Scubapro Plastic Backpack + Wing?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

mahjong

Contributor
Messages
910
Reaction score
45
Location
Mountain View, CA
# of dives
500 - 999
Does anyone know of a wing that works well with a Scubapro plastic backpack? And I would be interested in hearing of people's experiences with either a single tank or doubles configuration. I have fitted a 27# Dive Rite Travel Exp wing to a newer (and therefore thinner) SP backpack (poached from a Knighthawk). This works great and I use it for travel. But I wouldn't be inclined to drysuit dive this with an LP95, though I suppose it would work just fine. But it definitely won't work with doubles--and this is what I'm most interested in doing. I want to set up a doubles rig with a SP backpack and bands that fit the backpack--this is easy enough. But how to install a wing??
 
You might want to try a PM to LuisH here. He's done similar with (IIRC) a Zeagle but I don't think for doubles. He's rigged up a method of attaching a wing directly to the bands and prefers diving doubles without the backplate.
 
I started diving with the Scubapro Buoyancy Control Pack - a late 1970s design. This basically used the platci scubapro cam pack with an additional plastic plate that sandwiched a wing to the cam pack. A benefit of this approach is that it gave the wing a fairly wide base of support that reduced the tacoing effect when used with a single tank.

The Deep Sea Supply wing would work well in this regard as it uses a fairly stiff center section that accomplishes the same thing and has a similar lift capacity to the old Scubapro wing. DSS is out of business but Highseas Millwork picked up the design and sells the same 55 pound wing with some improvements and cosmetic changes.

The Scubapro cam pack has holes to accommodate bands but they follow an older recreational standard in terms of hole spacing. Consequently, an issue is that the standard tech hole spacing is 11" and the Scubapro spacing is (IIRC) shorter, but the DSS/Highseas Millwork wing has lots of grommets and a pair of them will probably work.

However, in the long term if you are pursuing technical diving, you are way better off with a standard kydex or aluminum technical diving plate as they will be wider and offer a bit more stability with doubles than the Scubapro cam pack and a plate and harness won't cost much more in relation to the cost of the wing.

If all you want is to be able to carry doubles in recreational settings, you might want to consider the Scubapro "Litehawk" - it uses a very comfortable and slightly wider cam pack with a 56 pound wing that is doubles capable. And the price is very affordable by BC standards and won't cost you more than a technical diving wing by itself.
 
"The Deep Sea Supply wing would work well in this... DSS is out of business but Highseas Millwork picked up the design and sells the same 55 pound wing with some improvements and cosmetic changes."

Is Tobin really out of business? His site is still on https://www.deepseasupply.com//

Jim
 
I started diving with the Scubapro Buoyancy Control Pack - a late 1970s design. This basically used the platci scubapro cam pack with an additional plastic plate that sandwiched a wing to the cam pack. A benefit of this approach is that it gave the wing a fairly wide base of support that reduced the tacoing effect when used with a single tank.

The Deep Sea Supply wing would work well in this regard as it uses a fairly stiff center section that accomplishes the same thing and has a similar lift capacity to the old Scubapro wing. DSS is out of business but Highseas Millwork picked up the design and sells the same 55 pound wing with some improvements and cosmetic changes.

The Scubapro cam pack has holes to accommodate bands but they follow an older recreational standard in terms of hole spacing. Consequently, an issue is that the standard tech hole spacing is 11" and the Scubapro spacing is (IIRC) shorter, but the DSS/Highseas Millwork wing has lots of grommets and a pair of them will probably work.

However, in the long term if you are pursuing technical diving, you are way better off with a standard kydex or aluminum technical diving plate as they will be wider and offer a bit more stability with doubles than the Scubapro cam pack and a plate and harness won't cost much more in relation to the cost of the wing.

If all you want is to be able to carry doubles in recreational settings, you might want to consider the Scubapro "Litehawk" - it uses a very comfortable and slightly wider cam pack with a 56 pound wing that is doubles capable. And the price is very affordable by BC standards and won't cost you more than a technical diving wing by itself.

Ah, well DSS is not out of business. Given I own and operate DSS I'm in a position to know these things. :wink:

Tobin
 
My apologies Tobin (unless the rumor of your company's demise sparked a wave of panic buying in which case I'll happily accept a commission.)

It was an obvious brain fart and not what I meant to say.

I meant to say "Deep Outdoors" not "Deepsea Supply". The difference probably is that I buy a lot more stuff from DSS than Deep Outdoors and DSS comes to mind first.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom