To STA or not to STA?

[halcyon]

I'm about to get my 1st bp/w setup and am torn between one w/out STA and one with. Am diving warm waters only, weigh 75kg (168lbs), 1.8m tall (5"11) and use rental jacket BC's so far with 3-4 kg weights. AOW level with 26 dives, very comfy with buoyancy control so far and seem to be using less weight as I progress.

My setup planned is 30# wing with AL backplate, SS cam straps - have not decided on the STA route or not.

My question is air travel and the need for less weights as you improve - do you guys out there find that as you progress you can really reduce yr weights to zero? If so, I'm gonna go for the non-STA option. If not, heck, I'l get any wing with an STA on AL bp. Whaddya think?

Cheers, guys.
__________________
Marge: Homer, the plant called. They said if you don't show up tomorrow don't bother showing up on Monday.
Homer: Woo-hoo. Four-day weekend.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Get a STA. One piece... they are so much easier to work with. One of these will weigh around 2 pounds. Take the bolts out and they pack flat.

I find the weight of a STA does not make or break my flying and when I get to where I'm diving I am really glad to have one.

In warm salt water I use either a SS plate plus STA for a total of 8 pounds or I use an Al plate, STA and cannister light for the same total. That's 4 pounds for the positive buoyancy of my nearly empty Al80 and 4 pounds for me and my 3 mil.

Without the STA I would have to add a goofy 2# to my waist harness or camband. Those little guys can sometimes be hard to find and it is just another thing that I have to mess with.

Besides, I reap no advantages from a STA-less rig whereas I do get some things that I like from the STA... stability, quick and easy cylinder switches, no extra gadgets or gimmicks to hold the wing in place... things that in my experience make switching out tanks a little more awkward, and... of course... a little weight.

 

[BSea]

Having gone on a trip without an sta, I'm with Stephen. The sta makes it easier to set up. Without an sta, your tank can get tilted off center a little. No big deal, but I did notice this on 1 dive when the divemaster set up my gear. Of course I didn't notice till I was underwater, and my tank was just off center. It kind of nagged at me the whole dive. This wouldn't happen with an sta. So from now on, I take the extra 2 pounds.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I have the DSS BP with their 30 lb wing. IMO Tobin's STA-less design is awesome. I have had absolutely no problems with it. It's stable and the "buttons" that hold the wing on the BP don't allow the tank to shift off-center. I really like the low profile of the rig. I highly recommend it. I cannot speak to other STA-less designs.

 

[cool_hardware52]

I'm about to get my 1st bp/w setup and am torn between one w/out STA and one with. Am diving warm waters only, weigh 75kg (168lbs), 1.8m tall (5"11) and use rental jacket BC's so far with 3-4 kg weights. AOW level with 26 dives, very comfy with buoyancy control so far and seem to be using less weight as I progress.

Your current jacket BC is likely 1-2 kg positive, a SS plate and harness will be ~ 2.5-3.0 kg negative. SS plate and no STA and you are close to where you are now weight wise. Some STA-Less designs have many reported problems, some do not. It is quite possible to go "STA-Less" and avoid tank rock

My question is air travel and the need for less weights as you improve - do you guys out there find that as you progress you can really reduce yr weights to zero?

There is some minimum weight required based on exposure suit, tank, body type etc. BP&W converts often find they can use less weight for a couple reasons, the BP&W is not inherently buoyant as most jacket BC are, and a well designed wing allows you to vent all the gas.

Regards,


Tobin

 

[Hank49]

My Pioneer 27 didn't need an STA but the Oxycheq 30 did. The tanks rubbed hard against the Oxy and eventually would have worn into the material. I made an STA for it out of ss plate from our shop. It's not much of a factor in weighting though. I don't think it weighs a half pound.

 

[PerroneFord]

Get the STA

 

[Quarrior]

Just an added note. I dive STAless. The way I have my BP/W set up is I have the wing nuts facing the tank, horizontal to the plate, and just sticking out far enough to give the tank a bit of a platform to rest on.

I also dive a steel tank, not AL. So I am definately diving negative.

 

[Mo2vation]

If you're not going to be changing out wings with the same plate / harness, why bother with an STA?

I mean, the STA simply makes it easier to change out wings without having to un-thread the tank bands. But if you're not going to be exchanging wings, why bother with an STA? Especially a non-weighted one. No benefit. I mean, if you can't be bothered with the 1 second it adds to your set up time to make sure your rig is square before you cinch down the straps, your life is too busy.

An STA just puts the tank further from your back. If you're gonna be diving the same wing 90% of the time, and you're not going to be using a weighted STA (read: you're diving a weight belt, or weighted plate, or just don't need weights) forget about the STA and just strap the tank directly to your BP/W.

---
Ken

 

[PerroneFord]

As was mentioned, wear is increased in the center panel when no STA is used. For most people I guess this is not too big an issue, but for an avid diver, it's worth consideration.