Patent ID: 7644901

Claim:
A dive tank support device for facilitating the loading of a dive tank on a user from a boat gunnel, comprising: a dive tank support body having a bottom support for supporting a bottom of a dive tank, said bottom support defining a bottom support periphery, said dive tank support body having a sidewall extending axially beginning from the bottom support periphery to an upper edge of the sidewall, said sidewall having a sidewall periphery extending the same extent as the bottom support periphery; wherein the dive tank support body has an open top defined by the upper edge of the sidewall, whereby an upper portion of a dive tank when positioned in the dive tank support device can extend above the dive tank support body; wherein the dive tank support body has a dive tank removal recess in the sidewall of the dive tank support body configured to enable a dive tank to be removed from the support device through the recess in the sidewall of the dive tank support body, said dive tank removal recess in the sidewall extending axially beginning from the upper edge down to a position in proximity to the bottom support, said sidewall thereby providing a retaining wall axially between the bottom support and the recess; wherein the recess, along its entire axial extent, extends peripherally to half of the sidewall periphery; and a support system for securing the dive tank support body to a boat gunnel, said support system including a shaft extending from the dive tank support body bottom support, wherein the shaft is adapted to be placed in a gunnel rod holder of a boat and is adjustable relative to the bottom support to be placed at an angle to the bottom support.