Building a technical BCD

[tbone1004]

do one of two things.

Drive to Northeast Scuba Supply and talk to John. Call Tobin and buy whatever he tells you to buy. John will have Tobin's gear in stock at the shop as well since he is one of the only dealers and may be a good opportunity to get a new LDS

 

[ZzzKing]

Decompression is pointing out the OP lack of understanding with the way he is asking his questions.

BCD implies a standard BC--jacket or back inflate, I would never see BCD and think "BP/w"

The OP posts mentions nothing of singles/doubles or tech, but the title has the word "technical".....several posters have been confused as to what he is looking for a wing for doubles, singles? I myself wasn't sure and assumed he wanted the singles set up.

While this forum and information on the web can help, the OP really needs to find some divers that are diving a bp/w to help him through some of the minor details of set up and personal preference when it comes to bp/w's...this is the training that decompression was referring to, and he is not wrong in this case.

---------- Post added August 5th, 2015 at 08:12 AM ----------

Edit--just saw that he wants doubles. In which case, change the wing to a doubles wing and my first post stands.

In terms of the "training", Jacob you are in NJ there are tons of backmounted doubles divers. They might have good deals on some of their wings and can show you all of the ropes for setting up and diving doubles.

I don't know what Decompression was getting at as I don't know him. That's why I wanted clarification. There is most definitely no special knowledge required to rig a harness or mount a wing. The first time I did it, it took about 20 minutes of rigging and another 20 minutes of monkeying around with it to get it to fit the way I wanted. I didn't know anyone to ask but I easily figured it out from the diagram that came with the plate.

The first time I dove with it, there was no one around that had any experience diving one and you know what, there was no real difference between diving it and diving the back inflate that I had used previously. No magical handshake or special knowledge required.

Also, which of the following are BCD's? (Bouyancy compensation devices):

jacket style with with wrap around bladder
back inflate with soft pack
back inflate with hard pack
back plate with wing

They are ALL BCD's

Now if your point is that the OP should probably get a little more knowledge before delving into doubles, then I wholeheartedly agree with you but that has nothing to do with acquiring and setting up this particular style of bouyancy compensation device.

 

[nimoh]

OP, this may help:

DIR-diver.com - Adjust the backplate

 

[lemke]

To the OP... are you wanting to ASSEMBLE" your own BP/W? Or did you want some plans for fabricating your own back plate? PM me, and I'll send you a couple PDF's of back plate templates I've created.

If you're thinking about making your own wing... let me save you some trouble and just suggest buying one. Deep Sea Supply gets my vote. The multitude and availability of gear has come a long way since we made our own rigs from stop signs, car seat belt webbing, and modified horse collar BC's, LOL.

 

[charlier]

I am with a decompression on this post. Numerous companies make very nice BP/Wings, but good tech training is a much better way to get introduced to new equipment and fully appreciate the available options. In the long run, you will save money on equipment. Get hooked up with a good instructor. They can provide advice and mentoring. ;-)

Save time, money and effort, get trained first.


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[jacobf123]

Thanks I actually work at a dive shop so I'll talk to the instructors there about starting some technical stuff


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[ZzzKing]

Here is a guy that seems to be on a limited budget, trying to get into a backplate and wing, probably for 4 or 5 hundred bucks. What you guys are telling him is to take his 4 or 5 hundred dollars and give it to someone to "instruct him" how to assemble a rig he might not be able to now afford because he just gave his money away. Which dive shops do you guys work for?

 

[tbone1004]

I'm with you. This is a pretty easy discussion

If you want singles and cheap
DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba
$380, $390 if you have it webbed for you

I think this is a better rig and worth an extra $100. Singles rigs are right around $500, doubles around $450. They're really nice and worth it.
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?page=rigs

If you work for a dive shop, they probably want you in gear they sell. So tell us the brands that they sell for, and we can make a recommendation for that, and as you work for them, you should get keyman which is usually cost+10 or so. If they're recreational oriented, they either sell for Scubapro, Aqualung, or AUP *Oceanic/Hollis*. All three have quite nice rigs, just rather pricey for what they are compared to the DSS rig. If the owner will give you key man, let us know the brands that you can get a discount for and we can give you some advice. If the discount is not significantly lower than the price of the DSS rig, and he is ok with you using non-branded gear, then just call Tobin and buy whatever he tells you to buy and you'll be better for it.

 

[CptTightPants21]

Here is a guy that seems to be on a limited budget, trying to get into a backplate and wing, probably for 4 or 5 hundred bucks. What you guys are telling him is to take his 4 or 5 hundred dollars and give it to someone to "instruct him" how to assemble a rig he might not be able to now afford because he just gave his money away. Which dive shops do you guys work for?

Who the hell said anything about paying for instruction?

I don't know what kind of dive culture you have down in Texas, but what we are talking about might require a case of beer....I stress the might and question the beer part.

 

[stuartv]

https://www.divegearexpress.com/dgx-custom-doubles-harness-backplate-wing-package

$309 for a Hogarthian harness, SS plate, and a 45 # doubles wing that, I believe, is identical to the Dive Rite Rec EXP wing, just with a different logo on the outside.

---------- Post added August 5th, 2015 at 04:49 PM ----------

I'm with you. This is a pretty easy discussion

If you want singles and cheap
DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba
$380, $390 if you have it webbed for you

I think this is a better rig and worth an extra $100. Singles rigs are right around $500, doubles around $450. They're really nice and worth it.
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?page=rigs

I have no direct experience with either. What is it about the DRiS singles rig that you think makes it better than the DGX Singles rig for $299 (or w/STA for $324)?

https://www.divegearexpress.com/dgx-custom-singles-harness-backplate-wing-package


As for DSS, I really like my DSS back plate (but it's the only BP I've owner). But I would prefer a donut to the horseshoe wing I have and since the DSS donut wings are sewn shut and, therefore, not able to be repaired in the field (and I am clumsy and have already holed my DSS LCD wing in less than a year of ownership), I will not buy a DSS donut and would not recommend them to anyone without giving the caveat that they can't be repaired in the field. They are good quality, no doubt. But, there are other wings of good quality that CAN be patched in the field, if you get a pinch flat or puncture. If you want a horseshoe wing, then the DSS LCD wings are excellent (in my opinion as an owner of one - noting that it's the only wing I've owned, prior to the OMS doubles wing I just bought), and, as I have verified through experience, can be patched in the field with minimal fuss.