Adding a modern wing to a vintage backplate?

[minnesnowta]

Hi vintage divers. Newbie here.

My dad has an old backplate. One of those molded plastic ones, with a nylon webbing harness on it. He dove with this in the '70s, before the days of BCs.

I have used it without a BC when I tinker with the gear up at the cabin (diving around the docks about 12-15 feet).

I am wondering if it is possible to add a modern wing to vintage backplate? I guess I should have photos of it but I don't. I am just thinking that it would be an inexpensive way to have a BC when I go diving locally...then I wouldn't need to shell out the dough for a brand-new BC when this backplate is totally usable and crying, alone, in the garage all these years.

I am pretty new to this sport so any input is appreciated. Maybe this should have been on the "gear" forum but I am not sure.

 

[simonbeans]

I am pretty new to this sport so any input is appreciated. Maybe this should have been on the "gear" forum but I am not sure.​

 

[Akimbo]

Sure you can. You might have to cut some holes in the center web area between the bladder, but no big deal. I use a blow-molded plastic back-pack with a wing for warm water where the additional weight of a metal plate isn’t needed. Many boat operators have a cow if you don't use some form of BC.

 

[simonbeans]

Everybody modifies. Why not? I am sure Crockett, Travis, and Bowie will use their Browning M2 machine gun next time.

 

[Luis H]

Dive without a BC. Get your weighting correct, then use your lungs. We used to do it and still do. Mixing vintage and modern is problematic at best.

No, it is not problematic… and it actually follows the true spirit of vintage diving… the days when we actually modified (or made) our gear to fit our needs... that is a very strong part of vintage diving.

The whole concept of diving the gear as shown in the catalogs has no vintage spirit at all. That's what a modern diver would do because they feel that they need permission (and certification) to do anything. Surely they would not modify “life support” equipment without some kind of certification.

A vintage diver never needed permission to modify his/ her gear…


I have modified a lot of dive gear including: backpack, harnesses, different flotation devices, regulators, spear guns, etc… and that was just what I did 40 years ago… never mind what I do today.

 

[WeldonDowd]

The dive rite wings with the open center (just webbing) work that way. I just tried it again to make sure. I fiddled around with doing that a while back but never dived it. With the dive rite wing you don't even have to make any modifications to anything. Just sandwich the wing between the plate and the tank and tighten the cam band and there you go. Akimbo is right about some ops not liking the idea of you diving without a bc until they know you or else I'd agree that it isn't necessary. But if you want to do it look into dive right wings. My travel and venture wing both fit nicely on most of the plastic backplates I have.

 

[OldNSalty]

I have one of those old plastic plates and the holes on the oxycheq mach V wing lines up perfectly. You would need some sexbolts with longer shafts as the holes in that blown-mold plastic are pretty deep but it looks to be easily doable. I think the wing new would set you back about $270 but I suspect any single tank wing would work.

 

[superstar]

I added a Deep Outdoors wing to my old Scubapro plastic back pack after the Scubapro wing deteriorated. I did have to add a few small holes to mount it.

 

[minnesnowta]

Wow, lots of good info.

Thanks @Weldon and @OldNSalty for the brand suggestions! I will be looking into those.

Glad to know that this setup is even possible. I will have to do some more research etc. before buying anything.

OK, now...looks like someone mentioned that mixing modern with vintage is problematic at best. Please forgive my ignorance but why is it problematic? Not looking to start a disagreement, I just truly don't know why.

Thanks again!

 

[OldNSalty]

You are welcome. I don't see where mixing it would be a problem. A plate is a plate. A new one would mean that you would not need to do any mods but you already presented a good reason for not buying a new plate. I think you'll be fine...I will say this, I think you can probably find a modern backplate for not a lot of money if you wnat to go that way.