Single Tank Rig Recommendation

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aquaholic901

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Location
Apollo Beach & Marathon, FL
I've been eying the single tank rig for several years now and think I'm finally ready to take the plunge and buy one shortly but not quite sure exactly what I need. My main goal is to streamline everything & not have to carry so much weight. The Ranger is super comfortable underwater but I feel like a whale with all that bulk and 44lb of lift is way overkill for the type of diving I do, pretty much all warm water mostly in the Keys on Aluminum 80s. My current setup is as follows:

Male - 5' 11" - 190-195 lbs
seldom wear a wetsuit but when I do it is (I think) a 3/3 two piece farmer john type
Zeagle Ranger LTD
6lb weight in each release pocket & 2-3 lb in each trim pocket
Atomic M1 reg & octo
Scubapro Twin Jet fins, the yellow/buoyant ones
Occasionally carry an Ikelite housing with camera (slightly negative with the weight on it)

Thanks for the help!
 
I've been eying the single tank rig for several years now and think I'm finally ready to take the plunge and buy one shortly but not quite sure exactly what I need. My main goal is to streamline everything & not have to carry so much weight. The Ranger is super comfortable underwater but I feel like a whale with all that bulk and 44lb of lift is way overkill for the type of diving I do, pretty much all warm water mostly in the Keys on Aluminum 80s. My current setup is as follows:

Male - 5' 11" - 190-195 lbs
seldom wear a wetsuit but when I do it is (I think) a 3/3 two piece farmer john type
Zeagle Ranger LTD
6lb weight in each release pocket & 2-3 lb in each trim pocket
Atomic M1 reg & octo
Scubapro Twin Jet fins, the yellow/buoyant ones
Occasionally carry an Ikelite housing with camera (slightly negative with the weight on it)

Thanks for the help!

AH,

For diving without any exposure suit a lightweight BC is required, as you will need very little ballast. As you add exposure suit the benefits of a a Stainless plate become more apparent.

A kydex plate and harness is about -2 lbs, a reg is about -2 and a full al 80 is also -2 lbs. That makes your rig about -6 lbs with a full cylinder, and about neutral with an empty al 80.

Our smallest wing, the Torus 17, offers more than enough lift to float a rig that's only -6 lbs with a full tank.

As you add your 3/3 suit you will need another ~4 lbs of ballast. This can be carried in a belt, or mounted to your rig using pouches on the harness.

Keep in mind that much of the ballast you are currently using is likely required to offset the inherent buoyancy of your current bc.

Recap:

Medium Kydex Plate
Torus 17 wing
Hogarthian Harness
(cambands and wedge blocks are included)

When would this gear no longer be appropriate? If you added more buoyant suits, and or more ballast to your rig.

Let me know if you have questions.

Tobin
 
Thanks for the reply. One more question, how much more negative is the SS plate vs the Kydex? To me there is nothing worse than getting toward the end of a dive and having to hold onto rocks because I'm getting too buoyant. I know that it's no good to dive overweighted and compensate with a larger wing, my question would be if I switched to the Med SS plate would the T17 wing still provide enough lift with shorts and a t-shirt? Thanks again for the advice!
 
Thanks for the reply. One more question, how much more negative is the SS plate vs the Kydex? To me there is nothing worse than getting toward the end of a dive and having to hold onto rocks because I'm getting too buoyant. I know that it's no good to dive overweighted and compensate with a larger wing, my question would be if I switched to the Med SS plate would the T17 wing still provide enough lift with shorts and a t-shirt? Thanks again for the advice!

A Stainless plate and harness is about -6 lbs, and Kydex plate and harness is about -2 lbs.

I've recommended the Kydex because you stated you dive with no exposure suit. With no suit a SS plate will over weight you.


With an al 80 and no suit you need about 4 lbs of ballast. The kydex plate and reg will provide about that.

Tobin
 
Ah, I didn't realize it was that big a difference. Kydex it is then, I'll just stick a few weight pockets on there for the suited dives. Thanks again for the help, order has been placed! :D.
 
Last edited:
Ah, I didn't realize it was that big a difference. Kydex it is then, I'll just stick a few weight pockets on there for the suited dives. Thanks again for the help, order has been placed! :D.

Thank you for the order. It should ship Tuesday, and I'd expect it to arrive about a week later.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Tobin
 
I dive the same rig, and add the two or three pounds of weight to pockets on the tank bands. Probably not the best place for the weight, but it works and is streamlined for me.

If you are like me, and want to streamline your dive gear, you're gonna love the Kydex/17 Torus combination.

And if you have any trouble getting it set up, Tobin is great about the after-sales help.
DS
 
I got to dive the rig this past weekend and all I can say is wow! It pretty much felt like I was wearing nothing at all. My only regret is that I wish I had gone with the SS plate. I wound up needing 5 pounds of weight to stay down at the end of the dives (no suit), I may be ok with 4# (only had a 2 & 3#) but if the SS is -6 and the Kydex is -2 that would put me at ~neutral with the SS if my math is correct. Regardless, this thing is a dream compared to hauling around all that extra weight and resistance that I'm used to. I never even had to inflate the wing except at the surface. Pretty sure I'll be picking one of these up for my wife, gonna recommend it to my brother and I know I sold at least one other friend on it this weekend.
 
I got to dive the rig this past weekend and all I can say is wow! It pretty much felt like I was wearing nothing at all. My only regret is that I wish I had gone with the SS plate. I wound up needing 5 pounds of weight to stay down at the end of the dives (no suit), I may be ok with 4# (only had a 2 & 3#) but if the SS is -6 and the Kydex is -2 that would put me at ~neutral with the SS if my math is correct. Regardless, this thing is a dream compared to hauling around all that extra weight and resistance that I'm used to. I never even had to inflate the wing except at the surface. Pretty sure I'll be picking one of these up for my wife, gonna recommend it to my brother and I know I sold at least one other friend on it this weekend.

Glad to hear it. Thanks for letting me know.

Tobin
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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