Setting up a vintage style/modern rig

[Tao of the Dive]

Ok, I orginally posted this in the equipment section, but this one might be more appropriate.

I recently decided it would be interesting to set up a non bc/ wing dive rig. Not for any deep or specialty dives, just shallow stuff. My intent is to set it up with modern equipment though, no vintage style gear. So my delemma is, how do I set this up, in an era where they tell you you NEED the BC/wing. Would a backplate serve my purpose minus the wing? And when it comes to balancing out the weight, after I put on the backplate (probably plastic), and the rest of the usual gear, how do I trim that without a BC/ wing?

The way I see it, this is the way diving started, this is where our roots as divers are. To me, it qualifies as an art form, and I'd like to find a way to touch that past, and keep the artform going, while at the same time having the(read some) safety equipment and conveniences of modern diving at hand. So ANY ideas are appreciated.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

I'm not sure what you have in mind, but it reminded me of a minimalist, shallow water rig I ran across a while back:

http://www.aquavitinc.com/swem.html

Note that it has weight pockets, but no air cell. Your weighting would have to be spot-on.

idunno, might be something to carry on your boat to check/free anchors or retrieve that $5.00 fishing lure...

 

[Nemrod]

Well, I learned to dive before BCs. I occasionally dive without one now. Hmmm, well, what you really need is a steel 72cf tank. This had the best possible bouyancy charateristics for diving sans BC. It is much easier to dive without a BC if you also dive without a wetsuit. I would recommend starting out that way --warm water or pool. Then after you get that down add the wet suit.
With a wetsuit, it will become compressed at depth. The modern idea of weighting yourself with tons of lead and then sinking to the bottom feet first (Padi style) and once there adding air to the BC does not work obviously with this type of diving. I always set myself up so that my weight would be correct for my expected cruising depth. Once the suit becomes compressed by 20 to 30 feet it does not become that much less bouyant at depth. This means you will tend to float at the surface. This requires you to actually swim to descend in a headfirst fashion not unlike a surface dive (bent pike). Once the suit is compressed by depth you will be neutral or a bit negative if your weight is correct. I mostly dive without a BC in warm water so I only have a swimsuit or lycra skin on. With a steel 72, old type plastic backpack, regulator, knife, depth guage, J valve or spg I require no weight belt fw to approx 3 lbs lead in sw.
Recently I purchased a Hammmerhead aluminum BP with two piece STA. This is much to heavy to be used with a steel 72 with no BC (assuming no wet suit either). However, it may work with an aluminum 80. The weight may be just enough to counter the undesireable positive bouyancy of the aluminum 80. Not sure, just thinking.
This type of diving is almost a lost art and is very different from the way it is taught now. You must actually swim through the water. I would suggest also not using super heavy JetFins. Get some fins that are nearly neutral in the water like many old time fins like the Voit Vikings (some actually floated).
So, you need a solid regulator you can count on, a spg, a depth guage, a watch, a plastic tank pack, a steel 72, low volume mask, neutral weight fins, weight belt with individual weights of 1 to 2 bls so you can fine tune small amounts of weight, lycra body suit, knife and maybe a modern safety sausage float. No octa--extra weight and drag, no console, no metal BP, no heavy fins, no multiple pane super mask, loose the snorkel (my opinion) and surface swim on your back, no computer. Everything you carry like the modern dive shop diver---er--tech diver is unrequired wight which increases drag and complicates weighting and trim.
You will also have to learn, in a pool, to use your lungs as your BC. Take longer, slower and deepr breaths than most do now. With the steel 72 nearing the final 1/3 9time to surface anyways, you should rise with a deep breath and sink when you exhale at your working depth.
I am sure there are guys with much more knowledge on this and they will give you their methods. I have hardly scratched the surface. Let me say this, you must actually be able to swim (and swim well) to dive this way, if you cannot you may drown at worst and at least you will not be succesful. N