BP/W for my first purchase + weighting ques

[Brett Hatch]

Hi, congrats on your class, and welcome to ScubaBoard.

I was halfway through typing out basically exactly what lowwall said, so +1 to everything in post #10.

Just to elaborate a bit on the wing size thing: "better to have it and not need it than the other way around" isn't really the right way to think about it, since you'll never need the 38lbs of lift. But for warm water, the extra drag and managing a tiny bubble in a big wing is a pain. DGX has a good article with pictures to illustrate the point. If you'll only ever dive warm water, go for ~20lbs, if you want to dive in cold water frequently, go for ~30. And IMHO, avoid any wing with bungees on it, they don't add any value, and inhibit air flow within the wing.

For the harness, the one you mentioned will do the job. But It's pretty expensive, and you don't really need the extra D-rings and bips and bops. Go for a standard 5 D-ring setup with a crotch strap, you'll be set for life for like $50 - $75.

Best of luck

 

[Hartattack]

Hi James.

There is a lot of good gouges above on this topic to consider. With that said, I have only garnered a little bit about you and your style of diving, e.g., warm water, single tank diving, possibly DM down the road.
If that is correct, there are still many things to be considered when it comes to BP/W setup and the opportunity to have an indeed "balanced rig" when it comes to weighting and diving.

For example. I am 5'7 170lbs, and on my single tank system, I use a 6lbs SS BP w/ 28lb wing and 1lbs soft weight in a trim pocket on either side of an AL 80. This "system" goes well from shorts and a rash guard all the way up to a 3mm wetsuit.

However, in the Great Lakes, I use a 45lbs wing, AL BP, and have a dry suit and double LP85 steel tanks. For Cave country, you might change that up to Steel 104 tanks and a 60lbs wing.

A "Balanced Rig" is defined as carefully weighted to ensure that the diver is not overweight but can maintain accurate depth and trim at any decompression stop. This requires an assessment of how each component part fits into and affects the configuration's buoyancy characteristics as a whole. The choice of cylinder size and material must be chosen with due consideration of the effects on buoyancy and trim in conjunction with the selection of dive suit.
Moreover, you want to be able swim the rig up from depth in the case of a buoyancy failure and hold a 10ft safety/deco stop with near-empty tanks if needed.

My advice would be to take a fundamentals course through Global Underwater Explorers before moving forward with a Divemaster course of instruction. You can find more about GUE and their education here. Also, I'd be happy to recommend some instructors in your area as well.

I Hope this helps and happy diving!

 

[James Maggio]

Wow, guys. SO much to consider. Thank you for bringing some of these ideas to light. I thought this was going to be easier. I had not considered nearly enough of the variables.

Though most of my diving will be in warm ocean waters, I do plan to get into dry suits and do some cold water stuff, I live about an hour from Dutch Springs which is a cool dive spot here in PA. It can get cold there too.

And, I don’t know if this would necessitate me needing an additional wing, but when I use the AL80, i run out of air while my wife surfaces with at least 1500-1700 psi. someone suggested using steel 100s so I can stay down longer with her. Would that situation call for a wing with more lift like the 38#s?

 

[dmaziuk]

And, I don’t know if this would necessitate me needing an additional wing, but when I use the AL80, i run out of air while my wife surfaces with at least 1500-1700 psi. someone suggested using steel 100s so I can stay down longer with her. Would that situation call for a wing with more lift like the 38#s?

Not in the Caribbean. In cold water, 7 mm wetsuit, and diving deep enough to lose suit buoyancy: possibly,

 

[Brett Hatch]

when I use the AL80, i run out of air while my wife surfaces with at least 1500-1700 psi. someone suggested using steel 100s so I can stay down longer with her.

It is very common for divers to consume a lot of air on their first 10, 20, maybe 30 dives. Over time, you'll become more relaxed underwater, your heart rate and your breathing will slow down, and your movements will become more deliberate. And then you won't go through your air so quickly, and it may be a non-issue. In the mean time, it's pretty sound advice to bring a tank with more gas in it to extend your dive time, if one is easily available. By the way, steel tanks are denser than aluminum (so less buoyant), so you can remove about 5lbs of lead diving a steel 100 vs an aluminum 80.

Would that situation call for a wing with more lift like the 38#s?

Nope, I doubt it. My local waters run about 50 degrees F, so I dive in either an 8mm wetsuit or a drysuit with fairly thick undies. Either way, for single-tank diving I use steel 100s, and my ~30lb wing is more than sufficient. If you're diving with 1 tank, there's really no way you'll ever need that much lift. And if some day you decide to dive with multiple tanks, then you need a wing of a different shape to accommodate them. Not much use-case for single-tank wings around ~40lbs, if you ask me.

 

[James Maggio]

So I have to ask, one of the BCD’s I used recently was the Aqua lung dimension, which is a back inflate hybrid bcd made for single tanks, right?... has 42# of lift. That sounds insane based on what I’m hearing here. Why would they make that?

 

[dmaziuk]

So I have to ask, one of the BCD’s I used recently was the Aqua lung dimension, which is a back inflate hybrid bcd made for single tanks, right?... has 42# of lift. That sounds insane based on what I’m hearing here. Why would they make that?

Yes. The amount of lift in a typical jacket BCD is... puzzling.

 

[lowwall]

So I have to ask, one of the BCD’s I used recently was the Aqua lung dimension, which is a back inflate hybrid bcd made for single tanks, right?... has 42# of lift. That sounds insane based on what I’m hearing here. Why would they make that?

Marketing. You have this huge space to work with (the whole back) so why not give yourself a possible marketing advantage? After all more is better, right? Especially since it only costs a few extra cents worth of plastic.

 

[happy-diver]

42# of lift. That sounds insane based on what I’m hearing here. Why would they make that?

For the surface safety of overweighted divers to keep the head well out of the ocean when it roughs up

Excuse me ScubaBoard, here you go here you go here you go
Balanced Rig | 8/of9 | Scuba Buoyancy Masterclass

 

[FezUSA]

I would also take a look at the offerings for Deep 6. They have a great reputation and have some good options, including a 20lb "Tropical" wing and a 30lb "Singles", steel or AL backplate, and a coated webbing harness.