Boots

[Scuby]

... and ali cylinders (common in the US where it came from) stand up without them anyway!

[diverfrodo]

Because DIR says so !!

Nuff said !!

[KeyLimePie]

Originally Posted by diablo

Dave your jokes get no better and I'm very disapointed with your new avatar. (Toon Army).

Dave

Let's not go there, eh! Football is sooo depressing...

[MDS]

Originally Posted by diablo

Why no boots on cylinders?

1 - no rust consealment, boots retain moisture (bad news if salt water)
2 - Extra weight
3 - More drag with boots on
4 - look crap with boots on
5 - don't stand cylinders up anyhow. lay them down
6 - LDS can fill cyls lying in their sump, don't see y your LDS won't fill w/o boots unless they don't have sump
7 - boot lip catches line (entanglement hazard)
8 - streamlining
9 - LDS has to "undress" cyl to test
10 - nice round female shaped bottom to feel

Need I say more!

[Bardo]

Originally Posted by MDS

1 - no rust consealment, boots retain moisture (bad news if salt water)
2 - Extra weight
3 - More drag with boots on
4 - look crap with boots on
5 - don't stand cylinders up anyhow. lay them down
6 - LDS can fill cyls lying in their sump, don't see y your LDS won't fill w/o boots unless they don't have sump
7 - boot lip catches line (entanglement hazard)
8 - streamlining
9 - LDS has to "undress" cyl to test
10 - nice round female shaped bottom to feel

Need I say more!

Finally we get a well-balanced reply - nice one, MDS! I suspect most of the DIR crowd deliberately stayed away from this one so it's good to see someone who's not 'Gooey' trained posting something constructive on the subject. I'd say you've kinda hit the nail on the head with that little list...

Oh and I particularly like the last one - that's reason enough in my book although if you do start to look upon your twinset in this way, you're clearly not getting enough...

[Spike Jackson]

Originally Posted by MDS

1 - no rust consealment, boots retain moisture (bad news if salt water)
2 - Extra weight
3 - More drag with boots on
4 - look crap with boots on
5 - don't stand cylinders up anyhow. lay them down
6 - LDS can fill cyls lying in their sump, don't see y your LDS won't fill w/o boots unless they don't have sump
7 - boot lip catches line (entanglement hazard)
8 - streamlining
9 - LDS has to "undress" cyl to test
10 - nice round female shaped bottom to feel

Need I say more!

Not really very convincing at all!

1. Maybe - but protect the paint at the same time so rust should be LESS of an issue
2. Come on! relative to twin 12's steel bands etc the weight is effectively zero
3. same as streamlining comment later, again negligible compared to drysuit etc
4. YMMV
5. We do our own fills at the club and laying twinsets on their sides in the compressor shed would be a right PITA
6. Doesn't concern me
7. Nonsense
8. See 3
9. Not my problem - LDS charges for their services
10. same as 4!

[Garf]

Originally Posted by Spike Jackson

7. Nonsense

seen it happen so its not that nonsense.

[tom]

Originally Posted by Garf

seen it happen so its not that nonsense.

can you explain how? I can't see how line would actually get trapped, unless the boot had one of those sticky out hook bits that were used with the old style reserve valve cylinders.

[Scubee]

I would have thought that first stages present more of an entaglement hazard. I have seen this happen several times, but rarely on a cylinder boot.

However, I am quite prepared to accept it can happen.

[Finless]

Originally Posted by MDS

1 - no rust consealment, boots retain moisture (bad news if salt water)
2 - Extra weight
3 - More drag with boots on
4 - look crap with boots on
5 - don't stand cylinders up anyhow. lay them down
6 - LDS can fill cyls lying in their sump, don't see y your LDS won't fill w/o boots unless they don't have sump
7 - boot lip catches line (entanglement hazard)
8 - streamlining
9 - LDS has to "undress" cyl to test
10 - nice round female shaped bottom to feel

Need I say more!

Yes:-

Without boots the long hose can get caught between the cylinders - like a thong up a bottom?

More drag? With dive lights and cargo pockets the drag effect would be equivalent to ................... Eddy Izzard on a man day?

Boots are sexy .................. esp with stiletto heels?

Also, they don't keep slipping down when tied to the rack on a boat by bungie cord round the cylinder valves whilst in transit to a dive site.

Easier to maintain a grip on a boot than a bottom?

I have a small space to keep all my dive kit in and the missionary position is out of the question.

How would you like to have to sit down on a gravely or stoney surface without some cheek protection?