Advice needed for a versatile wing

[Pullmyfinger]

.. taking into account that I am now a married man with limited discretionary funds.

Thanks in Advance

You are now up the unsanitary tributary, without proper propulsion.

 

[DevonDiver]

Consider the delta wing/z system from UTD, if you look it up you'll be convinced.

I doubt it, given his criteria: "to allow me the flexibility to do both without running two different BCD setups".

Unless you know of a magical configuration secret that allows the UTD to run back-mounted doubles...

A local manufacturer here in the Philippines is developing/making a SM rig very close in design to the UTD. Should be available in a couple of months...and I'll be getting one for sure. However, I can't afford to get 4 of them (for rentals/courses). That makes a hybrid/adapter type approach preferable, for me, from a financial/business perspective.

Will post some pics later, of what I managed to achieve using the OMS Profile and 32lb wing. I'm quite happy with it thus far... but need to get a soft backplate (oxycheq travel-lite) to replace the ali hard-plate. None in stock here in the Phils currently... so I'll have to make do for a few weeks. I plan to put it through the grinder on a tech-wreck course next week.

 

[victorzamora]

I got an SMS100 because I needed more lift than an SMS50 could provide and wanted the option to do BM singles. I'm very glad I went that route. It's a very clean setup up front. Cleaner than everything but single tank BM with Hogarthian harness. There is some extra "stuff" if you count the plastic buckles, swivel points, and one extra d-ring per shoulder. However, most of it is useful. Buckles can be nice, even if it's a "failure point." Swivel point is a great place to hook your bungees up to without cluttering your d-rings. The extra d-ring is easy to remove. The padding is nice when you get four tanks hanging off of you....I don't care what anyone says.

Right now, I'm looking for a solution similar to the OMS SM Adapter but with slots for cambands for single tank backmount. Similar to the SMS100 backpad, but without having to purchase the entire BCD. Any interest in trying to design/build a custom one? I'd be down for helping design/build one...but what materials would we start with?

Another option is that with a doubles wing, you can put the wing between you and the backplate.

 

[DevonDiver]

Right now, I'm looking for a solution similar to the OMS SM Adapter but with slots for cambands for single tank backmount. Similar to the SMS100 backpad, but without having to purchase the entire BCD. Any interest in trying to design/build a custom one? I'd be down for helping design/build one...but what materials would we start with?

I've seen a few divers who've approached this through modification of the wing itself, not through adapters They've typically sewn inserts/flaps onto the side of the wing, allowing it to be secured down to the waist-straps. This prevents the 'taco-effect' when sidemounting.

A few have also dispensed with the backplate altogether; sewing links onto the wing center itself, allowing the threading of a single-piece harness directly to it. If you look at the Oxycheq travel-lite backplate, you'll get an idea of how/where to sew the links on.

Do both, and you end up with a very light-weight and flexible wing, suitable for single-tank backmount (if reqd) and sidemount with stages (depending on what capacity wing you started with).

 

[decompression]

Good point Andy, the UTD A/D can do SM doubles and I've tried it on a set of BM AL80 doubles, it was ok for pool teaching but certainly not ideal. It is best for SM and BM singles.