BPW issues

I have recently received my new HOG BPW set up (Thanks Jim Lapenta) but I feel like i have been pestering Jim with questions so i thought i would ask all of you. I have the bolt to go through the second hole down on the back plate to secure it to the wing, but my cam strap runs right inbetween that hole and the wing hole, should i cut a hole in the cam band and singe it to keep it from freying or where can i find a grommet to put in the cam band. Or is there another way of doing this that i just dont know about.

Also, i used to wear 19 lbs of weight with a 7mm wetsuit with the vest stylle BCD, I am diving for the first time this weekend with the gear and dont want to waste my first dive fumbling with weight issues. Anyone know a rule of thumb when it comes to calculating weight for the back plate. I want to reduce the time i am messing with weights, which i know i will have to do anyway but want to try and jump in the water with close to the right amount of weights.

Thanks,
Jed

...Safe Diving everyone

---------- Post Merged at 06:11 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:10 PM ----------

....or is there a you tube viedo that shows how to do this, also i have excess legnth for the harness, can i just cut those and burn them?

I have a Hog backplate but my DRIS wing doesn't have slots for the cam bands. They only go through my STA so I'll pass on answering that part since I don't have a good mental picture of your rig.

Regarding weight, is your backplate AL or Steel?

the back plate is Steel and i will load some pictures in a few min.

Are you using STA?

If so, you camband go through STA slots, and should NOT go through the plate or the wing. Even if the band is on top of the bolts on the STA, it is OK. No need to put hole in camband.

If you are NOT using STA, you camband should go through both the plate and the wing. The bolts/screws to hold the wing to the plate should be the "backplate assemble screw" (the first two items in Backplate Assembly Screws and Nuts - Dive Gear Express). The screw is low profile, so you cambank can just run on over them without any issue. Note that wing nuts is NOT what you should be using here. Also since these screws take on also no load, plastic one will do just fine.

You can probably take 6-8lbs off. All the pictures of Hog backplates I can find show the upper cam strap below the line where the webbing goes through. I can't imagine why you'd need to punch through it and cinge it. Hopefully your pictures will explain your situation better.

sorry just realized i said cam bands when i ment my harness strap that runs through the back side of the plate is covering the hole where i secure the wing too.The first picture shows the full set up, that top grommet of the wing is lined up with the second hole of the second pic, but i cant run the bolt through due to the harness strap. and third picture is just another full view
View attachment 136499View attachment 136500View attachment 136501

You're attachments didn't come through. Checkout this page though if you haven't seen it:

BAUE How To Size a Backplate

You'll notice in figure 1 that a hole has been punched through and a grommet installed to prevent fraying. This is mainly needed if you are using an STA or doubles. Some STA-less designs are held together by the cam straps for the tank.

Here's a good thread also:

New BP/W - Bolt through webbing?

ok i see the image with the grommet on your first link, thank you. I am guessing i can get any metal grommet to clip on after i burn a hole through the webbing with a hot screwdriver as some people talked about in the second link you sent me. Thank you so much for the help. I will let you all know how it goes. And ill post pics of our dive at Santa Cruz and Anacapa Island, Santa Barbara Channel.


PS. since i may have to play around with my weights is it better to start heavier than what i think i might need or lighter. like i said before with a Vest BCD and 7 mm wetsuit i used 19 lbs now switching to the BPw design, CHRPAI said to lose about 6-8 pounds off so should i stay at the heavier side to begin or not.

Thanks again and dive safe everyone

chrpai:

You're attachments didn't come through. Checkout this page though if you haven't seen it:

BAUE How To Size a Backplate

You'll notice in figure 1 that a hole has been punched through and a grommet installed to prevent fraying. This is mainly needed if you are using an STA or doubles. Some STA-less designs are held together by the cam straps for the tank.

Here's a good thread also:

New BP/W - Bolt through webbing?

Click to expand...

---------- Post Merged at 10:24 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 08:33 PM ----------

Thanks everyone got it all figured out and set up.

Do you have a swimming pool that you can use? Personally I would ( and did ) take your new rig to the pool and work on buoyancy, weighting and trim. Get a feel for it in the pool and see what your weighting is relative to before. Practice getting in and out of it.

I took a few years off from diving and did this in the pool. Over the next couple months I shed another 6lbs. I guess I was pretty rusty...

i dropped 6 lbs with my backplate. if you need a grommet in the webbing, find a banner shop. most will pop a brass grommet in for free. you wont even have to put the hole in because most of their grommet presses will do that as the grommet is being pressed in.