BC Setup for an Undecided guy

[diversteve]

If you look at 'tech' bcs they just come with a lot of crap. A lot of that crap isn't necessary. Just one more dangaly to get hung on something. More nylon that creates positive buoyancy that you may need to offset with more lead.

I'm guessing you've never seen an Express Tech...

 

[dj10022]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Haven't decided yet between soft pack and straight harness and backplate, but here's what I am considering. Any thoughts?

Harness and backplate systems:
1. OMS Comfort Harness System II™ with adjustable Oblique webbing, (4) Chest Mounted D-Rings, and a pull dump tunnel on each shoulder pad.
2. Oxycheq Renegade Harness
3 Dive Rite transplate

Soft Pack systems:
1. OMS IQ backpak
2. Oxycheck A-Pack Harness System
3. Dive Rite Transpac

 

[Jim Lapenta]

OMS service sucks and that strap on the chest is not needed. You need a simple short inflator with an elbow and one pull dump on the lower left side. And the pull dump tunnel is just another unnecessary feature as you will not be using a double pull dump bc unless you go with one of those double bladder wings which also are not necessary.

The Renegade harness is a weight harness only. Similar to the DUI weight and trim. It is not meant to hold a tank or wing. It goes on under a bc or standard hog harness to help distribute the weight load on the shoulders.

The A pack is a nice looking thing but way too much padding and plastic buckles that are not necessary. And you still need to add a wing to that.

The Dive Rite gear is all top quality but again you need to look at how you are going to use the gear, what will you do with it in the future, what will your regular buddies be using. I would still recommend a basic hog harness and steel plate with a wing of the appropriate size. For example:
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?page=home

The rig pictured on the opening page or this one from DRIS

HOG Gear Singles Package - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL

When considering new gear here are a few recommendations that I use for all my students and are featured in my AOW course especially. They are from Tom Mount of IANTD and truly apply to all divers including recreational ones. Is the gear:

1. Safe and Reliable
2. Comfortable and Well Fitting
3. Provide for adequate redundancy without being excessive.
4. Configured for self sufficiency and self rescue
5. Simple and Streamlined
6. All accessories and valves easily reachable
7. Allows for Buddy Assist and Rescue
8. Has a Low Drag Profile- Streamlined
9. Adaptable to the Divers Needs
10. Adaptable to the Diver’s Objective
11. All Equipment Identifiable by Touch and Location
12. Standardized with Fellow Divers Yet Versatile to Meet the Needs of the User
13. Equipment Placement is balanced and Instinctive
14. Any Changes have been made Gradually and with Careful Thought
15. Diver is open to Improvement to his/her Setup
16. All Cylinders are Properly Labeled with the Gas Mixture, MOD, and the Diver’s Name

 

[SeaCobra]

One VERY strong piece of advice -- don't try to buy a setup that will work for singles and doubles. Buy a singles setup, and buy a doubles wing later, if and when you do decide to get into technical or overhead diving. There is no wing that works well for both purposes, and the cost of a doubles wing won't even be noticed in the total cost of getting into technical diving.

Very good advice here. Use the KISS method (Keep It Simple and Streamlined) and meet YOUR diving needs, no one else. I have 3 BP/W setups, although they are all the same, mostly just a bladder change.

Setup1 local diving in doubles:
SS BP, hog harness and DR Classic wing (simple elbow on cor. hose). This has performed flawlessly off of jersey, in the St. Lawrence and even a bit of cave diving.

Setup2 for local diving in singles:
SS BP, hog harness, STA and DR Venture wing. New to my repertoire and have been very happy climbing boat ladders with a wee single on my back, who needs 135 pounds of tanks on their back just to paddle about a 60fsw dive?

Setup3 for travel:
AL BP, hog harness and appropriate wing for the tanks we'll be using. I tote along a set of DR clipper pockets in case I need to create a weight system.

If you are local to Dutch I will be there April 10 and also at Beneath the Sea trades show in March if you want to get together, I'd be happy to help.

Jeff

 

[Colliam7]

Haven't decided yet between soft pack and straight harness and backplate, but here's what I am considering. Any thoughts?

When I moved (from a Zeagle Ranger) to BP/W, I tried a Halcyon set-up, and tried a Transplate. I ultimately went with a used Dive Rite SS BP, bought some webbing and set up a one piece harness myself, with buckle, D-rings, etc. So, my comments on your possibilities should be interpreted in the context of my personal bias, toward simplicity, which may or may not be yours. I also later bought a used OMS backplate that came with a Deluxe Harness (not the Comfort Harness, but with a chest strap, quick releases on both shoulder straps, etc.) that gave me a broader experience with 'gizmo gear'.

Of the harness and backplate systems you mention, I might look at the Transplate as the simplest approach, although even then it is more complicated than you need for single, or future back-mount double, tank diving. I don't find a chest strap to be useful, for singles or doubles. I don't find shoulder padding to be useful for either (unless you are a CA shore diver, or a FL springs diver, and enjoy hiking to the dive entry carrying your gear ). I DO like having a quick release, but only on one side, and only when diving doubles and a drysuit. Otherwise, the quick releases are not very useful for wet, single tank diving. Your consideration of the Renegade suggest you are looking for a weight system other than a standard weight belt, though, and that may be a factor in YOUR decision-making. The OMS Comfort Harness is too much 'stuff'. Personally, since it worked for me, I recommend a simple SS backplate, a one piece harness, and some D-rings, as the easiest way to make the transition to BP. I prefer a STA when diving singles, but that is just me. I would also stay away from Soft Pack systems, in general, with one possible caveat, that I will come back to. The OMS IQ Backpak is, from my perspective a no-no - not very adjustable, too much unnecessary material. If you think that a plain vanilla BP with a single piece of web harness is too austere, then the Renegade or Transplate might be good for you.

