BP/Wing setup questions

[kaliban]

Hi Everyone,

I finally managed to get the bulk of my gear and I'm doing my first test dive tomorrow. It sure is a pleasure to be configuring my own gear and knowing it will get more and more fine tuned from here.

Couple quick questions:
(hopefully it makes sense to aske these all in one post)


1. How important is a crotch strap if there is no need for the crotch D-rings? I have everything together except that, and I'd like to save that for another day if possible.

2. How important is the burn hole in the top of the harness? I haven't had any luck burning it through by just heating up a philips driver with a lighter. Might need to wait until I can borrow a soldering iron or something.

3. I'm a little confused about the routing on the inflator hose. As I recall, it should come over the left shoulder, yet it seems like it's positioned more to the right of center on the oxycheq 45# singles wing.

Any advice would be appreciated.

BTW. Here's the rig I'm putting together...

FredT XL SS Plate and Heavy STA
FredT Harness Kit
Oxycheq 45# singles wing
Halcyon Pro4 10W


Thanks!

-k

 

[DS1]

1- The crotch strap is not an absolute must but it helps to keep everything in position

2- If the bolt from your tank is not going through the hole that the harness covers then i dont think you need to burn the hole (not sure)

3- The inflator goes over the left shoulder with a bungied loop on the D-ring

Hope it helps a bit im no good at explaning stuff

 

[kaliban]

1- The crotch strap is not an absolute must but it helps to keep everything in position

2- If the bolt from your tank is not going through the hole that the harness covers then i dont think you need to burn the hole (not sure)

Ok, that's kind of what I figured on both of those.

3- The inflator goes over the left shoulder with a bungied loop on the D-ring

That's what I thought, but it sure seems like the wing is designed backward in that case.

thx,

-k

 

[Doc Intrepid]

1. How important is a crotch strap if there is no need for the crotch D-rings? I have everything together except that, and I'd like to save that for another day if possible.

2. How important is the burn hole in the top of the harness? I haven't had any luck burning it through by just heating up a philips driver with a lighter. Might need to wait until I can borrow a soldering iron or something.

3. I'm a little confused about the routing on the inflator hose. As I recall, it should come over the left shoulder, yet it seems like it's positioned more to the right of center on the oxycheq 45# singles wing.

Here's the rig I'm putting together...

FredT XL SS Plate and Heavy STA
FredT Harness Kit
Oxycheq 45# singles wing
Halcyon Pro4 10W

1. You can dive without the crotch strap. Many do. IMHO you're better off with it (eventually). Among other things it can prevent the rig from riding too high, assist in positioning the waist strap, assist in positioning the tank valves properly, etc. The crotch strap helps hold the entire rig in a consistent position on your body, if used properly.

2. Assuming you're diving with doubles, you may find that having the ability to use either of the two sets of holes may come in handy. This can be particularly true in cases where you have either two different sets of doubles, or sometimes dive wet, other times dry. Try heating up an old bolt with a blowtorch. Hold one end of the webbing in a vice. Works pretty well for me.

3. The LP inflator hose for your wing comes over your left shoulder, true. On a set of doubles, however, the LP hose runs off the diver's right post. The Oxycheq wings are designed so that the LP hose can run alongside the corregated rubber hose of the wing, held in place by bands of bicycle inner tube.

Good luck setting up your rig.

 

[reubencahn]

Ok, that's kind of what I figured on both of those.

That's what I thought, but it sure seems like the wing is designed backward in that case.

thx,

-k

Are you sure you're not mounting the wing backwards? I have the #30 single and the hose is definitely located slightly left of center. Remember the lower dump should be on the side near your body. It's the opposite of what you would first think.

 

[DS1]

Are you sure you're not mounting the wing backwards? .

Yeah thought of that as well...

The pull dump should be on your left side on the bottom facing you

 

[roakey]

2. How important is the burn hole in the top of the harness? I haven't had any luck burning it through by just heating up a philips driver with a lighter. Might need to wait until I can borrow a soldering iron or something.

If you borrow a soldering iron, buy your buddy a new tip for it -- you're going to trash it.

Roak

 

[Mo2vation]

How important is the burn hole in the top of the harness? I haven't had any luck burning it through by just heating up a philips driver with a lighter. Might need to wait until I can borrow a soldering iron or something.

-k

Roak is right - it'll trash the iron tip for sure. Here's what I do:

I get a BAN (big a$$ nail) and lean it over the stove burner. Fire up the burner, go get a soda. The nail gets HOT HOT HOT, pick it up with the pliers and it melts right through the webbing.

Dunk the nail and toss it.

Works for me.

K

 

[Scubaroo]

You guys don't own a dedicated soldering iron just for webbing holes? Geez....

 

[FredT]

30 carbine, .308 or .30-06 fired brass heated to a dull red on a stove works quite well. The brass holds lots of heat to do the melting. It still seals the cut edges but doesn't need to melt as much plastic to get there. 5/16" copper or stainless steel tubing works well too.

BTW do not heat brass or cartridges with a live primer. Primer parts work like schrapnel.

FT