Adding a modern wing to a vintage backplate?

[Luis H]

Why can't you mix the old and the new?

Well that answer was given to us a long time ago.

I think we can look to Mark 2:22:

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."


You wouldn't want that brand new wing to burst now would you?

Yeah… that sound about right… after all, many of this discussion become the equivalent of what could be considered a religious debate…



Just kidding…

 

[Couv]

It's no problem at all.

 

[KD8NPB]

'
Sounds like you're trying to replicate the Gill Atwater wing.[

/QUOTE]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is a Gill Atwater wing?

D'oh. It's the Water Gill At-pac is the official name.

Pretty much an old plastic backplate with a wing attached. Then, there was a big cover that covered the whole thing...most people discarded the covers.

 

[minnesnowta]

I'm not saying his wings ( BCD ) was the problem. I'm saying if he had a other type of safety device it might have help him better, other then one attached to his tank. To each his own.

Thanks for the story about the diver in the '90s, Dead Dog. Food for thought.

To what kind of safety device are you referring?

 

[dead dog]

Thanks for the story about the diver in the '90s, Dead Dog. Food for thought.

To what kind of safety device are you referring?

Pony bottle, a small bottle on a vest, another diver with him to see if he has an air leak.

Maybe some thing like this ( LOL ) looks like he is having such fun. Sorry, for the joke. I'm just what was called a sport diver in the past and still am today.

Bill

 

[minnesnowta]

Haha check out all those tanks. Hilarious! How does he even stay buoyant.

I get what you are saying about the pony bottle. I've noticed in some divers' avatars on the board that they are wearing horse collar BCs. Are those vintage? Or can you buy a new one today? I was under the impression that they are not really available anymore.

@Couv is the Gill At-Pac a vintage product?

Also I was unfamiliar with the Mark 2:22 bit from the Bible so i looked it up. Is it better to dive with all vintage gear? Or all new gear? Bad to mix old with new?

Or are we just supposed to avoid filling our wings with wine? Because that was my next step.

 

[Couv]

Re the At-Pack. Vintage is a relative term, so it would depend on who you ask. I worked in a dive shop in the mid 80ies and we sold them, but I think they are still available today.

......

I am wondering if it is possible to add a modern wing to vintage backplate? ...

The picture I posted was a short hand way of answering your question above. That is an old plastic back pack modified to accept a modern wing.

Luis gave the answer I most agree with in post #5. "....it actually follows the true spirit of vintage diving… the days when we actually modified (or made) our gear to fit our needs..."

Here is a thread you may enjoy http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/vintage-equipment-diving/297257-looking-water-gill-bc-bladder.html

 

[minnesnowta]

Thank you so much everyone for all the super useful information. I'm getting really excited about this!

 

[Sam Miller III]

Re the At-Pack. Vintage is a relative term, so it would depend on who you ask. I worked in a dive shop in the mid 80ies and we sold them, but I think they are still available today.
~~~~~~They were introduced in the 1970s .. Can't recall the exact date.
Since Bill Walters was a LA Co UW instructor he first displayed it at one of the many LA Co UW inswtructors Association meeting--the unit was not well received, so Bill and Larry Scott the co inventor teamed with John Gaffney who pushed it via John's NASDS program. ~~~~~~~




Here is a thread you may enjoy http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/vintage-equipment-diving/297257-looking-water-gill-bc-bladder.html[/
~~~~~~~~ I had forgoten I had posted that...thanks for finding it and posting....but there is so much much more to the story than these few short postings
SDM

QUOTE]

 

[Couv]

Hi Sam,

I'm all ears. The shop I mentioned was indeed an NASDS shop. The owner liked to reassign the letters of the acronym to "National Association of Skin Diving SHOPS."

Cheers,

Couv