BP/W & buoyancy math

[mood]

Hey all,

ive been researching the BP/W setup and i really like the simplicty of it. I have been talking to Tobin and he has helped me a lot. I yet have a little of issues to solve. Im 5"6 at 141lbs. Im diving in Australia where the water is 18-26*C. Im a student in Australia so my stay here wont be permanent. Ill be going back to Kuwait where the water is much warmer than it is here. I still have 2 or more years to go, so if its best to buy different wings i dont mind. Im thinking of doing my DM course here so this is my primary focus. Anyways back to my issue, last weekend i dove with 5 weights (15 lbs). I used a steel tank not sure of the exact brand, it was 80Liters. I wore a 5mm suit and my buoyancy was fine.

I'm looking at the OMS comfort harness or the Dive Rite Transplate. I like how they have a "deluxe" harness to allow the pads come over the shoulder instead of tilting sideways, and the chest buckle makes it even better.

I was thinking ill need an aluminum plate if im going to use steel tanks (at least for the next 2 years). The Dive Rite transplate comes with 2 SEA ELITE TANK STRAP W/BUCKLE and is 10$ more expensive than the OMS.

What do you guys recon? How much wing lift would i need. I was thinking maybe DSS LCD 20 or Torus 26?

PS: im open to other plates and harnesses. Oxycheq seem cool specially the ULTP. Just remember that they have to be comfrotable with a chest strap and pads.

 

[mood]

Come to think of it, i really like working with Tobin, so i think ill go with a complete rig from his side. What do you guys think with a SS plate and ditch some of the weights on my belt. a SS plate is -6 which so i can lose 2-3 weights from my belt.

The total ballast (without me) would be -11 for a full steel tank, -6 for the plate, -2 for the reg = 19lbs

According to Tobin, the wing has to be able to lift my rig without me in it. So ill need a minumum of 20lbs to lift me. I think im getting the hang of this.. awesome

 

[Nemrod]

Unfortunately for you I don't agree with your assumptions. IMO all you really need is a simple Hog harness and aluminum plate and an Oxy Mach V 30 pound wing. All of the "comfortable" stuff and the chest buckles and padding are detrimental and not needed. Simple neoprene tubes as Oxy offers can be used on any Hog harness to prevent chaffing of the wetsuit/shoulders. It is a diving equipment, not a hiking backpack.

I always love to watch divers from beginning to end, they start out with all of the gizmos and soft fluffy padding and complicated buckles and weight systems and as they grow in the sport their equipments tend to evolve into increasingly simple solutions. Comfort is a non issue, in time you will see that.

Good luck.

N

 

[Charon]

I agree with Nemrod. I too started off with a Dive Rite delux harness, it has an extra swivel d-ring and chest strap. Crap, the ring got caught on my computer,I replaced it with a single piece of webbing.

I would recommend a steel back plate unless you plan on diving in fresh water with a steel tank.

If you have 19lbs of lead/steel and you are set on DSS, I would go for the 26 Torus. I think the donut shape wings are nicer.

 

[mood]

So you guys think a simple horness is better than the backpack style? If i use a simple harness, is there a way i can rig it so that the strap is more inside rather than fall under my arms. I just saw the DIR III video posted on the forum and when the guy was demonstrating the BCD it seemed the harness was pulling him backwards and digging into the shoulder.

What plates + harness would you guys recommend.

DSS - SS Bp + Hog Harness = $272 w/o shipping

ST:
OxyCheq Hogarthian Harness + Zeagle Stainless Steel Backplate = $175 w/o Shipping

LP:
Zeagle SS Bp + Standard Harness = $315.50 (UPS Worldwide Express)
Zeagle SS Bp + Dive Rite Basic Harness = $195.25 (UPS Worldwide Express)
OMS SS Bp + Dive Rite Basic Harness = $253.12 ( UPS Worldwide Express)

Diverite Express:
Dive right SS Bp + Basic Harness = 262$ (USPS Express Mail included)

These are the setups ive been looking at. Can you guys advise some? Please bare in mind that shipping is a concern. I dont want a rig to cost 200 and shipping costing another 100.

I have a couple of questions though. I understand the STA, but when can i use cambands. DSS rigs are cool, no STA needed, the cambands come out of the wing and hold the tank. Im looking at the Match V Wing, specifically : Red OxyCheq Mach V Signature Wing, OxyCheq

Thanks again

 

[nilsdiver]

The 5mm wetsuit is all the padding you will need. The simple single piece of webbing harness will (most likely) be perfectly comfortable for you in the water. I used my harness in a 3mm once with no issues either. Never tried less.

I would think that the SS plate is the way to go. Get what is gonna work for you now. When your done with school then there is always ebay if your gear doesn't work at your new location.

 

[Gombessa]

If you're going with a backplate/wing, at that point you should really just go all the way and do the single-webbing hog harness. Comfort is always a big concern of people looking into the system, but I can assure you it's quite comfortable and extra padding isn't necessary. I use mine in the tropics with a 3mm suit, and many others use a bp/w with just a t-shirt or rash guard.

All of the choices you've listed are fine. A BP is a simple slab of metal, and a harness is a harness. There will be some minor differences, but rarely anything that makes you wish you had one over the other. Save that tortuous decision making for your regs/computer choice

 

[mood]

So it doesnt matter if its made by Dive Rite or Oxycheq. I thought DR would have better quality? Oh well, i guess ill go with the oxycheq and the zeagle bp. Ill just have to wait for their shipping quote. As for my reg package this is what im thinking:

Mares MR 22 Abyss
Proton Octy
Standard gauge (Depth + Air) for backup purposes
Cant afford a D9 so im thinking Oceanic Atom 1 (love the transmitter)

 

[Gombessa]

The differences in plates are pretty small. However, if you're mixing and matching, the main things to watch out for are cam band spacing between your plate and the wing you intend to use. There's no standard, so if the spacing is different, you'll need to use an STA.

Also, a *very* minor point of consideration is whether the grommet in the harness is spaced correctly to the top bolt hole in the plate.

If you're unsure about any of this, it would probably make sense to get a wing from the same manufacturer as the backplate.

 

[TSandM]

If you find that the harness digs into your upper arms, you can cross the straps behind your neck when you weave it. That's what I did, and it helped a great deal. But I'm smaller than you are.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that the harness is much more comfortable than you think it will be. The only way I can think that I would want padding on the straps would be if I were diving doubles regularly with no exposure protection. (I've hiked a quarter mile in a 3 mil suit and Al80, and I was amazed at how little discomfort I had doing that.)

What made you decide against Tobin's single tank setup? It's one of the best values on the market, and when you buy all your pieces from one manufacturer, you're assured that they will be compatible. Not all wings will work on all plates, and it isn't just the hole spacing. I can't use Tobin's newer wings on my Oxycheq plate, because the openings for the cambands aren't wide enough. It's very annoying to buy your stuff piecemeal and then find out you can't put it all together.