Choosing a single tank wing/bp set-up.

[OneBrightGator]

Well, partner, the only mention of DIR in this thread is in peoples' profiles, no one ONCE has used it as justification for their recommendations.

I'm sure you're a great diver and all, but maybe you should get to know us a little bit before you slam us, I gotta tell ya, it's a great way to show us who you are. Stick around if you like, if you don't like it, I'm sure you find your way out.

Ben

 

[mempilot]

LioKai, your post must have made it into the wrong thread. I like all of you guys, whether you're DIR or not!

LioKai, you're right though on the KISS - I live by that acronym. I just refuse to KISS by calling it DIR. DIR, under its copyright, means we all bow to JJ's way of doing things. I like to think I have a brain and can think and reason for myself, and that I can learn from mine and other's mistakes. I can take advice from those who have more experience, but modify it to fit my needs. I doubt that wearing my knife on one side of my waist or the other will ever cause harm to myself or one of my dive buddies. I believe in competent individuality, not the lemming or sheep like mentality that breeds zombie masses. The mind is a creative thing, and our self-preservation linked with creativity and training will keep us moving forward in design and procedure. The only thing I would laugh at or point out about a diver's gear would be if he were wearing pink sh#t! LOL

The slander and the negative attitude that I see on this website is beyond belief. We as a group of (somewhat) like minded individuals should be promoting a more helpful attitude toward each other.

Most of the threads here use "DIR" more often than the word "the". Long before "DIR" was ever a cult phenom we had the acronym "KISS", "Keep It Simple & Smart", and it is just as true today as it was then.

Far too many people have been useing DIR (the phrase) as a means of perputuating a level of their own closed mindedness. This is not what DIR (the attitude) stands for. Uttering the acronym DIR does not make you a better diver than the rest of the group. Maintaining an open mind and a continuous effort to increase your own wide spread knowledge of the sport and the associated equiptment through personal and professional training, along with an attitude toward increasing your own level of personal fitness and good health and proper physical training, will point you in the right direction of being a better diver and a better person. However, this will still not make you better than everyone else, because the attitude of "I'm better than you" should not even be a goal. Try being the best diver that you can be, both physically and mentally. Share your knowledge with others and be accepting of the views and limitations of others. There is a lot of truth to the phrase "A Good Diver is Always Training". I dive nearly every day of the year, and I learn something new each and every day, doesn't matter if I am guiding, shooting video with my wife, learning about a new piece of equiptment, working on the boat, or reading posts on websites.

 

[roakey]

Most of the threads here use "DIR" more often than the word "the". Long before "DIR" was ever a cult phenom we had the acronym "KISS", "Keep It Simple & Smart", and it is just as true today as it was then.

So why, pray tell, bring it up here? The whole thread was "DIR-mention free" until you brought it up.

But thanks, you're one of the folks that keep DIR, GUE and Halcyon on the map -- by constantly pissing and moaning about it you keep everyone talking about it; none of it would have gone very far except for the critics keeping it alive. Thanks!

Roak

 

[cyklon_300]

...blah, blah, blah...

in the Best Off-topic Rant category...

 

[mempilot]

I removed this

 

[Marcos]

Greetings Friends,

I'm looking to upgrade my BC set up and I think I'm sold on the Halcyon BP/Wing combo over the Zeagle Ranger BC. I do a lot of wreck diving in the Atlantic and my next purchase is going to be a drysuit so I think this would be an ideal set up for me. I've seen pictures of how nicely the wings snug around a single tank, but I have concern how well this set up will work with the addition of a pony bottle as well. When I dive off the coast of NJ on wrecks I dive with a steel 120 and a 30 cu. ft. pony bottle attached directly to the side of the steel 120. Is this tank config going to be a problem being pretty much on top of the one wing? Would I need a bigger wing like the #36? Would I need a different BP/Wing set up for these tanks or would I be better off with the Zeagle Ranger? Also I like to have ample D rings for wreck reels, lights, and game bag etc.- does the Halcyon harness system provide enough D rings? Besides the simplicity and performance of the BP/Wing set up I think it would be nice to go with so it can grow with my diving aspirations as I think I will be venturing into Technical Diving a few more years down the road. Any advice will be appreciated, I going to buy something next month. Right now I have a cheap-O jacket style BC and it sucks. The thing moves all over the place and can't hold my tank setup in place at all. Sometimes I find myself underwater with the thing on almost sideways. Thanks guys!

 

[bwerb]

A properly weighted diver with a single tank shouldn't require any more lift than about 15 lbs, more than enough to off-set the compression of the suit plus a little for reserve. A 25lb lift BC has more than 1/3 extra reserve lift. This is way more than plenty.<snip> . I am also suprised that a few are willingly diving over-weighted. Why? Is there a legitimate reason? If your current back plate is too negatively weighted then switch to an ABS. ABS is neutral weight in sea water.
Matthew J D'Avella
Kona Hawaii

Matthew...unlike diving in Hawaii where you use a thin wetsuit...some of us dive single tanks in cold water while wearing drysuits and hence require more weight to offset the inherent bouyancy of our insulated undergarments.

Around here PNW...most find a 36# wing about right.

 

[lost dog]

As far as I can tell, everyone missed Matt's point about the single cylinder stand-off. You DON'T measure this by measuring the thickness of the STA, that's insignificant. You look at the entire setup. Normal BPs have a very high dorsal that goes between double cylinders. Not so with a single cylinder, the single cylinder gets perched on top of this dorsal. Different BPs have different height dorsals, Halcyon/Scubapro being one of the lowest and FredT's being one of the tallest. So you start with a dorsal an inch or two off your back, then you add an STA, which, depending on the STA may add another inch off the dorsal and you've got a cylinder spaced between two and three inches off your back.

Not to restart this discussion unnecessarily, but I'm looking for a BP/W system right now and found this interesting.

I'm considering whether to go with a FredT plate & harness with some donut wing or with a pre-set system like the Halcyon. The FredT seems to be top quality, but supposedly sets a single tank a distance from a diver's back. The Halcyon supposedly sets a single tank closer to the diver (at least the Pioneer. Is this also true for the Eclipse?)

I'm leaning toward the FredT plate based on the reviews I've read on the ScubaBoard, but am a little concerned about this dorsal-distance issue (I'm new to drysuit diving and would rather not have to counter a constant roll issue).

My primary question is how much the "stand-off" caused by a high dorsal fin matters. I understand that having a heavy weight suspended far above you while diving wouldn't be a good idea, as it would significantly raise your COG and tend to turtle-ize you. Assuming you're diving with a near-neutrally bouyant tank, though, the tank's position would seem to have little impact on roll.

Now, I'm currently diving with a PST E7-80 that (I'm told) has between 3.3 and 9.3 lbs negative bouyancy depending upon the fill. How much difference would the dorsal distance differential dictate?

Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

 

[jonnythan]

FWIW, I bought an STA for my Pioneer specifically so that the tank would sit a little farther away from my back. Moving the tank back a bit lets you keep the valve at a good height without hitting you in the head when you look up.

The weight hasn't been an issue for me.. it might with a heavy steel tank, I haven't had the pleasure yet. I do have about 14 pounds in my backplate, STA, and channel weight though.