About to buy BP+Wings - opinions sought.

[kelseysmith]

Good day!

After much reading on this board I have decided to take the plunge and get a BP/Wing setup.

I mostly Dive either warm salt water wet (3mil) for fun or cold fresh water wet/dry for training in New England.

I wear around 22-30 pounds in cold & fresh and around 18-20 pounds in warm & salty depending on my exposure protection.

I probably will not go to doubles in the near future, I am mainly interested in simplifying and streamlining my rig at this time.

I am planning to get a DSS Plate with Hogarthian harness and either a LCD30 wing or an Oxycheq Signature 30 wing with a 2-piece light STA. I am open to other recommendations on wings.

With the Oxycheq wing:
1) Is anyone aware of any incompatibilities with this particular setup?
2) Does anyone dive this rig without an STA? I am a little bit apprehensive about how the wing will mount without an STA (specifically whether the tank will be damaged if the 11" grommets are used to secure the wing to the plate)

With the LCD 30 wing:
I am a bit concerned about the wing flopping around and generally misbehaving when I don't have a tank attached such as while I'm travelling, or while I'm trying to attach the rig to the tank.

In your (collectively vast) experience, is the fact that the wing is not bolted to the tank an issue?

I probably won't mind using the STA because it will allow me to move more lead off the waist, but I'm a bit concerned with trim issues if the tank is farther away from the plate.

With D-Rings:
The Fixed D-Rings that Deep Sea Supply and FredT offer that thread onto the webbing without a keeper seem to be a nice idea. What are the Pros and Cons to using them instead of regular D-Rings?

Well, thats about all the questions I had. I expect I will spend a few hours getting the BP/Wings rig all trimmed out in the pool before diving with it.

I'd appreciate it if folks weigh in on this. I'm already a convert, I'm still working on some of the details.

Thanks a million!

Kelsey

 

[raposarose]

Hi,

Good luck with your purchase. Good choice about the plate. I also am curious about its compatibility with the Oxycheq wing.

Some advice about a bad plate and the oxycheq wing can be found in the following thread:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=111684

My wife uses it with an STA and I've dove a Halcyon set-up both with and without an STA. Doesn't make a big difference. In fact, with the STA might have felt even a little more solid. Now I do not use an STA however (pioneer wing).

 

[pants!]

Everything should be perfectly compatible if you're using an STA, plus everything *will* be bolted together. I prefer having the STA, and I bet you will too. Trim is not a problem.

I've used fixed D-rings and dislike them quite a bit. Get regular, bent D-rings for the shoulder D-rings.. those work.

 

[ShakaZulu]

Have you considered getting a normal back inflate BC, like the Zeagle............haha.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I am planning to get a DSS Plate with Hogarthian harness and either a LCD30 wing or an Oxycheq Signature 30 wing with a 2-piece light STA. I am open to other recommendations on wings.

With the Oxycheq wing:
1) Is anyone aware of any incompatibilities with this particular setup?
2) Does anyone dive this rig without an STA? I am a little bit apprehensive about how the wing will mount without an STA (specifically whether the tank will be damaged if the 11" grommets are used to secure the wing to the plate)

With the LCD 30 wing:
I am a bit concerned about the wing flopping around and generally misbehaving when I don't have a tank attached such as while I'm travelling, or while I'm trying to attach the rig to the tank.

In your (collectively vast) experience, is the fact that the wing is not bolted to the tank an issue?

I probably won't mind using the STA because it will allow me to move more lead off the waist, but I'm a bit concerned with trim issues if the tank is farther away from the plate.

I can answer these questions from experience, since I own (and dive) both of the wings you are considering ...

Oxycheq:
1) There are no incompatibility issues.
2) I dive the rig with an STA.

LCD30:
I took this wing with me to Roatan this past April ... did 26 dives in six days while there. I did not have any issues with the wing either during packing, transport, or changing out cylinders. The little rubber pull-thingies hold it in place nicely. The wing packs up nicely, and does not "flop around" any more than any other wing.

As for a weighted STA ... since you're going with a DSS plate, don't get a weighted STA. Get the plate weights instead. It's a far more elegant solution to adding weight to the backplate, and it puts the weight right up against your body, rather than back there with your cylinder ... to my concern, it just feels more natural.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[kelseysmith]

Ah! I think I understand what the "elastomeric buttons" referred to on the DSS site are now.

Are they a plastic thingy that goes through a hole, and then when you push a "pin" through the middle it expands out to grip the hole?

Sorry for the "technical" explanation.

K

 

[StSomewhere]

I am planning to get a DSS Plate with Hogarthian harness and either a LCD30 wing or an Oxycheq Signature 30 wing with a 2-piece light STA. I am open to other recommendations on wings.

<snip>

With the LCD 30 wing:
I am a bit concerned about the wing flopping around and generally misbehaving when I don't have a tank attached such as while I'm travelling, or while I'm trying to attach the rig to the tank.

In your (collectively vast) experience, is the fact that the wing is not bolted to the tank an issue?

I'm still fairly new to my DSS single tank rig (w/ hogarthian harness). Here's what I can tell you about mine.

There are rubber "bolts" that hold the wing to the plate well enough so you can attach the tank. There is also a strap with a snap connector that more generally keeps the wing "attached" with the tank bands so its not like you are going to lose the wing when the tank isn't attached. I wish I had some pics, I couldn't find any pics on Tobin's website that make this obvious. I'm not doing it justice with my description.

You could also use a STA if you preferred, my LCD30 wing has grommeted (sp?) holes 11" apart like any other wing would. You could use some other wing if you wanted, I think NWGD does this with one of his DSS plates. Its just a plate after all, it just is also designed to not need a STA but one would definitely work.

But the best deal is with the DSS single tank rig package, and if you go with the hogartian harness you not only save money, the dalton knife/sheath are also included.

Tobin will tell you to test the rig without the weight plates until you know how much and *where* you need your weights. But its a nice solution, and since I need more weight higher when using an AL80 I'll be ordering a 5 lb plate set shortly.

I don't know why you wouldn't just use normal D-rings with the triglide. They are sturdy, they stay put, and they are easy to move if you decide you need to adjust them. I've never used a fixed D-ring, so maybe I'm missing something....

HTH

 

[StSomewhere]

Ah! I think I understand what the "elastomeric buttons" referred to on the DSS site are now.

Are they a plastic thingy that goes through a hole, and then when you push a "pin" through the middle it expands out to grip the hole?

Yeah, but think more like "sturdy rubbery material" and less like "plastic". The Cam Strap Tension Pads that make the non-STA design work are made of the same wonderful stuff.

 

[Captain CaveMan]

good set up. When you getting it?. i would look getting a bigger lift wing but that one will do it. I use the sta and it makes changing the tank realy esay. when i didnt have the sta it made changing them a realy big task.. but again nice set up. for the weights i would look into getting the diverite 32lbs weight bags. they are realy nice and they have a quick release but you have to realy work to get them to drop..
pluss they wont slide around on the waist strap.

 

[kelseysmith]

I'll place the order within a week.

My current BC is a Zeagle Escape with integrated weight pockets. I am getting tired of them. Mine are the velcro pockets, and I have almost lost one accidentally :11:

I will go with a soft weight belt with individual ditchable pockets I think.

The DSS wing is starting to sound like the way to go since it attaches to the plate for travel and during setup. However from the pictures the oxycheq wing looks rugged as hell.

Decisions Decisions.......

K