Info Beginners Guide To BP/W

[lexvil]

Is there such a thing as a lower profile STA that provides the basic tank stability but lets say cuts the tank offset from the plate in half?

There are some that sit a little lower than others, I should have one laying around, I’ll looks for it and try to give you an idea of how far off it sits.

 

[RobPNW]

You've got it. Assuming the plate and wing slots line up and allow cambands, here's the advantages of STA versus non-STA:

Advantages of STA
- allows quick swapping of wings between different plates without rethreading or adjusting cambands
- you can attach or mold extra weights to the STA channel
- it keeps everything in alignment even when the rig is not attached to a tank
- can be more stable if there's no roll control feature built into the wings

Advantages of STA-less
- cheaper
- lighter
- more compact
- fewer parts to keep track of and bolts to keep tight
- tank is closer to body, so rig is less tippy

I see the challenges of trying to make a one size fits all cold/warm water solution. You may save money on the total cost, but add the need for adjustment when going back and forth. Of course, having a completely independent setup for each is significantly more money.

Based on what you said about advantages of a STA, and given the expensive of a good wing, would it be rational to assume one could use one wing that has enough lift for cold water and have two BP and harness solutions, each of which is suitable for a scenario?

For example, could I get a nice 35-40lb wing that could be used in both cold and warm water. And have a basic harness with aluminum BP for travel, and a basic harness (pre adjusted differently) with heavy SS BP for cold water.

Seems that way, I would have a harness appropriately adjusted for each condition along with a preferred weight plate, and just attach the one wing to whatever I need.

 

[Nemrod]

Yes, you can do that. And in time and due course add a smaller wing to your ensemble, or not.

The reason a STA is needed, or at least preferred by many, is that the bent plates were designed originally to support doubles. And it is also true now that with the exception of the Mares and Oxycheq and Dolphin textile plates the alternative metal plates deigned for single tanks are currently NA, the Freedom Plate and the VDH Universal Plate.

Dolphin Plate, copy of the Oxy UL:

Ultralight Soft Travel Backplate Pad "Small Model" "Generation 2 Model"

Our newest product for divers looking to lighten their load when traveling or just a quick dive. Using a simple harness will get you in with a comfortable and lightweight backplate pad Going on a trip where weight is an issue? No more with our ultralight soft backplate pad Please note overall...

www.piranhadivemfg.com

These type, an example, seem popular but they still inherit the channel that serves no purpose with a single tank therefore needing (in some opinions) an STA:

Aluminium Dog Bone Style Lightweight Backplate "Color: Black"

Brand new to Piranha is our dog bone type aluminium backplate We have the 3 top center holes with our slotted bottom for fitting double quickly without the hassle The plate is 3.0mm thick This lightweight plate weighs in at 1lb 3oz!.. Perfect for travel and yet strong enough to support your...

www.piranhadivemfg.com

I have numerous rigs, two of mine, a VDH plate and VDH 22 pounds wing left and Oxy UL plate and Oxy 18 pounds wing to the right:



Notice how the standard stiffness webbing retains an open form allowing ease of doffing and donning. And the one inch crotch straps.

N

 

[RobPNW]

Looking at the standard wings, I see the dump behind your left kidney area pointing down when horizontal and on the bottom of the cell. If you have an inflator casualty, how do you get all the air out on ascent? Do you go slightly head down and rotate your left side up?

 

[Nemrod]

Ascents and descents are made in a relatively horizontal position. If you need to roll to the dump side a little to vent then do so. An inflator is rarely not able to dump. However, with a wing, the corrugated inflator hose is usually held by a small bungee loop so to do an overhead extension the inflator and hose would need to be pulled free of the bungee. In practice, if I want to vent air using the inflator I also roll to that side, leaving it in the bungee loop. At my safety stop, I do a helicopter turn at the final ascent to clear the area rather than going vertical and spinning.

