Like many I am a Zeagle Ranger user looking to switch to a BP/Wing configuration. I have been wanting to do this for a while for 2 reasons:
1. I want to get rid of the bulk of the ranger.
2. I can probably get rid of weight completely in a tropical environment.
Last night I finally got to try a BP and loved it. However I was using doubles and most of my diving is single tank. The guy who owns my dive shop is a VERY experienced cave diver who's opinion I respect. He advised against using a BP for mostly single tank diving stating that the STA's are not very stable. He highly recomended the Transpac or the Matrix instead.
I have no interest in either of these configurations as I see no advantage to them over my Ranger except that they will be slightly easier to pack. His answer about STA's not being stable seems to contradict the opinion of most of the BP zealots I have seen.
So all you Ranger converts out there. 3 questions for you:
1. Is a BP more or less stable than the Ranger with a single tank?
2. Are the STA'less BP/Wings more or less stable than a BP/STA combo?
3. How much weight can one expect to drop moving from a Ranger to a steel BP/Wing wing with a travel wing? I am refering, not to the extra weight of the steel but rather to the bouyancy lost due to the loss of fabric.
1. I want to get rid of the bulk of the ranger.
2. I can probably get rid of weight completely in a tropical environment.
Last night I finally got to try a BP and loved it. However I was using doubles and most of my diving is single tank. The guy who owns my dive shop is a VERY experienced cave diver who's opinion I respect. He advised against using a BP for mostly single tank diving stating that the STA's are not very stable. He highly recomended the Transpac or the Matrix instead.
I have no interest in either of these configurations as I see no advantage to them over my Ranger except that they will be slightly easier to pack. His answer about STA's not being stable seems to contradict the opinion of most of the BP zealots I have seen.
So all you Ranger converts out there. 3 questions for you:
1. Is a BP more or less stable than the Ranger with a single tank?
2. Are the STA'less BP/Wings more or less stable than a BP/STA combo?
3. How much weight can one expect to drop moving from a Ranger to a steel BP/Wing wing with a travel wing? I am refering, not to the extra weight of the steel but rather to the bouyancy lost due to the loss of fabric.