Quick buckle question?

[Nemrod]

That orange thing is a fairly large and really sharp and really pointy knife (actually that is my small knife).! LOL
Here is a pic with another orange thing, my old Seatec attached to the BP. Yeah, yeah, I need to get a Halycon or some such but I like orange I guess! The reason I am posting these pics is just to show that I did take some of the advice and reading to heart in setting it up.
The STA, I am not sure the cost, I bought it all as a kit, HammerHead has a "warm water" special and a "cold water" special that gets you a plate and STA etc as a package and they are real nice to deal with. Check out their website. I think it is Hamerheadscuba.com or something like that. Forget all the orange stuff, I think the plate is very nice. And besides, way back, orange (yellow, blue etc) was/were a common and well regarded scuba colors in the pre-neon days of yore when young Nemrod first became lord of the sea! N

 

[Nemrod]

Darn, I messed up so here is the back side. N

 

[MASS-Diver]

because I am using twin 50 aluminums with a double hose regulator and this allows/requires the plate to sit rather lower.

huh?

 

[BlueDolphin]

Nemrod.....

Actually one time I had a vision.... of really WILD printed wings. You can get the webbing material in wild print as we speak. Careful with that Bowie knife.... you are lible to cut a hose or worse (worse?), just pulling it out. Put that machette on your leg, and go with a small remora on your waist. Actually shears are often preferred to a big knife.

I would make sure the shoulder D rings are not in the way of your movement. They might be just a tad low.

That wing.... that beautiful, wonderful WING! Nemrod with your wing so bright.... won't you guide my dive tonight. Sorry I could not resist. That just popped into my head (the rudolph thing). It goes great with the rug (the wing)!

Can I get a HOOYA!

 

[BlueDolphin]

Now.... about those twin 50's.....

 

[BlueDolphin]

Oh.. and note that horshoe type wings can trap air in one side..... may be a problem for you.

The donut type wing that flows completely around the top and bottom are often preferred (Like the Halcyon).

 

[Nemrod]

Thanks for the tip on the shoulder D-rings Blue Dolphin, I will raise them a tad because I think you are exactly right, they do dig in a bit.

The orange BC is quite old, I think I bought it in 84 and it has hundreds of dives on it. It really is not that different from some of the wings made by Diverite and a few others in the 40 lb class that are horsehoe types as well. Yes, it can trap air on one side but I just roll that shoulder up etc to dump the excess, never really been a problem in OW diving. I would not use it for cave etc. I will be getting a Halycon or similar 30ish lb wing soon enough.

I told ya, that is the smallest knife I got, never know when a pesky "hose cutter" might show up and need dispatching!

Let me explain the 50s. In the old days of double hose regs small twins were prefered to long singles because the tanks could be worn lower on the back without hitting your rear end. This was needed in order to position the double hose regulators main pressure diaphram in a position closer to the center of the lungs. This improves the performance of the dh regs considerably. The small twins balance very well too. Now in those old times they used twin 38s, 45s, 50s that were steel and ran between 1800 and 2450 PSI. These aluminum 50s (3000psi) are very nearly the exact same size and also are not that different in bouyancy. In fact they will go slightly positive when near empty but the weight of the plate and some trim weight should handle that. The manifold I will use is an old Sherwood double outlet, one center and one side post. The double hose Royal Aquamaster on goes on the center post and either my 1968 Calypso or mid 70s MR12 on the side post. The single hose will carry the SPG and inflator for the BC when that is needed and also provide redundancy for the double hose and act as the octapus source as well and it goes reveresed on the LH post. Yep, reversed so as not to interfere with the double hose. We actually do not always use a BC when going full on vintage but actually the BC pictured will only be used in a more modern configuration, for vintage, if using a BC, I will use an old Seachute horsecollar type. It is actually a double bladder type once popular long ago with cavers. Repeat, this is not a cave or wreck penetration rig, OW recreational only.

Yes, I know it is not all DIR but it is vintage with a DIR twist or DIR inspiration shall I say. Since I dive several differing configurations the DIR type plate will at least standardize that portion of my equipment for greater flexibility and safety etc.

Hey, my weight belt is orange with blue weights, go figure and most of my tanks are black or yellow or galvanized!

Thanks for the tip on the D rings, I will move them right away. N