My wife diving with her VDH Universal plate and an 18 pounds VDH wing:



A diver since 1979 she has had a succession of poodle jackets of all sorts. She resisted a wing because she thought the metal plate would be uncomfortable, she loves it! She was lucky to grab one of the last ones. I have an Oxy UL plate rigged for her but she likes what she has so much I have not yet moved her over to it, probably next year.

N

 

[RobPNW]

Looking back to my rescue diver training, I remember unclipping all the BCD quick releases while dragging a victim back to the boat. Then when close, pushing the BCD out from under the person. What does that look like if the person is wearing a basic harness and crotch strap that has no quick release buckets? How would the procedure change?

 

[lowwall]

Looking at the standard wings, I see the dump behind your left kidney area pointing down when horizontal and on the bottom of the cell. If you have an inflator casualty, how do you get all the air out on ascent? Do you go slightly head down and rotate your left side up?

Exactly. I pretty much always use the kidney dump except for the start of the initial descent.

Re, your earlier question about decreasing the distance to your tank. My first backplate was from DSS. I dove it for years, but it was a standard length and I really needed a long. When I decided to make the switch, DSS was out of business so I bought a backplate from someone else. I couldn't believe how much the plate was bent and how far away this moved the tank.

I asked about it here and found out that my new plate was the normal one. It turns out that standard plates are optimized for doubles, which makes sense given that they were initially developed for technical diving. The bend in the plate lets the cylinders get closer to the sides of your back than they could with a flat plate. OTOH, my old flat DSS plate was optimized for a single cylinder. There really aren't that many metal backplates that are designed specifically for singles. The Freedom Plate is one of the rare exceptions. I have received mine, but have not had a chance to dive it yet.

 

[lowwall]

?

Looking back to my rescue diver training, I remember unclipping all the BCD quick releases while dragging a victim back to the boat. Then when close, pushing the BCD out from under the person. What does that look like if the person is wearing a basic harness and crotch strap that has no quick release buckets? How would the procedure change?

Leave them in the harness until you get to your destination. Undo waist strap. Slide off crotch strap. You can now either point the arms up and pull them out of the rig or pull up on on of the shoulder harnesses, bend the arm at the elbow and pull it through the strap and then pull the rig off the other arm.

If you can't do that easily and time is off the essence, then just cut through the upper harness. It only costs a few bucks to replace the webbing.

This works because the upper harness is not supposed to be tight. You leave some slack and the crotch strap keeps everything in place in normal usage. BTW, I would go for at least a 1.5" crotch strap and use a 2" myself. I find it keeps everything aligned better and if you ever get hauled out by the harness, you'll want to spread the load over a larger area.

 

[RobPNW]

Exactly. I pretty much always use the kidney dump except for the start of the initial descent.

Re, your earlier question about decreasing the distance to your tank. My first backplate was from DSS. I dove it for years, but it was a standard length and I really needed a long. When I decided to make the switch, DSS was out of business so I bought a backplate from someone else. I couldn't believe how much the plate was bent and how far away this moved the tank.

I asked about it here and found out that my new plate was the normal one. It turns out that standard plates are optimized for doubles, which makes sense given that they were initially developed for technical diving. The bend in the plate lets the cylinders get closer to the sides of your back than they could with a flat plate. OTOH, my old flat DSS plate was optimized for a single cylinder. There really aren't that many metal backplates that are designed specifically for singles. The Freedom Plate is one of the rare exceptions. I have received mine, but have not had a chance to dive it yet.

Looking at pictures of the Freedom Plate, it appears the shoulder straps are closer together horizontally. Seems that would make them less likely to come off the front shoulder area. But it seems like it may increase the chance that the straps dig into the sides of your neck? Or do the straps separate plenty by the time they reach your neck area?

 

[dmaziuk]

Is there such a thing as a lower profile STA that provides the basic tank stability but lets say cuts the tank offset from the plate in half?

this is more like a "tank stabilizer"