Building First BP/W

[Davec43]

I recently got certified as an open water diver and plan to do a lot of diving off the East Coast mainly NC. I also travel a lot to warmer areas and just want so input on what I need don't need for my first rig.

#1 First main question is BP's in general. I've done a lot of surfing around the internet and have noticed the price ranges from 50-250 for a BP's. What creates this price range if essentially they are all they same? I'm also planning on going with aluminum unless stainless steel is the way to go?

#2 Wing- I plan on going with a simple 32 LB HOG wing. I've also noticed a varriance in prices. What do I need and what can I live without?

#3 Harness- I'll probably go with a Hog Harness but I also plan on looking on ebay.

#4 Bolts, Straps, etc? Those are the basics but what else do I need for the rig itself?

Appreciate any help

 

[cmburch]

I have heard of divers getting BP's at garage sales, E-Bay, Craigslist, etc.

If you are a cold water diver then SS BP is the way to go to offset buoyancy of exposure suit and get some weight over the lung area.

Most SS BP's are similar. The newer ones have slots for cam bands. May need to cut them out on a used one or get an STA. There are different grades of SS and the amount of finishing/machining may vary between manufactures.

There are instructions and parts lists around. Take a look at DiveRite Express for ideas on hardware.

 

[SangP]

I have owned several bp/w setups and there only slight differences in the plates. A properly designed wing is the most important part of the setup.

If I had to do it all over again I would rather get this:
AL back plate w/ Oxycheq Hog Harness & Oxycheq Mach V wing [DROCpkg] - $375.00 : Cave Adventurers!, We will NOT be undersold!!!

SangP

 

[textilet]

Deep sea supply. Check their website here. Weight plates bolt to the plate itself, which is cool and helps trim. check out the website-if you have the money, its top notch. Tobin will walk you through the right rig for you and you can contact him by phone or on the manufacturer's forum on this site. The cave adventures deal is a good one but I'd suggest the SS plate for sure where you are. A hogarthian harness will work just fine, and should come with what you need. 30 pound-ish wing is probably fine for a 7mm wetsuit, may need 40-ish with a drysuit.
What exposure protection and tank are you likely to use? Also, search the other bp/w threads, all the info is there.

 

[350xfire]

With a single tank (Al80) I would go SS for the extra weight. For doubles Aluminum! Unless double 80s in the ocean then SS...

If steel doubles, then you can probably get by with aluminum in any environment depending on the size... Decisions decisions! You may eventually decide to get a few BPs.

You'll need
BP
Wing
STA/doubles bands??
Cam bands
Weight Pockets
Harness
You can run some backplates without STA... Saves money and weight for travel.

 

[CaveMD]

HOG wings are hard to beat, and at their price they probably can't be beaten.

I own both the 58lb for doubles and the 32lb for singles and the quality is as good or better than any other brand wing I've used.

For the harness, you can build that yourself for less than $30 or you can buy a premade one for about that price. You can also go the way of a transplate harness which is a little more spendy but to some it's worth it.

I would use a SS backplate, it can be used in the most varied conditions and anytime you are using steel doubles the extra weight isn't an issue b/c with that much weight you should have redundant bouyancy anyway(ie dry suit, double bladder wing, lift bag etc)

 

[irishsquid]

Deep sea supply. Check their website here. Weight plates bolt to the plate itself, which is cool and helps trim. check out the website-if you have the money, its top notch. Tobin will walk you through the right rig for you and you can contact him by phone or on the manufacturer's forum on this site. The cave adventures deal is a good one but I'd suggest the SS plate for sure where you are. A hogarthian harness will work just fine, and should come with what you need. 30 pound-ish wing is probably fine for a 7mm wetsuit, may need 40-ish with a drysuit.
What exposure protection and tank are you likely to use? Also, search the other bp/w threads, all the info is there.

I'm curious, why would the 30# be OK for 7mm and not a drysuit? I use the DSS LCD30 with my wetsuit and drysuit. I don't use any weight (lead) with the wetsuit. With the drysuit, I have weights rigged to the BP/W and wear a small amount on a belt. The wing still has enough lift to float the rig and me and the drysuit has plenty of lift available in the event the wing fails. Of course everyone is different and will have varying needs.

 

[textilet]

"everyone is different" explains it. When I went from a 7mm wetsuit to a drysuit with decent undergarments, the added weight i needed with the drysuit meant the rig was just barely negative with the 30lb lcd when i took it off at the surface. I also used no weight with the wetsuit + SS backplate +weight plates + lcd 30 wing. with the drysuit (+10 lbs lead over the 7mm wetsuit) the rig would slowly sink when taken off at the surface with wing full. A more negative diver (I'm about neutral) may not require as much lead, making the LCD 30 ok wet and dry. I figure the 30 was about lacking about 3-lbs bouyancy in drysuit configuration, so not much. I'm no expert on others but thats how it works with me-- 6ft tall, 225lb with moderate fat and pretty meaty. Getting the backplate and wing set up just right for me was part of the fun, the benefit of the system being you can get it PERFECT-- the trial and error wasn't exactly free though

 

[irishsquid]

"everyone is different" explains it. When I went from a 7mm wetsuit to a drysuit with decent undergarments, the added weight i needed with the drysuit meant the rig was just barely negative with the 30lb lcd when i took it off at the surface. I also used no weight with the wetsuit + SS backplate +weight plates + lcd 30 wing. with the drysuit (+10 lbs lead over the 7mm wetsuit) the rig would slowly sink when taken off at the surface with wing full. A more negative diver (I'm about neutral) may not require as much lead, making the LCD 30 ok wet and dry. I figure the 30 was about lacking about 3-lbs bouyancy in drysuit configuration, so not much. I'm no expert on others but thats how it works with me-- 6ft tall, 225lb with moderate fat and pretty meaty. Getting the backplate and wing set up just right for me was part of the fun, the benefit of the system being you can get it PERFECT-- the trial and error wasn't exactly free though

I hear ya! We are pretty close in setup. I'm a tad lighter. 205lbs. and use a bit less lead and my rig is a slightly buoyant with wing full.

I am still tweaking on mine a little bit, but; have to wait for winter. It is just too dang hot for me to even try my drysuit now.

 

[Davec43]

I've pretty much boiled it down to-

HOG Gear Backplate Stainless Steel
HOG Gear 32lb Wing for Single Cylinder Diving
Dive Rite Hogarthian Harness
Dive Rite S/S Cam Bands

Do I need a Single Tank Adapter?
What about Zeagle Ripcord Weight System?

Also what about this setup? Zeagle Ranger Back Plate Wing Mega Package SubSea Tactical

Is there a cheaper way of doing all this?