Another BPW Question

[rhincodon]

I currently own a Zeagle ET with a 30# donut wing. I am thinking of going full BPW system due to all the positive reviews on this forum. My question is: Is a STA required if I'm only going to be diving with one tank? Also, would there be a noticable difference in feel from a metal BP and the plastic BP on the ET?

Thanks
Jon

 

[Mike.D]

STA not really required but it does help take some weight off your belt. I bought an Ally plate but wish I had gone with a Steely. I dive singles too. My buddy has a steel an only carries 2lb on his belt.

 

[TSandM]

What you need with a single-tank setup using a backplate is a way to stabilize the tank. Backplates were originally designed for double tanks, which bolt to them; single tanks are held on by cambands. Some wings (eg. Deep Sea Supply) are built with stabilizers for the tank designed into them, and you do not need an STA. Other wings have no tank stabilizer, and you would have to use an STA. In addition, there are some plates that do not have slots for cambands (eg. the Halcyon small pattern plate) and will require an STA.

So the short answer is that it depends on the brand and type of gear you buy.

Some people prefer STAs for ease of swapping out to doubles, or because their particular kind of regulator hits them in the back of the head if the tank sits on the plate.

 

[chrpai]

Also some wings (DRIS 27) don't have slots for cam bands and therefore you need to use an STA.

I haven't dive a Zeagle ET but from everything I've seen and read the ET with basic harness and an add/on crotch strap is a very respectable piece of gear. If you are a warm water diver who doesn't need much weight and you are able to trim everything out correctly the ET would be a very nice rig.

I dive a "real" BP/W because I need extra weight and I like placing it over my back instead of around my waist. I sometimes need more or less and switch between an AL and Steel plate. I also want to leave open the possibility of going to doubles one day. Otherwise if you like your ET, I wouldn't change a thing. The ET with basic harness and crotch strap is very close in philosophy to a BP/W.

If you dive locally in MI you'll probably want a steel BP/W and keep the ET for warm water travel diving.

 

[00wabbit]

I bought a wing with a built in stabilzer on it. I found that sometimes I didnt get the tank on straight. I decided to remove the integrated stabilizer. (It was just sewn on) and added an STA. Now the tank is much more solidly connected to the plate. I like it better this way.

 

[phoenix31tt]

My hog 23 wing also works without an STA...

just ensure that you research the wing you intend to purchase and make sure that they do not require an sta... i they do not require an sta, typically they will have the cam band slots

 

[ronscuba]

Your Zeagle Express Tech is already a BP/W. It just has a soft backplate and allows tightening of the shoulders by pulling on the waist webbing. If you want to reuse your wing and get a hard metal plate (aluminum or steel) you will need a STA because your wing doesn't have anything to stabilize the tank. You will lose the simultaneous shoulder/waist tightening unless you get that specific option-add on.

IMHO, for single tank diving with an aluminum tank, the only reason to change from a soft plate to hard, is to put some weight on your back instead of at your waist.

 

[halocline]

Your Zeagle Express Tech is already a BP/W. It just has a soft backplate

It's the rigid plate that makes a BP/W work the way it does (among other things) so the term "soft backplate" is really a contradiction in terms. If the express tech lacks a sizable rigid plate, then it's not a BP/W. I don't intend to imply anything disparaging about the express tech by this.

Tanks are, as anyone knows, rigid cylinders. This means the point of contact between the tank and your back is essentially a single line along the lengthwise axis of the tank and the middle of your back. A rigid plate spreads this out so that the tank is coupled to your back by a large flat rigid area. This makes a HUGE difference in feel (IMO) when diving. As an example, picture a tank on it's side on the floor, able to roll around. Then imagine it strapped to some padding and fabric which is against the floor; it won't roll around freely, but it can still move about quite a bit. Then imagine the tank strapped to a large flat rigid plate with the plate on the floor; the tank would be completely stable and won't budge. That's the effect of a BP/W.

Another thing is the ballast that a steel plate provides; sandwiched between the sources of buoyancy and likewise distributed evenly around your back. Weights on the cambands approximate this effect but not fully IMO.

 

[chrpai]

I agree with halocline but I also tend to look at it as "close enough". It's kind of like Catholic vs Episcopal / Lutheran IMO.

 

[ronscuba]

It's the rigid plate that makes a BP/W work the way it does (among other things) so the term "soft backplate" is really a contradiction in terms. If the express tech lacks a sizable rigid plate, then it's not a BP/W. I don't intend to imply anything disparaging about the express tech by this.
.

I am by far not an expert and do not have extensive experience with BP/W.

When I hear people say BP/W, what I picture is a plate, a wing, a single continuous piece of webbing for a harness.

Apologies if my statement is inaccurate. I am a recreational diver who typically dives single tank aluminum 80's, warm water, no or minimal additional weight.

Curious, what BCD category does the express tech fall into ?

I dive a Dive Rite aluminum plate, Oxycheq wing, single continuous piece of webbing for a harness. The wing has stabilizers to keep the tank from rolling. I recently got an Oxycheq ultralite soft plate. Kept all my components the same, just switched the aluminum plate for the soft plate. Same piece of webbing, same D-rings, same wing, same cam bands, same buckle, same everything. If it's no longer a BP/W, what is it ?