Backplate/wing setup for tropical diver with a 19cu pony bottle on sling?

[Ontwreckdiver]

I have a Sub Gravity 3mm aluminum backplate, 26 lb wing, adjustable harness, and drop down small weight pockets for my travel BC. The trim weight pockets are included and you can also get it with a one piece harness.

Paragon Single Tank Package - SubGravity

We understand what the active diver needs from a single tank rig. Simple, streamlined, balanced, and easy to travel. We built the Paragon single tank package to offer a modular and customizable BCD to best suit single tank diving needs. At the heart of the Paragon Single Tank Package is the...

sub-gravity.com

For a non BP/W option, I would look at the Dive Rite Hydro Lite BC.
Hydro Lite BCD - Dive Rite | Equipment for Serious Divers

 

[jf3193]

I have a Sub Gravity 3mm aluminum backplate, 26 lb wing, adjustable harness, and drop down small weight pockets for my travel BC. The trim weight pockets are included and you can also get it with a one piece harness.

Paragon Single Tank Package - SubGravity

We understand what the active diver needs from a single tank rig. Simple, streamlined, balanced, and easy to travel. We built the Paragon single tank package to offer a modular and customizable BCD to best suit single tank diving needs. At the heart of the Paragon Single Tank Package is the...

sub-gravity.com

For a non BP/W option, I would look at the Dive Rite Hydro Lite BC.
Hydro Lite BCD - Dive Rite | Equipment for Serious Divers

Im wanting to find that sweet spot to be able to carry the pony bottle for solo/shore diving and not push the limits of the wings lift. In water a 19cu doesnt add much, but im just wanting to buy once but not overkill. I feel like something in the 30 range would work.

 

[inquis]

Im wanting to find that sweet spot to be able to carry the pony bottle for solo/shore diving and not push the limits of the wings lift.

The wing compensates for gas weight and suit compression. 80 cuft + 19 cuft of air weighs 8 lbs. A 3 mm wetsuit will lose less than 4 lbs below the safety stop. The total of 12 lbs is easily handled by just about any wing you can possibly buy.

The main question seems to be whether you want this rig to work outside of warm water. If so, get a 30 lb wing and be done with it. (That will even handle most drysuit diving with a single tank.)

 

[jf3193]

The wing compensates for gas weight and suit compression. 80 cuft + 19 cuft of air weighs 8 lbs. A 3 mm wetsuit will lose less than 4 lbs below the safety stop. The total of 12 lbs is easily handled by just about any wing you can possibly buy.

The main question seems to be whether you want this rig to work outside of warm water. If so, get a 30 lb wing and be done with it. (That will even handle most drysuit diving with a single tank.)

It is quite possible in the future. I live closer to the pacific now, so i may be dipping my toes into a bit colder water than im used to. I have bought a new sharkskin to try on my next trip. "supposedly' its neutrally buoyant, so that will be another plus when weight planning.

 

[thomschoon]

I back mount a AL19 pony, full and with reg it is just under 3pounds in salt water. I also dive with Sharkskin and it is neutral so you find you need to make some trim changes as I was leg heavy without the neoprene. I swapped my pony so the reg was down and that mostly brought me back to neutral.

 

[bradlw]

interesting post for me. I'm just getting ready to make some dives after a verrry long time off.

Way back in 2001 I had just gone through a bunch of tech training and I had bought a Halcyon steel backplate setup for single tank diving. I think it's a 20# bladder but I'm not sure.... anyway, it's small.

I was getting into the streamlined utility of backplate diving for doubles and liked it. Anyway, for a long time prior I had been diving with a Zeagle. I can't remember the name of my BC but it looks just like the Ranger but without the ranger tab. I don't remember the differences, but I believe it had slightly more lift, maybe slightly larger pockets.

Anyway, I only logged two dives with my single tank wing before life got in the way and I got out of diving....but I clearly remember that my trim was off in a big and bad way...head and back heavy

Checking my logbook I was diving with the SS plate and 4# lead split into two tank strap pockets. I was diving my 3mm farmer john and jacket suit and had a 30 ft3 aluminum pony...I believe the pony would have been sling mounted clipped to my front D-rings

Per my notes, back in those days with that wetsuit and the pony back mounted on my Zeagle recreational set-up, I would have had 13# of lead (5 on the pony side and 8 on the other side) with decent trim.

I've been pulling my stuff out of storage getting ready as my kids are going through OW training and I plan to make some dives with them. I was planning to just rent, but my single wing is in great shape and so I'm thinking about using it and trying to dial in my trim with it. Thinking that maybe I need to get some ankle weights and either reduce or eliminate the weight on my tank strap.

 

[PJ4863]

I too came out of a Zeagle Ranger and into a BPW. I originally bought a -6lb Stainless plate and the DGX wing. After doing some serious work with getting my weight correctly, I switched to a Al plate. In freshwater, with a 5mm drysuit, 80 Al tank and the 40Cf pony slung, I dive with 2 lbs in a trim pocket. If I dive salt water, I dive the stainless plate with the same 2 lbs. If I'm not using the pony, I add 2 lbs of lead for a total of 4. I don't remember how much lead I needed with the Zeagle, but it was a lot more... and I was always diving overweighted.

 

[gbf]

I can't talk about the AL plate idea, but have first hand experience with bpw + al 60 solo in bonaire.

My normal rig:
DSS stainless med plate
Torus 17 wing
One piece harness with normal assortment of hardware
B & G pressure gauge
MK25 S600s
Normal assortment of other negative stuff (light, compass, smb/spool, associated bolt snaps)
3mm Henderson wetsuit (cold phobe here)
Tusa boots
I think that is all the positive stuff

This rig puts me negative at the surface with a full AL80, no additional weights, and still comfortably negative at end of dive. 17 lb wing was great for me.


I decided to sling an Al 60 for a few solo dives without family while on bon.

That turned me too negative to start the dive (acceptable to me) and my 17 was borderline at the end. I found myself with more air in wing than i liked during the dive. I found it uncomfortable during the dive, sinking feeling. I could keep my head up at the end but had to fin a bit. This worked for me on bon because I spend little to no time on the surface, and told myself I would ditch the 60 if something fell over. yea I know, but worked for me. And I decided the 60 was too much, went with a 19 and was much more comfortable.

I bought a DSS T26 for a bit more lift, and it worked well. I went back to the T17 because I didn't like the length of the T26.

For reference, I'm 5-10 about 175 lbs and pretty close to neutral.

 

[happy-diver]

Thinking that maybe I need to get some ankle weights and either reduce or eliminate the weight on my tank strap.

Nothing to think about, if you start fresh and do a few weight belt dives, and never consider ankle weights again

Think about this, ankle weights, on your parts you use for propulsion, kicking weights around, who invented that

 

[bradlw]

Nothing to think about, if you start fresh and do a few weight belt dives, and never consider ankle weights again

Think about this, ankle weights, on your parts you use for propulsion, kicking weights around, who invented that

yeah, I have thought about that. Never made much sense but I needed weight on the end opposite my head...I dunno... a half a bound of lead split between my feet, or perhaps several pounds low on my crotch strap....yeah, that's no good either.

Anyway, that was very ancient history. A long time has past and I've gained and lost weight...and lost muscel mass too. It'll be a different wetsuit too so a near total different picture.

I figure that as soon as I get a chance I'm going to get into the pool and play with things.
Maybe you're right...the right weight on my hips might do the trick...or maybe teh SS plate was just too heavy