Help with purchasing BP/W Setup

[ikarntspel]

Hi All

I have finally decided to purchase my own equipment, and am wanting to go with a BP/W setup.

Due to living in Australia with its LOVELY import tax and overpriced EVERYTHING which comes overseas. ive decided to go with a HOG BP/W setup (unless suggested otherwise) as this seems to be the cheapest option from divetub.com.au and have read some reviews on it.

Questions i have so far:

1. Does it matter if i purchase a larger wing? As the website currently has the HOG 38 and 35LB wings for 175$ and 195$ and the 23 and 32LB are 280 and 290$ respectively. Would it be OTT to go with the cheaper option and purchase the double wings?

2. I know ill need a BP, harness, and also a wing but besides that do i need anything else? ive been reading around and see things such as Cam bands, tank adapters and other bolts and what not and all this is quite confusing

Some other notes:
I have a 5mm wetsuit and dive in cold water, tanks sometimes vary due to where im hiring from but are generally AL. Currently i do not use double tanks but MAY consider doing so in the distant future

Thanks in advance,
Bobby

 

[decompression]

Hi All

I have finally decided to purchase my own equipment, and am wanting to go with a BP/W setup.

Due to living in Australia with its LOVELY import tax and overpriced EVERYTHING which comes overseas. ive decided to go with a HOG BP/W setup (unless suggested otherwise) as this seems to be the cheapest option from divetub.com.au and have read some reviews on it.

Questions i have so far:

1. Does it matter if i purchase a larger wing? As the website currently has the HOG 38 and 35LB wings for 175$ and 195$ and the 23 and 32LB are 280 and 290$ respectively. Would it be OTT to go with the cheaper option and purchase the double wings?

2. I know ill need a BP, harness, and also a wing but besides that do i need anything else? ive been reading around and see things such as Cam bands, tank adapters and other bolts and what not and all this is quite confusing

Some other notes:
I have a 5mm wetsuit and dive in cold water, tanks sometimes vary due to where im hiring from but are generally AL. Currently i do not use double tanks but MAY consider doing so in the distant future

Thanks in advance,
Bobby

Firstly, contact Jim Lapenta here on the board, he has a great article on BP/W's that will answer most of your questions. He is also a HOG dealer and ships worldwide. Did I mention he's a pretty solid guy as well?

1. Do not purchase a double wing if you intend to use it for a single tank.....very bad idea.
2. Get a single wing after you determine what lift you need. This is based on exposure suit, tank material, backplate etc. Jim L will go through this with you.
3. If you are thinking about doubles in the future, also discuss this with Jim, he'll probably be able to swing a deal on another wing, which is all you'll need after your initial set up is done.

I hope that helps.....


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[dmaziuk]

2. I know ill need a BP, harness, and also a wing but besides that do i need anything else? ive been reading around and see things such as Cam bands, tank adapters and other bolts and what not and all this is quite confusing

Cam bands: yes. Single Tank Adapter: some wings will have camband slots and sometimes they match the slots on the backplate. If that's the case, you don't need the STA -- but you may need a little something to keep the tank from wobbling. E.g. if you zoom in on the middle & rightmost pix here: S38 LX WING w/ slots you'll see the "tank stabilizer" in the middle between the 2 sets of slots. Bolts: you'll need them to bolt down the STA. Without the STA: I prefer to have the top one in to hold everything together (it's a machine screw and a nylock nut from the nearest hardware store), but it's not required: cambands are sufficient. I added a sub gravity harness slider -- also not required but can make life a little easier.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

If you've decided on Hog gear then I second the suggestion to call Jim Lapenta and go through him.
Depending on what water temps you'll be diving and what suit those temps dictate, I'd go with the Hog single tank wing 23 or 32. The 32 would be for using a 5 or 7mm suit and steel tanks. Don't use doubles wings for single tanks, it's not good. They're way too wide for singles and will have way too much excess fabric flopping around on the sides, which will "taco" around the tank causing drag and bad air distribution.
If you use a Hog plate and a Hog wing you don't need a single tank adapter. A STA is a band aid for making two incompatible brands work together as far as wing and plate and cam slots not lining up. STA's also place the tank a little further away from your body, and they're an added cost.

 

[ikarntspel]

Cam bands: yes. Single Tank Adapter: some wings will have camband slots and sometimes they match the slots on the backplate. If that's the case, you don't need the STA -- but you may need a little something to keep the tank from wobbling. E.g. if you zoom in on the middle & rightmost pix here: S38 LX WING w/ slots you'll see the "tank stabilizer" in the middle between the 2 sets of slots. Bolts: you'll need them to bolt down the STA. Without the STA: I prefer to have the top one in to hold everything together (it's a machine screw and a nylock nut from the nearest hardware store), but it's not required: cambands are sufficient. I added a sub gravity harness slider -- also not required but can make life a little easier.

Cambands are what is used to strap the BP to the wing?

If you've decided on Hog gear then I second the suggestion to call Jim Lapenta and go through him.
Depending on what water temps you'll be diving and what suit those temps dictate, I'd go with the Hog single tank wing 23 or 32. The 32 would be for using a 5 or 7mm suit and steel tanks. Don't use doubles wings for single tanks, it's not good. They're way too wide for singles and will have way too much excess fabric flopping around on the sides, which will "taco" around the tank causing drag and bad air distribution.
If you use a Hog plate and a Hog wing you don't need a single tank adapter. A STA is a band aid for making two incompatible brands work together as far as wing and plate and cam slots not lining up. STA's also place the tank a little further away from your body, and they're an added cost.

Haha, i was thinking that something like a 'taco' might occur. Thanks for clarification, i finally understand what a STA is used for now. i guess ill be looking at a 32lb wing then

Also another question, Is a crotch strap needed?

 

[JohnnyC]

Cam bands hold the tank to the backplate. Yes, a crotch strap is needed. I've done without them, and it's annoying.

 

[seeker242]

I just switched from a jacket. The basic setup I have is a wing, a backplate, a "hogarthian harness" (with crotch strap), and 2 cam bands. That's it!

 

[Insta-Gator]

If you consistently dive 5mm or 7mm wetsuit you should consider a stainless steel backplate rather than aluminum. Everyone else seems to have covered the high points. Expect that you will be tweaking your kit over time. It doesn't have to be perfect on day 1.

 

[dmaziuk]

Cambands are what is used to strap the BP to the wing?

We all can't spell mite. I think it's actually cummerbund misspelled as cumberband mis-shortened/spelled as camband. What it means here is tank straps and I should remember to use that instead...

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Yes you'll need the crotch strap. It's part of the system and keeps the unit pulled down and snug. Without it the rig will want to swing around side to side and ride up. The crotch strap keeps the plate in place up/down/sideways and keeps the shoulder straps tight. As soon as you undo the waist buckle the crotch strap falls away, and the shoulder straps loosen right up so you can get a hand underneath the shoulder strap and in a split second you're out. The whole thing works as a complete system.

It's dirt simple and a thing of absolute beauty.