Do I Need A STA?

[dkatchalov]

Hi

Just bought the OMS Alu Plate+DiveRite Deluxe Harness+set of 2 DiveRite cam bands+DiveRite Rec Wing

I dive singles at the moment. Will switch to doubles soon, but not yet.

My question: Do I need an STA with the above combo to dive singles? I thought that 2 cam bands should be enough on this plate to avoid using an STA. Is this true? I really dont want to buy an STA if I dont have to!

Thanks.

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

It's not the BP that decides wether you need an STA, it's the wing. Some wings have excellent built-in support for your tank, some don't. I don't know about the Rec Wing, but someone here does for sure.

 

[Tanked]

If you plan to frequently go back and forth between a single tank, and doubles then it would make your life easier to pick up an STA and thread the cam bands through the STA.

 

[dkatchalov]

Interesting.... I dont intend to switch between singles and doubles... once Im more experienced, Ill just switch to doubles and thats it...

I dont want to buy an STA for 2 reasons: 1) price (costs as much as the plate) and 2) weight (weighs as much as the plate)

So if I can avoid using an STA and still get good stability by strapping the tank to the plate with the 2 cam straps I will be very happy.

Will the stability of the tank be ok without an STA?

Thanks.

 

[Colliam7]

So if I can avoid using an STA and still get good stability by strapping the tank to the plate with the 2 cam straps I will be very happy. ... Will the stability of the tank be ok without an STA?

Yes, it will.

 

[spschneer]

My experience is that it depends...I had minimal problem with the stability of the single tank without the STA, but I had significant problem arranging the BP, wing and tank properly to get my trim correct. Without the STA, you probably have only one arrangement of the BP and wing that allows the tank straps to go thru the slots in the BP and the slots in the wing. IF that works for you, GREAT and you don't need the STA...it didn't work for me...I had horizontal trim issues when I did that...

The main advantage to the STA that I found was that it provided another degree of adjustability for the BP/W/Tank so that I could get my horizontal trim correct (especially without having my tank so high it hit the back of my head).

You can get a light-weight (1-2lb) 2piece STA from Oxycheq that allows more freedom in the arrangement of the pieces and costs ~$40 or so...(I made my own in the same design since I had the materials and tools available)...

However, the main takeaway is to try the BP/W and tank and see if you have any trim issues without the STA...If you do, you probably can resolve them by adding a STA ...

Hope this helps some...

Steve

 

[dkatchalov]

Hmm, I'm confused - how does a STA provide more adjustability? You mean vertical adjustability? If so, can't I still move my tank up and down the plate if it is just attached to the plate with cam straps?

 

[cool_hardware52]

Hi

Just bought the OMS Alu Plate+DiveRite Deluxe Harness+set of 2 DiveRite cam bands+DiveRite Rec Wing

I dive singles at the moment. Will switch to doubles soon, but not yet.

My question: Do I need an STA with the above combo to dive singles? I thought that 2 cam bands should be enough on this plate to avoid using an STA. Is this true? I really dont want to buy an STA if I dont have to!

Thanks.

If the plate and the wing have camband slots that line up you can "direct mount" the tank without using a STA.

I would recommend that you NOT bolt the wing to the plate, as these bolts will become the "High Points" on which the tank will rest. That will lead to tank rock.

Most STA's have the camband slots at teh extreme ends of the STA, and that can force a higher tank position than is possible using the camband slots in the plate.

While it is true that it's easier to switch between singles and doubles when using a STA, in my experience not many divers do so routinely.

You should consider a dedicated single tank wing, it will offer less drag, and vent easier.

Good luck,

Tobin

 

[Nemrod]

It might be a good idea to have two plates but if using a single piece STA it takes but a few seconds to remove it and replace with the doubles set. I like the thin DiveRite or the OxyCheq STA.

I hear people say they are going to switch to doubles and never go back--how---if you travel your not going to have doubles, if you do a boat dive there are times when the Captain may require singles only unless it is a tech dive. Why?--because doubles tech divers do not mix well with single divers due to different surface intervals, deco plans etc. Beach/shore diving--your going to walk a mile carrying doubles? To make a blanket statement that your never going back to singles is like carrying a 500 magnum for a squirrl hunt--it makes no sense and it is "new diver" syndrome. One of the advantages of the BP/wing system is the modular concept--take advantage of it and to do so a STA is helpful.

N

 

[cool_hardware52]

I hear people say they are going to switch to doubles and never go back

Never is a long time. However nothing about "direct mounting" prevents switching from singles to doubles, it just requires a few more minutes to do compared to a STA.

What I don't see is a high percentage of BackPlate and wing users who routinely use the same plate for singles and doubles.

If you look at the whole population of doubles divers using Backplates and wings you will find:

Some who dive doubles exclusively

Some who dive singles while teaching, but are required to do so in a jacket BC

Some who need a different plate for singles and doubles, i.e. lightweight for doubles, heavier plate for singles.

That leaves a fairly small minority that might have a requirement to change between singles and doubles using the same plate. Many of this last group are dive professionals, for whom the cost of a second plate and harness is a minor expense compared to their total investment in gear.

I'm sure there are some divers with a need to swap between singles and doubles on regular basis, just not very many.

Tobin