My caveat may not be Herk Man's 'bait ball in the shark tank', but some might consider it a 'turd in the puchbowl' comment. And, I appreciate your initial comment, that there are so-o-o many options, that it is already confusing. But, having recently gone over to the darker corner of the darkside - sidemount - I have a somewhat greater affinity for the TransPac than before. It still has way too much padding (I took all of it off my unit when I bought it for SM), but it does allow you to start with a rig that will accomodate a single tank, and move with reasonable ease to two tanks, with the addition of a buttplate and some bungees. The problem I am having is that there is such an explosion of SM rigs, it is hard to say that the TransPac is better than (or even as good as) some others. For example, in looking at the Oxycheq Recon SM rig (since you mention looking at the Renegade), it appears that a diver could use that for a single back tank. For someone who is seriously considering moving to tec in the future (two tank diving is 'tec' to many) you may want to explore the option of a SM rig. Just a thought, although maybe a premature thought. (And, just as Ulysses had the Sirens to lure his ships onto the rocks, I suggest you go to www.gosidemount.com/videos.asp, and click on video, Demo in a Razor Harness.)

We are currently finishing a class of tec students, all of whom are doing it backmount. It may be one of our last BM tec classes, as I want to try and move people toward SM in the future. In fact, this afternoon I am taking a diver, who I just certified last summer in OW, to the pool to have him try out my TransPac Nomad rig, to start moving him to two tank diving.

Since 'tec' is a future, not present, consideration, it may be easiest to just look at a BP/W now. But, I thought I would throw the SM thought into the [-]punchbowl[/-] er, mix.

 

[diver 85]

my vote is the BP/W route--for now & later..it's all modular.....

 

[rstofer]

One VERY strong piece of advice -- don't try to buy a setup that will work for singles and doubles. Buy a singles setup, and buy a doubles wing later, if and when you do decide to get into technical or overhead diving. There is no wing that works well for both purposes, and the cost of a doubles wing won't even be noticed in the total cost of getting into technical diving.

And that's the whole problem with BP/Ws. First you get a DSS rig for singles diving - absolutely perfect! Then you decide to build a HOG setup for double hose diving - the center outlet of the DSS wing doesn't work for double hose regs. Then you decide to try the Freedom Plate with an OxyCheq wing because it provides better placement for the DH reg can and everybody raves about the Mach V wing. And on, and on.

These things multiply like regulators! Nobody buys just a doubles wing. It is just too easy to buy another harness and plate. Then there is no point in interchanging wings. Just grab the other rig.

And the DSS single tank wings don't require a Single Tank Adapter and their design allows them to be removed from the plate for safe storage without unthreading the tank bands.

Yes, I'm a fan!

Richard

 

[dj10022]

DSS seems like an expensive setup for just simple BP/W rig. regardless, there's so many options and everybode have their own prefferences. I think I'll go initially with this setup:
Oxycheq A pack HS
Oxycheq Mach 5 - 30LB

This is assuming I can get my scuba shop to price it out for me

Once I have the bladded I may get a DR transplate just for fun. As you say this is just the begining...

And that's the whole problem with BP/Ws. First you get a DSS rig for singles diving - absolutely perfect! Then you decide to build a HOG setup for double hose diving - the center outlet of the DSS wing doesn't work for double hose regs. Then you decide to try the Freedom Plate with an OxyCheq wing because it provides better placement for the DH reg can and everybody raves about the Mach V wing. And on, and on.

These things multiply like regulators! Nobody buys just a doubles wing. It is just too easy to buy another harness and plate. Then there is no point in interchanging wings. Just grab the other rig.

And the DSS single tank wings don't require a Single Tank Adapter and their design allows them to be removed from the plate for safe storage without unthreading the tank bands.

Yes, I'm a fan!

Richard

 

[Diver0001]

If you want the Best go with the Best Halcyon Eclipse.

LOL. How many recalls have there been on this wing? Was it 2 or was it 3? I think it was 2 for this one and 3 for some of the other Halcyon wings. Have they even made a wing since 2004 that *hasn't* been recalled?

R..

 

[dj10022]

I did some research before I picked this wing and I did not come across the recall. can you please share the official link ? I can't seem to find any article on this topic for Mach 5 wings but I admit I only looked at the first 2 pages of google results. Also, checked Oxycheq web site and did not come across the recall. do share please.

On a separate note, I dont own this wing yet so I am basing my decission on scubaboard and other reviews. Once I own it and use it, I'll post my own thoughts on it but until then, I just want to tell you that I have been riding Harleys for the past 14 years. Never had a problem with either the Sportster or the Dyna WideGlide model I currently ride. However, do you know how many recalls have been issued on these two bikes in the past 14 years?