Minimalist single tank rig

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I don't know if you have tried single SM and if it that is the case, you must not have tried in the best conditions.
People who use "counter-balance" weight system are also not diving with the proper set-up.
With a S80 or stell 10L (72cf for you I think), you don't need any ajustment.
My wife and I, we have been diving rec that way for years and it is a no brainer.
Travelling, we take a bungee for the top and a d-ring we will put at the weight belt we get at destination and that is it.
We also have a Deco wing and a modified MSR bag if the conditions call for it.
We wear 3min or DS. For 3min, no weight needed (but sometime I take 2kg with a S80) and for the DS, enough weight to sink it. After, we all have an integrated BCD which it called "lungs" and that is enough :)
Yes vintage diving is also really good and really minimalist but frankly single SM is not unconfortable at all but of course YMMV

I tried this in a pool recently (sans exposure protection) because I think that sounds fantastic for travel. It works, but with a full AL80 I still list if I entirely stop moving. That lessened as I drained the tank somewhat, and I expect I'd spin slightly in the opposite direction with an empty, depending on net buoyancy of tank + 1st stage.

I love rec sidemount, but specifically for its balance and stability, and that seems to be somewhat absent with single tank. I used to dive single + DS, but there at least you can move air around in the suit to compensate, and if I'm traveling with my DS then I can probably fit a full harness as well.
 
Anyone know if this company is still in business? I've been trying to reach them with no response.
This company is a one-man company and he may have stopped his operation :(
A few years ago, I got three "bladders" from him and I am still using them.
If you cannot get any reply from him, you can make your own with a MSR bag :)
 
I went down this path with a converted 10L MSR bag, which produces approximately 22lbs of lift like the commercially made version from the company listed in post #23. It's fine for one tank without too much weight. Two tanks is even fine(ish) as long as you don't have too many things on your rig that add extra weight and make you look like a Christmas Tree.

I recently upgraded to one like @happy-diver just mentioned, but from eBay. I attach the top with a bolt through the shoulder plate with a bolt and the bottom of the wing gets bungeed to either the lumbar plate or around the crotch strap to keep in place and then the sides each have a bungee around the waist that's hooked together on your belly with a bolt snap or similar method.

 
My previous post described a suboptimal minimalist rig.
Hence, I feel compelled to post a better one.

_SAM1716.jpg

I have to admit though, that swimming trunks may be superfluous.
FKK
 
The other day I dove with a steel 72 on a plain back plate, a free-diver's horse collar BC, long full-foot fins, a basic low volume mask, a weight belt, and a regulator with just a SPG. It was an easy dive in 20' of water that was about 80F. I never bothered putting air in the BC. My weight was well adjusted. Lung control was enough to keep me neutral throughout the 45 minute dive. Next time I go to that easy spot, I may skip the BC.

I have another rig that is even more simple. It's a 19cf pony on a weight belt with 3 pockets. I use a single long hose to a second stage & a button gauge on the 1st stage. I have an elastic necklace on the second stage, so that I can switch to a snorkel without loosing track of the second stage. With 12 pounds in the pockets, I can grab the rig, jump into the water & put it on as I swim down. It's very quick to deploy. I mostly use it for quick retrieval of lost objects, freeing stuck anchors, & quick inspections of boat bottoms or moorings.
 
This is minimalist. Diving SM has it's place but doesn't lend itself to simplicity well.
I have a few of those backpacks. One is set up for skinny tanks, like AL40s or AL30's. Another is set up for AL 63/80 & the other is set up for steel 72s, They are cheap, they are basically neutral, and they work, but they add some hydro drag. I use them for knock around diving & boat bottom cleaning with no BC. I add a wing when I plan to go deeper, stay down longer, or use bigger tanks. A SS or AL backpack is more expensive, but much nicer. I can usually find the plastic cheapo for about $50, already laced up with straps & buckles.
 

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