the gun that can be used for almost any application and goes together like legos. As simple or as tactical as possible
BCD or BP&W first BC help
- Thread starter ESharp
- Start date
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Yup... the look of a BP/W without giving up any of the downsides of a traditional BCD!
Buckles, and straps, and clips... oh my!
Versus...
For my money (literally) I prefer the simplicity of a BP/W with a single continuous piece of webbing and one buckle at the waist. I won't tell you that you will die if you have a half-dozen plastic buckles and extra straps and such... but I will tell you they are unnecessary for most people. I will also tell you that I work on a dive boat, and those plastic buckles and clips and such DO break. Not on a dive... but in your trunk, on a boat, on the dock, etc. It's not an unusual occurrence to see a diver miss a dive or need to cobble something together because someone put a tank down or closed a trunk lid or tailgate on a piece of plastic that broke. Does it happen a lot? No. Does it happen? Yes.
Does the Voyagerpac have a real BP? DR site isn't clear, but does list the weight of the whole kit as 6lbs so I don't think so. If that's the case, that's another compromise. For single tank diving you'll need more waist/pocket lead, and lack of BP precludes use for doubles if you ever wanted to go that route down the road.
Ok after consideration I have decided to give BP&W a shot.
My plan was to order a package from Dive Gear express.
35lb voyager wing
SS Backplate(will make up the rest on my belt)
Crotch strap
Basic or Deluxe Harness(Price is the same but the quick release it tempting)
STA
I could make it slightly cheaper by getting the basic setup they offer but hat only has a 25lb wing which I don't think will cut it plus I would need to source my own STA.
Any comments advice or criticism of this setup would be appreciated.
My plan was to order a package from Dive Gear express.
35lb voyager wing
SS Backplate(will make up the rest on my belt)
Crotch strap
Basic or Deluxe Harness(Price is the same but the quick release it tempting)
STA
I could make it slightly cheaper by getting the basic setup they offer but hat only has a 25lb wing which I don't think will cut it plus I would need to source my own STA.
Any comments advice or criticism of this setup would be appreciated.
Some wings don't need an STA. PM sent.
The set up, as described, is very reasonable. If you are diving, or plan to dive, steel cylinders, I wouldn't waste time with a 25 lb wing. If you are diving a drysuit, and wearing the associated weight necessary to dive it, a 25 lb wing will be limited in performance. (That is just a nice way of saying, it won't work well.)
The issue of whether to go STA or not has several ramifications. Yes, there are wings that don't need an STA - hopefully, they are paired with a plate that doesn't either.
But, if you use a plate with slots, and a wing with slots - and no STA -IF you want to disassemble it, or change wings, it is a bit more cumbersome. That is not a deal breaker, just a fact. On the other hand, a STA does move your cylinder away from you body by as much as a couple of inches - usually it is less, but nonetheless it does. I don't find this to be an issue. I see no difference between using a STA and using a plate / wing combination with slots that allow threading of the cam bands through both. Of course, that is just MY reaction, and your results may vary. With an AL80, I don't feel any roll, with either configuration, so a STA doesn't have any negative properties. With a HP 130 I feel a bit of roll, with both configurations, so a STA doesn't have any negative properties - perhaps, better put, the absence of a STA doesn't offer any value. Put another way, I wouldn't buy a particular plate and wing because they offer cam band slots. I might buy them for other reasons.Personally, I wouldn't go with a deluxe harness, just to get quick releases on one or both shoulder straps. There are ways to easily add a quick release, or a quick release equivalent.
ams511
Contributor
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