How to Attach a SCUBA Tank to a BCD

One of the first things that a scuba diver will learn during a dive certification course is how to put together the equipment. While some dive companies will happily put the gear together for you, it is not only good practice to know how to put the equipment together yourself, but it also means that you can check to see if your scuba gear has been assembled correctly. After all, you don't want to risk damaging the tank because it wasn't attached to the buoyancy control device (BCD) properly.

Things You'll Need

  • Water to wet tank band, if necessary
  • Air tank
  • BCD
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Instructions

    • 1

      Position the tank and BCD. Stand the tank upright with the tank valve facing the BCD.

    • 2

      Loosen the strap on the tank band on the BCD and slide the band down over the top of the tank.

    • 3

      Check that the BCD is at the right height. Ideally you want the top of the hard plate in your BCD to be level with the base of the tank valve.

    • 4

      Attach the BCD collar to the tank valve. The BCD collar is the small loop of fabric at the top of the BCD. Take the collar and simply place it over the tank valve.

    • 5

      Secure the BCD band to the tank. First you will need to tighten the band by pulling on the tank band as far as it will go, then lock it in place by closing the locking mechanism.

    • 6

      Test to see if tank is securely attached to BCD. First, ensure that the tank band doesn't slide up and down on the tank by trying to move the band with your hand. If it doesn't move, pick the tank up by holding the top of the BCD and move it up and down. If the tank moves, tighten it again.