BP/W Setup Question - Thinking XDeep

[Kevin Floyd]

I dive an OMS SS BP with 32 LB mono wing. Diving it strictly with a single, recreationally and I love it.

I didn’t realize it when I ordered it from the shop but it came with an adjustable set up to run the one piece webbing. I have seen set ups like this online but didn’t realize that OMS had one from the factory. It’s basically a short piece of webbbing that locks down a rectangular ring that the main webbing runs through.

I have an STA with 2 cam bands and 4 trim pockets.

I went with the Xdeep droppable waist pockets for the hips. I like those over other options because 1) they have a piece of webbing with a grommet to lock them down to the BP ans keep them pulled back toward the BP and 2) the left side has a D ring on it so you have one where you need it on the left side without trying to get one on the webbing in front of the pocket. ( for me that would have put the D ring too far forward).

While the rig is about 7lb negative with no weight and the 4 cam band pockets hold 20lb total, I like to have some droppable weight and when diving a single tank with a dry suit and underwear you might need some extra weight as the tank empties. I can dive the rig with no weight in the pool with only shorts and a rash guard on with a full tank but need a few LBs on an 80sqft AL at 1000 psi.

The extra length of webbing that comes with the adjustable ring is a great place to put the waist pockets. So even though they are on your waist the lock down grommets help keep the weight toward your back.

Overall a great set up that I can change as I improve my skills.

 

[scopey42]

If you are in the Bay Area, I highly recommend Any Water Sports in San Jose. They stock halcyon bp/w which seem to be very popular in Monterey. I own one and for cold water dry suit or heavy wetsuit diving they are great. Other brands I am sure are just as good, just no direct experience with them.

I dive with 12 lbs on my back 6 in the SS plate, and then a 6lb tank adapter. Usually diving 26 lbs of weight with my dry suit which as others have said finding places for that other weight and keeping trim is a challenge.

For warm water I’m doing a hydros pro which is much more comfortable than webbing against bare skin, and much less weight to travel with. If you can afford warm water and cold water setups it’s nice to have the options.

Resizing the bp/w from cold to warm and back is a bit annoying which is why I finally went with a travel rig and keep my cold gear and warm gear separate.

Always looking for folks to dive with once the conditions improve if you want to hit up monetary/Carmel area.

 

[Ayisha]

...I dive with 12 lbs on my back 6 in the SS plate, and then a 6lb tank adapter. Usually diving 26 lbs of weight with my dry suit which as others have said finding places for that other weight and keeping trim is a challenge.
Resizing the bp/w from cold to warm and back is a bit annoying which is why I finally went with a travel rig and keep my cold gear and warm gear separate.

What tank do you use? When I've been diving in California, I've had no problem renting a HP steel 80 (like I have here) and it's so nice to use only 8 lbs of weight in cold salt water. With an AL tank my first time in California, I needed 20 lbs and it was hard to trim out.

I have a small AL Halcyon bp (which weighs 1.8 lbs) and 30 lb lift Eclipse wing for both cold and warm water. I wear it with 4 lbs of weight here in cold fresh water with the corresponding exposure protection and my HP 80, and 2 lbs in warm salt water with an HP 80 and full 3mm. Otherwise 8 lbs with an AL 63 in warm salt water. I mainly wear a HP steel tank because I'm petite and they're short, but they're also great for weight management.

No need to be changing/adjusting rigs for cold and warm water. My harness is snug but still easy to get in and out of with thick exposure protection, but fits fine with a 3 mm.

If you haven't tried HP or even LP steel tanks, you should give them a try.

 

[scopey42]

I’m a 6’ 220 Lbs Male usually diving a dry suit in Northern California and dive steel 100 most of the time in Monterey.

It’s the buoyancy for the drysuit that requires the extra weight, and well me

With a 5mm wetsuit and my travel rig in San Diego in 60F water over Christmas with a steel 100 I was using about 16 lbs.

With 26 lbs and a steel 100 I can be neutral at my safety stop at the end of the dive with my cold water setup, any lighter and the drysuit doesn’t vent fast enough to hold neutral at 15’ I am getting the dry suit serviced right now so it might vent a bit faster and I can drop some weight, but getting under 22 lbs with this suit will be unlikely.

I have tried AL80s, AL100s and Steel 80s, I prefer the steel 100 because I don’t need even more weight to keep me down. For tropical it’s usually to AL80s and AL100s and I can get by with 8-10 lbs.

 

[scopey42]

Did some diving up in northern Ontario last year with my Father. Crazy thermalcline up there at 26ft dropped like 5C below that.

My parents live north of Toronto and hope to do some diving up there this summer when I visit

 

[Ayisha]

Did some diving up in northern Ontario last year with my Father. Crazy thermalcline up there at 26ft dropped like 5C below that.

My parents live north of Toronto and hope to do some diving up there this summer when I visit

Yes, there are often 3 thermaclines in Tobermory and in any of our Great Lakes. The best time to dive temperature-wise is in August, but not for visibility. The thermoclines start shallower earlier in the season down to about 38F, for example in June. Later in the season, you start hitting thermoclines much deeper on the deep dives and the bottom temp can be in the 50's in August in Tobermory. In Lake Ontario in Kingston (2 hours drive east of Toronto), where the best shipwrecks are, it will be 38F in June and in the 60's at depth by mid to late summer.

The St Lawrence River (near Brockville) is a few hours drive east of Toronto and has some great shipwrecks on the Canadian and US side with warmish water with no thermoclines. In May, it will be in the 50's, by July it will be around 70F, and up to 74-75F at depth in August.

Hope you get some good dives in. Have a good visit!

 

[CLoP]

I have the XDeep Ghost and I love but it's not a traditional/pure BP/W design because the harness is not one-piece, the webbing slots on the backplate have an odd placement, and it has a Y-shaped crotch strap. It's not necessarily good or bad but it does matter (I have to use another rig for Fundamentals).

 

[Fastmarc]

I have the XDeep Ghost ... (I have to use another rig for Fundamentals).

They wouldn't allow you to use it for Fundies? What was the reason? I've previously looked at the Fundies requirements and I didn't see a specific gear setup requirement.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

They wouldn't allow you to use it for Fundies? What was the reason? I've previously looked at the Fundies requirements and I didn't see a specific gear setup requirement.

I'm assuming that he doesn't have a single piece of webbing for a harness.

 

[Fastmarc]

I'm assuming that he doesn't have a single piece of webbing for a harness.

I just didn't know you had to have a specific equipment setup to do it. What I read made no mention of that.