Need feedback for new BP/W setup

[novasquid]

i'm looking to transition out of my jacket bcd onto a bp/w set up, and looking to get people's opinion on the choices i've selected. i mostly do freshwater quarry diving in a 7mm full wetsuit using HP119 steel tanks, max depth around 60 feet, with the once-a-year saltwater tropical diving in a 3mm full wetsuit using AL80s, max depth around 100 feet. with a bp/w setup, i estimate i'd need an extra 2lbs in the quarry, and none in the tropics, to maintain neutral buoyancy at 15 feet on an empty steel or aluminum tank.

- i'm used to shoulder straps with quick releases, which i understand isn't a standard hogarthian setup. are there any negatives to using QRs versus a single piece of harness?
- never having used crotch straps before, will the 2" be too wide? i imagine it's like sitting on a bicycle seat, and wider will be more comfortable?
- i wasn't planning for an STA, but could it help offset the extra 2lb weight i'd need in freshwater? or stick with no STA and use a weight belt for the 2lbs?
- is the dive rite travel XT wing better or worse than a wing that has a plastic bladder?

Harness?
Deluxe w/QR
Crotch Strap?
{2 in | 5.1 cm} w/Pad
Wing Type?
Travel XT Armored Wing
Backplate?
DR XT Standard SS
Tank Straps?
Two Tank Straps

 

[tbone1004]

1. not really, but it's an extra expense.
2. they are not uncomfortable, especially in a wetsuit
3. it is highly unlikely you will need extra lead with a 7mm in a hp119 with a steel backplate. remember that your jacket is positively buoyant so it will be eaten up there.
4. no wings use plastic bladders. The XT is not worth the expense imho unless you are doing a lot of wreck penetration.

The best bang for the buck in plates right now is the Deep Sea Supply. Based on your comments, I would call and talk to Tobin, if you are outside of the normal 5'8"-6'2" 200lb male range, then you may need a short/long/large pattern plate, but it will likely be a steel plate and a LCD30 wing. It's worth the call

 

[Neilwood]

Was going to comment on each part but Tbone has done it for me. Would agree with his comments.

With regards to the crotch strap, I haven't felt mine in use with a 7mm wetsuit.

 

[novasquid]

i actually did communicate with Tobin because i was interested in a DSS set up too, and he initially suggested a medium ss backplate with the torus 17 wing. my current jacket bcd has 18lbs of lift and i use 8lbs of lead in the quarry, so a torus 17 with no lead would actually work out, unfortunately it's about 2 pounds too heavy on the rig so it's questionable whether or not a torus 17 rig would float (-10.9 full HP119, -5 bp/w, -2 regulators, -1 harness).

 

[novasquid]

also, the dive-rite package comes out to $532 versus $482 for a DSS package shipped, so it's a $50 difference.

 

[cool_hardware52]

i actually did communicate with Tobin because i was interested in a DSS set up too, and he initially suggested a medium ss backplate with the torus 17 wing. my current jacket bcd has 18lbs of lift and i use 8lbs of lead in the quarry, so a torus 17 with no lead would actually work out, unfortunately it's about 2 pounds too heavy on the rig so it's questionable whether or not a torus 17 rig would float (-10.9 full HP119, -5 bp/w, -2 regulators, -1 harness).

If your rig is more than -17 use a 20 lbs wing, keep in mind that the solution to being over weighted is never a bigger wing.

If you are currently using 8 lbs of lead + a Steel 119, and a regulator that suggests you need ~12 lbs of ballast with a Jacket BC. Without the Jacket you will probably need ~10 lbs of total ballast.

A Medium plate and haress is about -6, a reg about -2 and your cylinder will be about -3-4 with 500 psi in fresh water. That's potentially about 12 lbs. That could leave you a bit over weighted, not my first choice.

Moving to a kydex plate would leave your rig about - 8 with a ~500 psi. You would need ~2 lbs on a belt.

The rig with a Kydex plate and full cylinder would be about -15 lbs.

Steel plate and a 20 lbs, and be slightly over weighted, or a Kydex and 17 and ~2 on belt.

Tobin

 

[elgoog]

- never having used crotch straps before, will the 2" be too wide? i imagine it's like sitting on a bicycle seat, and wider will be more comfortable?

The crotch strap webbing is a lot softer than the harness webbing. I've worn it with a dive skin and swim trunks and even with it pretty snug like it should be, it never feels uncomfortable.

 

[admikar]

- never having used crotch straps before, will the 2" be too wide? i imagine it's like sitting on a bicycle seat, and wider will be more comfortable?

You are NOT sitting on it.

 

[bergersau]

The air in a 120 would weigh approx 9.5lbs, by the time you allow for wetsuit compression of a 7mm suit gloves and hood will you have adequate lift with a 17lb wing? Also how much lift will you need to float your rig on the surface should you need to remove it?
I usually dive from small power boats and often will need to doff my rig, clip it on to a short tether and then lift it into the boat after boarding. So being able to remove and float your rig can be important.

I dive a 7mm or drysuit and a steel hp120 and 6lb backplate.
I chose to stay with a standard 'hog' harness - I'm too cheap to pay extra and also didn't see the need to upgrade once I'd dive the standard harness.

I use a Dive Rite Voyager EXP wing - yes I could get away with the smaller travel wing, but I prefer the reserve capacity of the larger wing and I don't have any issues with 'too much wing' with what I'm currently using, though I don't need to inflate it to full capacity during normal use.
I'm attaching a pic of me on the wreck of the Coogee at around 28m depth, so you can see me in standard trim with my wetsuit fully compressed so as to show the 35lb wing at it's most bulky.

I doubt you'd actually require the XT version of the wing unless you're into wreck diving. I find the cheaper EXP version quite sturdy enough as it is made from 1680 denier Ballistic nylon. That is already a very tough fabric, I know as I service and sell luggage for a living.

Hope that helps.

 

[novasquid]

thanks for all the feedback, they've been helpful. i decided not to go with the XT wing. i figured if i went with the EXP version, i might as well get the cheaper DGX branded version of the same wing. if i did that, i figured i might as well get DGX's value BP/W set up that's currently sold for $299. so, that's what i ordered for my first BP/W rig. if i don't like it, or want to move onto a fancier rig, it would be easy enough to sell the DGX rig with not much money lost.

a 17lb wing would provide enough buoyancy for me in a 7mm and a steel 119 tank, but not for the rig alone. with rig alone, it would've been 2lbs too heavy. i loved the idea of the smallest wing possible, but a 17lb wing was just too small when paired with a steel 119.