remember it effortlessly.
Assembling your scuba diving equipment can be done in five easy steps:
- Gather all the necessary equipment so that it is at an arm’s length
- Insert your BCD or wing and backplate in the scuba diving cylinder/tank
- Screw the scuba diving regulator into the cylinder’s valve
- Fit all the necessary accessories into the BCD
- If you are not diving immediately, lay the regulator into the BCD, close the BCD straps and lay the scuba diving cylinder horizontal on the floor.
Let’s take a look at each single step in more details:
1. Gather all the necessary equipment so that it is at an arm’s length
This first step is most often overlooked by new and experienced divers alike. Before you start setting up your equipment, make sure you have everything you need at your arm’s length.
This will make it easier to assemble everything quickly and will also ensure that you assemble all your equipment without leaving your scuba tank unattended in a vertical position.
You will therefore avoid any chance of your scuba diving cylinder falling down or flipping on the side.
Before starting to assemble your equipment, make sure to have the following at your arm’s length:
- Scuba Diving Cylinder
- Buoyancy Compensation Device (BCD)
- Scuba Diving Regulator
- Accessories (e.g. cutting device, redundant mask, spool or reel, DSMB)
2. Insert your BCD or wing and backplate in the scuba diving cylinder
First step in setting up your equipment is to visually inspect your scuba cylinder, making sure that everything is in good order.
Once you have visually inspected the scuba cylinder, you can insert your BCD (or backplate and wing if you are using those) into your scuba diving tank and tighten the cylinder straps.
To make sure your BCD holds strong onto the scuba diving tank, you might want to put some water on the BCD tank straps. This will ensure they have a stronger grip.
Don’t forget to place yourself behind the scuba tank while inserting your BCD. The opening of the cylinder valve should be pointing the opposite direction of your body.
Also, don’t forget to secure your BCD’s safety strap onto the tank valve.
A good rule of thumb to remember is that the back strap of your BCD should be distanced approximately four fingers form the neck of the scuba diving tank. This will ensure the BCD is placed at a good height.
Once you have inserted the BCD into the scuba diving tank and closed all the back straps, check whether the BCD is holding on tight to the scuba diving tank. This is simply done by lifting the scuba diving tank from the shoulder straps of your BCD and firmly shaking it a couple of times.
If the tank doesn’t move, you may proceed to the next step.
3. Screw the scuba diving regulator into the cylinder’s valve
In this step, you will be fixing the regulator into the scuba tank.
Start by removing the dust cap from your first stage, and check if all the O-Rings are well in place. You may also remove the dust cap in your cylinder valve.
Store the dust cap (or caps) in a place you will remember. Ideally they should not be getting wet.
Don’t forget, if you are using a regulator with a DIN valve, the O-Ring is in the first stage. If instead you are using a regulator with a yoke valve, the O-Ring will be directly in the scuba tank valve.
Once you have checked that the O-Rings are in place, you can screw the regulator’s first stage in the scuba cylinder valve, without tightening it excessively.
Once you have tightened the regulator, you can connect the low pressure inflator hose to the BCD’s inflator and start checking if there are some air leaks.
Slowly open the scuba tank valve, being mindful that the SPG’s glass is pointing away from your face and once it’s fully open, check the air pressure.
Once you have checked that the tank is full, and that there are no audible air leaks, particularly from the tank valve, you may close the tank valve and purge your regulator (both primary and emergency second stages).
Other possible areas of leak besides the cylinder valve are: low pressure hose attachment, SPG attachment, yoke screw (if you are using a DIN to Yoke converter), second stage, or octopus (alternate air source).
In case of audible air leaks from either the first stage or the cylinder valve, check whether the valve’s o-ring is well in place.
4. Fit all the necessary accessories into the BCD
As penultimate step, you will need to fit all the accessories that you will bring along in your dive in your BCD. There is not a standard procedure for this, as it really depends on the accessories you will be carrying along.
For example, if you are carrying along a cutting device, I suggest you store it in your BCD’s pockets or straps. If you are carrying a spool and DSMB, you might want to clip them to one of the buckles of the BCD.
In case you are preparing for a night dive, this is the moment to fix your primary and secondary lights into your BCD and to store any night signaling device such as chemical lights in the BCD’s pockets.
This penultimate step in the process is really aimed at not forgetting anything you might need during the dive. The best way not to forget is to make sure that everything that you will not be wearing (e.g. fins, mask, snorkel, weight belt) is stored in your BCD.
5. If you are not diving immediately, lay the regulator into the BCD, close the BCD straps and lay the scuba diving cylinder horizontal on the floor.
This very last step is essential in case you are not diving right away after setting up your equipment or in case your equipment is not loaded immediately on a dive boat.
As you have learnt in the very first open water lesson, you never leave a scuba cylinder standing unattended.
This is why once you have finished setting up all your equipment, you typically fold the regulator into the BCD so that the second stages do not touch the floor, and gently lay the scuba cylinder on the ground.
This will ensure it will not fall on the side.
Once you have finished setting up your equipment, you can suit up and prepare for your dive.
FInally don’t forget to re-open your tank before the dive, and to do a buddy check before entering the water.
Dive Gear Set Up FAQs
I hear some air coming out of my SPG but cannot identify from where, what should I do?
Air leaks from the SPG (submersible pressure gauge) can either come from the SPG glass or from the attachment of the high pressure hose to the SPG. to check out where the leak is coming from, gently open your scuba tank and submerge the SPG in a mug full of water. If you see small bubbles coming from the SPG glass, you will most likely need to substitute it.
If bubbles are coming from the hose, you might need to change either the hose or the SPG o-ring.
I hear some air coming from the low pressure inflator hose, but cannot identify the source of the leak.
If you hear some air leaking close to the low pressure inflator hose, this typically comes from either the attachment of the low pressure inflator hose to the BCD inflator hose, or from the inflate button.
In the former, case to stop the leak, it will be sufficient to disconnect and reconnect the low pressure inflator hose from your BCD. In the latter case, you will need to have your BCD serviced., as most likely there is some sand stuck in the inflator button.
How long does it take to assemble scuba gear?
Dive equipment assembly is a fundamental scuba diving skill. It is also one of the pre-requisites to be able to dive safely.
My suggestion is to assemble dive equipment taking all the necessary time, and ensuring that everything is being done properly. Do not be araid to check with your buddy.
Why should I tilt away the SPG glass while opening the cylinder valve?
Particularly in the first versions of scuba SPGs, if subject to sudden high pressure, the SPG glass would offen detach and jump against divers.
To avoid this, we usually tilt it away from our face whileopening a tank.
