Oxycheq 18lb wing attachment.

[Rich Keller]

I am looking at putting together a travel BP/W for a single tank using your 18lb wing and a commercial diving harness instead of a BP. The commercial harness does not have a ridge running down the center like a BP so I am looking for different ways to attach the wing to the harness other then using the center line grommets. What would you suggest? This is the harness I am using.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I would find a piece of scrap 8" diameter PVC pipe. Cut a section from it with a jig saw. It can be 14 inches long, wider at the ends and narrower in the middle for the single cam band and to reduce over-all weight and bulk. Then use sex bolts to screw it all together in one unit.... That is how i made my own single tank adapter... works perfect for me and holds it all together in one stable unit like a "normal"
BC.

It ends up being hourglass shapped...

 

[Rich Keller]

I am not understanding how you can cut an 8" PVC pipe so it is wide at the ends and narrow in the middle. Do you have a picture of this?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I didn't notice this is a manufacture's section... they probably don't appreciate the dumpster solution.. but... you cut the pipe lengthwise with two cuts, say 8 inches apart. Now you have a curved section of pipe that will perfectly cradle a tank. Bolt it on the plate. if you want it to be smaller and lighter, taper the middle sections, so the piece has an hour glass shape... (before you bolt it together)

 

[redacted]

One option is to simply let the cam strap(s) hold it in place sandwiched between the plate and the tank.

 

[Rich Keller]

One option is to simply let the cam strap(s) hold it in place sandwiched between the plate and the tank.

I want to do this with as small a wing as possible and with this type/size there is no where to pass the bands through.

 

[Fishpie]

A bit inconvenient but you could use Jubilee Clips.
It's what that plate was designed for.

 

[Peter_C]

One option is to simply let the cam strap(s) hold it in place sandwiched between the plate and the tank.

The Mach V wing has "Roll Control" or whatever their technical term is to keep the tank from flopping. The cam bands as suggested can hold everything in place. You will have to cut slots for the cam bands. If you want the wing held solid use a couple of sex bolts.

FWIW I would call that a "backplate". No one says it has to be made of a particular material, nor a particular shape.

What material is that plate made of?

 

[Akimbo]

The only 18Lb wing I am familiar with is the Oxycheq Mack V, which I understand uses the same hole pattern as my 30 Lb. I don’t have your model Miller harness so can’t check spacing for sure but I see four options.

One: Cut new slots in the Miller Harness rubber pad to accept 2" cam bands. Enlarge/create new slots to fit the wing’s slots. You might have to use 2" cam bands or 2 hose clamps/slot in the future for bailout bottles. The rubber is fiber reinforced so to you won’t compromise strength. It shouldn’t be a problem with your Miller Blue Backpack Harness. I wouldn’t modify a North Sea Bell or Navy Safety Harness due to certification.

The best way I have found to cut slots in the Miller “backplate” rubber is to chuck a hole punch into a drill press and make holes at the ends of the slot you want to create. Drop the speed to <500 RPM for ¼" or smaller punches. Then cut the section out in between the holes with a straight edge and Exacto knife. This prevents propagating tears and looks pretty good.

Two: Use hose clamps to attach to the scuba bottle. You might have to punch two holes in the wing’s center fabric. This wouldn’t be too inconvenient on a liveaboard that fills the same bottle the whole trip during your surface interval. Not so great if you have to switch bottles every dive.

Three: Another lighter weight and compact option is to use the OxyCheq Ultra Lite Travel Plate. (they make other colors if you care) I have a black one with no plans to use it if you want to try it out.

Four: I will use a 1980s blow-molded back pack for warm-water travel on my 30 Lb wing. I find it more comfortable than the Oxy-travel plate. It is only slightly heavier and larger. I add a second cam band through the hand holes and it aligns with the Oxy wing, which has very long slots. They are much closer than standard spacing but rock solid. You can still buy them with a molded handle on top.

XS Scuba Standard Tank Backpack
Aqua Tank Back Pack with Strap

I think Trident sells just the plastic part without the webbing or cam band for a lot less. This image is of the back pack with an old wing.

Hopefully some combination of these thoughts will lead you to a solution.

 

[Rich Keller]

I was going extending the existing slots on the Miller so I could use 2" cam bands, this would just be used for sport diving so I do not need to worry about the certifications for either harness. This would be mainly used for 2 tank charter dives so the cam bands would be preferable to the hose clamps. What I do not know is if I can cut into the wing at the right places to meet the cam bands coming through the slots on the Miller. The slots on the Miller are 2 3/4" apart and the upper set is 4 1/2" above the lower set. I also have a bell harness where the slots are 2 1/2" apart and the upper set is 6" above the lower set. The slots themselves are 3/4" long so I could extend them another 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" in either direction. The preexisting slots on the bell harness come the closest to the slots on a standard backplate.