Setting up BP/W - Questions....

[LUBOLD8431]

Guess I'll have to go to home depot & look at split washers...are they that much thinner? I noted the bolts are pretty short, and that's what led me to wonder if the cam straps were only supposed to go through the STA. Seems like if the wings nuts loosened up, the tank is gone & the wing is floating away from the plate! Sounds like securing the STA is the most important part of this.

Jim

Just like the hardware for a set of doubles, I use flat washers and wingnuts on my STA. No problems. You just check it before the dive, and there you go. Ive never had any problems with my doubles wingnut loosening up, and Ive never switched the washers to split washers. I think you guys are getting worked up over a non-issue. Use the hardware that is provided. You will have no problems. Thousands of people use this same hardware, and they havent lost their cylinder...

:chill:

 

[Genesis]

I have changed to split washers, but not because of a tank getting seriously loose. It only has to be a bit loose to start shifting around, and I find that disconcerting - the split washers stop that.

They're a whole few cents each at West Marine (make sure you get the Stainless Steel ones!)

 

[hantzu701]

Just like the hardware for a set of doubles, I use flat washers and wingnuts on my STA. No problems. You just check it before the dive, and there you go. Ive never had any problems with my doubles wingnut loosening up, and Ive never switched the washers to split washers. I think you guys are getting worked up over a non-issue. Use the hardware that is provided. You will have no problems. Thousands of people use this same hardware, and they havent lost their cylinder...

:chill:

*I* almost lost my STA and tank on an ocean dive because a wing nut came off. I was hanging out by the anchor line waiting to begin the dive. The waves were pushing me around and I felt the wing and tank sway a bit. I reached around and the wingnut on the lower bolt came off. The tank and STA pivoted on the upper bolt. It was clear that the upper wingnut was also loose. If the bolt had sheared as the wing flipped up, then I would have lost my wing, STA and tank. More worrisome, I was slightly negative in current and waves. Lucky for me, the upper bolt/wingnut held and I reboarded the boat.

Granted, I was a dummy for not checking the wingnuts. But, there should be a minimum expectation that your equipment/rig is reliable. Eg. You don't check the nuts on your car tires before every trip. On my subsequent dives, I would routinely check the wingnuts and often find that they had loosened from 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn. During the dive, this translated into some disconcerting tank sway at the surface. I found that the split washers were my set it and forget it solution.

 

[jonnythan]

*I* almost lost my STA and tank on an ocean dive because a wing nut came off. I was hanging out by the anchor line waiting to begin the dive. The waves were pushing me around and I felt the wing and tank sway a bit. I reached around and the wingnut on the lower bolt came off. The tank and STA pivoted on the upper bolt. It was clear that the upper wingnut was also loose. If the bolt had sheared as the wing flipped up, then I would have lost my wing, STA and tank.

No you wouldn't have. The tank is attached directly to you through your BC inflator, clipped off SPG, and drysuit inflator if you had one.

Besides, critical points like wingnuts should be checked pre-dive. And put some loc-tite on them if you're not using locking washers.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I've seen a BUNCH of people loose tanks. Well they didn't loose em but the sure looked funny going through the water or climbing out of the water with their tanks dangling.

I always use lock washers. I still check the wing nuts before a dive though.

 

[Rick Inman]

Web instruction... Can't live with it, can't live without it.
I just got my Oxycheq wing and FredT BP and have spent hours on the web (and SB) looking at diagrams and pics and reading posts to put the thing together. No one in this one-horse-town knows how to put together a BP/W set-up. Actually, I'm having a blast doing it. My wife just laughs at me and says stuff like,

"Why are you re-threading those straps AGAIN?"

"No, I won't help you out of it. You got yourself in, and you're funny to watch."

"What in the world are you doing with all those old bicycle tire tubes?"

"Do you actually DIVE in that thing, or do you just take it on and off in the house all day?"

"You paid HOW MUCH for the piece of metal?"

"First you want grommets, then you don't. Then you want lock washers, then you don't, then you do again. You put on zip ties, then you cut them off and put on nylon line. Do you have any idea what you're doing? You're not really going to go underwater with the steel plate you've mickey-moused with rope and bungee cords and old bicycle tubes strapped to your back, are you?"

I showed her this:

Come over for some dives when you get it and I'll help you set it up.

"Well, I guess it's Ok, as long as Uncle Pug checks you out before you hit the water."

Her confidence in me is daunting...