The Slide Mount system secures side-mounted cylinders to a buoyancy control device (BCD) at the lower point of attachment. The system ensures that cylinders remain in a streamlined position without the need for re-adjustment as cylinder buoyancy changes.
Purchase of a Slide Mount system provides four components, namely, a left and a right cylinder component plus two BCD components.
Mounts Mounts on left on right cylinder cylinder
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Mounts Mounts on on left right side
side of of BCD
BCD
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Two tri-glides or equivalents are required to secure each BCD component onto the BCD’s web waistband. Similarly, two tri-glides are required to secure each Cylinder component onto a web cylinder strap. Alternatively, a stainless steel cylinder band may be used to secure each Cylinder component to the appropriate cylinder without utilizing tri-glides.
In use, the cylinder is tilted to enable the lobe of the
Cylinder component to enter or exit the BCD component’s
shelf-like structure.
The two are locked together when the cylinder is in line
with the diver’s torso.
The system relies on the upper point of attachment to
keep the components locked together. Refer to the Info Guide
INSTALLATION – BCD Component:
The BCD components are oriented with the shelf-like structure at the bottom and extending away from the diver's torso. There is no difference between left and right BCD components. Two tri-glides or their equivalents are required to secure each BCD component onto the BCD's web waistband. The tri-glides may have either straight sided slots or serrated slots.
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Utilize the photos below as a guide for weaving the BCD web waistband through the tri-glides. Try different methods of weaving the waistband through the BCD component’s sides to take advantage of a particular BCD design.
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Example: Integrated shoulder strap and tri-glide fittings on this Hollis SMS 75 are used in place of stand-alone tri-glides to secure the rear most sides of each BCD component. Standard tri-glides secure the forward sides of the BCD components.
Diver's right side
Diver's left side
Position both BCD components along the web waistband so that when donned, the shelf-like structures are either parallel to one another or angled slightly forward as per the following diagrams.
INSTALLATION - Cylinder Component:
Utilize two tri-glides with straight sided slots to secure each Cylinder component to a web cylinder band as shown in the following photos. The slots associated with serrated tri-glides are typically two narrow to accommodate cylinder bands having Velcro stitched to the webbing. Alternatively, the Cylinder components may be secured to cylinders by means of stainless steel hose clamps without utilizing tri-glides. Two hose clamps per Cylinder component may be required to prevent movement on some cylinders.
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Right cylinder Left cylinder
Right cylinder Left cylinder
Each Cylinder component is specifically shaped for left or right-handed installation. The lobe is meant to be oriented so as to face forward when mounted to the BCD component.
Don the BCD and measure from under
the diver’s horizontally extended arm
to the BCD component’s shelf-like structure.
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Use this measurement as a starting point to position the Cylinder component’s upper loops relative to the top of the cylinder valve.
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Secure each Cylinder component to
its respective left and right cylinder,
keeping in mind the desired orientation
of the valve shut-off handle and regulator relative to the diver's torso.
INSTALLATION – Upper Point of Attachment:
Install the desired arrangement for the upper point of attachment, be it a bolt snap at the cylinder neck or some combination of shock cords and bolt snaps.
[Note: A bolt snap at the cylinder neck has the added benefit of allowing the cylinder to be clipped to the BCD component’s shelf-like structure while wading in the water before and after shore-based dives.]
MOUNTING – Above Water While Standing:
Pick up and hold the cylinder horizontally by, for instance, grasping the left cylinder valve with your right hand. Use your left hand to hold the cylinder bottom. Orient the Cylinder component so the lobe of the Cylinder component is pointing downward.
Note that the Cylinder component's orientation determines whether the valve handle is toward or away from the diver's centreline and whether the regulator is mounted toward or away from the diver's torso. The photo above right will place the handle away from the diver's centreline with the regulator away from the diver's torso.
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The easiest way to orient the Cylinder components appropriately is to stand between two upright cylinders that have both the valve handles and regulator positions oriented as desired (without the regulators mounted). Then lower the cylinder band and attached Cylinder component downward onto the cylinder.
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Lower the Cylinder component’s lobe into the BCD component’s shelf-
like structure. (Photos taken of the left cylinder.)
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Tilt the cylinder to vertical to lock the
components together.
Secure the upper point of attachment to keep the components locked together and prevent the cylinder from tilting to horizontal.
Repeat for the other cylinder, and then ensure that the cylinder valves/first stages do not interfere with arm movement. Adjust height of the Cylinder component on the cylinder as required to establish freedom of movement.
MOUNTING – While at or Below the Surface:
Use the long lobe of the Cylinder component as a handle when in the water (where gravity is not an issue). Orient the cylinder with the Cylinder component’s lobe extending downward relative to the diver’s torso, i.e., pointing toward the diver’s feet.
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Guide the lobe into the BCD component’s shelf-like structure using your thumb to locate the BCD component’s shelf-like structure.
Next, tilt the cylinder in line with the diver’s torso to lock the components together and secure the cylinder valve at its upper point of attachment to keep the components locked.
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DISMOUNTING – On land or in the Water:
First, disengage the cylinder at its upper point of attachment. Next, grasp the cylinder valve with the hand furthest from the cylinder and use the free hand to hold the cylinder’s bottom, then tilt the cylinder until the cylinder valve is approximately 90 degrees forward of the diver’s torso.
Finally, disengage the cylinder component from the BCD component by lifting the cylinder relative to the diver’s torso.
In closing, the actual procedure is much easier to do than it is to explain what to do. A little practice on land and then in the water will quickly make the task second nature.