On one end of the gear-configuration spectrum is the average recreational diver, who carries what he (or she) needs, often zip-tied to their BC or stuffed into pockets, sometimes trailing behind them on a lanyard, and sort of clumsily floating through the water. On the other end of the spectrum are WKPP Hogarthian divers, who believe in configuring their gear in highly specific ways to achieve the best results possible and who frown upon unapproved configuration deviations. Somewhere in the middle of the spectrum are technical divers, who aren’t as rabid as WKPPers, but who typically pay a lot more attention to their gear configuration than rec divers so as (for example) not to get wedged in a cave or entangled in a wreck. Cuz that’d be a good way to ruin an otherwise nice dive.

If you’re interested in how some tech divers like to configure (or “streamline”) their gear, check out Global Underwater Explorers’ website. Their Anatomy of a Tech Diver pages are chock full of gear and gear configuration tips, including explaining what a manifold is, and giving pointers on how NOT to incorrectly route hoses. Some of the information might not interest you, or surprise you, or you might not even agree with it. (It's still highly prescriptive.) But the average recreational diver will almost certainly learn a little something. Personally, I learned a lot more about how technical divers urinate underwater than I thought I would when I woke up this morning.