My First Tech. Rig -- Which One Should I Get?

[arkstorm]

I am slowly crossing over to the dark side, i.e. technical diving. I am, looking to purchase my first tech harness and wing system.

Most of my diving will still be tropical rec., so I am looking for a tech rig that is also well suited for single tank use.

Since I travel to dive, weight is a consideration. One question I have is, apart from having to wear more lead, are there any other disadvantages to an aluminum back plate?

Comfort is also key -- I wouldn't be adverse to something with a little padding.

What do you recommend?

PS

One additional question I have is can I mix and match components from different brands, e.g., OMS harness with a Dive Rite wing?

Thanks.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Back plates are all set up with 11" centers for double tank bolts and the slots for the straps are also fairly standard so mixing and matching is not a problem.

Perimeter holes however differ so accessories that attach to those (back pads, etc) are not always compatible.

Aluminum is the most useful choice if you are only going to own one plate. Stainless steel may reduce the weight you need to carry, but in warm water with a set suit you will still have 6 pounds of SS plate when you may be better weighted with the 2 pound aluminm plate.

Most plates have slots that will accommodate cambands for a single tank and this works reasonably well with minimum weight for travel. The downside is that it is usually not quite as stable as with a single tank adapter (STA). an STA is bascially a metal channel that bolts to the plate in the holes normally used by double tank bands and then provides a more stable surface to stabilize the single tank. They do add 2 to 4 pounds of weight and will raise the tank 1/2" to 3/4" off the plate so there are some trade-offs.

In my experience, padding is not needed on the plate, so the various back pads are a waste of money that just add unwanted buoyancy.

Pads on the straps of a one piece harness can be nice as resin impregnated nylon straps can be a bit sharp on bare skin or over a thin wet suit. I use shoulder pads made from 7mm neoprene that wrap around the shoulder straps and are secured with velcro.

A one piece harness is hard to beat and it will be non controversial with virtually any tech instructor.

Wing selection will be the biggest decision. For warm water single tank diving a 30 pound wing would work well. Depending on the tank, you could go to an 18 or 20 pound wing and there are people who will argue that. However a 30 pound wing will not be so large as to cause problems while an 18 or 20 pound wing won't be able to generate mor lift if needed, so the 30 pound wing is more flexible.

 

[elan]

I do not believe padding gives you any extra comfort If you are not wearing it bare skin or with a skin suit I would dare to say it actually worsens the situation. You can have a storage pack on the back and put your lift back of SMB there, that will give you some extra padding if you want. From what I heard you better not get a one size fits all kind of rig for both single tank and doubles. YOu will most likely end up having 2 different wings. Call Tobin at DSS and he will advice you on what exactly you need for you type of diving. Aluminum being light is not disadvantage it's just a characteristic. You just select the type of plate for your weighting. If you have to put more than 4lb of lead on the aluminum plate you better get a steel (I know advocates of the ditch able weights will bit me now )


P.S. BP/W is not necessarily a tech rig many of my buddies use it for rec diving and they are not tech.

 

[Goindrinkn]

Start with the easy question first - can you mix and match? Yes in most cases. You just want to make sure that the wing will mate with the holes in the plate. As far as 2 in webbing and d rings and the like - no issues.

Padding is nice, but it is only helpful when you are on dry land. With a properly fitted plate, there is usually no need once you are in the water.

The difference in weight is usually about 4 lbs between a AL and SS plate. not a huge difference. However, it can make a difference one where the weight is. For instance, I have a AL plate that I use with a Steel tank. in a 5 mil I need to add a little extra weight. (about 4 lbs.) If I use a SS tank and a SS plate, I find that I feel a little "roll-y" as all the weight is up behind me. With an AL 80 I can use a SS plate and not have any issues. So I don't think it is a matter of one is better than the other, as long as you can balance your rig and get the weight placed where you need it for good trim and stability.

One thing to realize is that from what I have found there is no wing that works great for both single and doubles diving. So if you try to sqeak by on one you may be disappointed. Anything that is setup for both will be on the smaller side for doubles yet taco (wrap around the tank) on a single. This can cause issues with trapping air etc.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

+1 on the "no really a good wing for both single and doubles diving" comment. The DR Rec wing will work, but it is less than optimum for either singles or doubles. Go with a singles wing and just regard a new wing as part of the cost of doubles transition.

With regard to holes on the plate and wing matching up, the issue will never be with the holes for doubles tank mounting or STA's as they are all set up on 11" centers. The issue may be with the slots cut on each side of the valley in the plate for cam bands used for single tanks without an STA. The slot lenghts and positions do vary slightly between brands of wing and plate but are compatible in most cases as they are normally longer than needed in the plate. Also, some plates may not have slots for cam bands at all. Worst case however, you just have to use an STA.