Even if not, once you start altering your BCD, you might kill whatever resale value it has. It may be worth trying to sell it first, though I suspect there may not be much of a market for it in .ro.
Ditchable weights / balanced rig
- Thread starter Troponica
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Even if not, once you start altering your BCD, you might kill whatever resale value it has. It may be worth trying to sell it first, though I suspect there may not be much of a market for it in .ro.
Julius SCHMIDT
Contributor
Well just cut a hole near the bottom and let the water out
OP
Troponica
Registered
Thanks a lot for all your answers! Now i just hope the monoprene and hard plastic on the backplate won't fail due to added stress 
.
It's already up for sale on a couple of groups. My problem right now is that I can't really decide on what setup to go for, I'd rather buy a BPW for doubles or sidemount at first, depending on what training path I choose this summer. As to its resale value, I can take it back to the standard in 10 minutes, once I change back the chest D-rings to the really tiny ones it came with (useless for blind clipping, at least for me).
.It's already up for sale on a couple of groups. My problem right now is that I can't really decide on what setup to go for, I'd rather buy a BPW for doubles or sidemount at first, depending on what training path I choose this summer. As to its resale value, I can take it back to the standard in 10 minutes, once I change back the chest D-rings to the really tiny ones it came with (useless for blind clipping, at least for me).
Few things for a BP+wing...
- The harness; just go for a simple one-piece harness. €50 or thereabouts. You don't need breaks in the harness.
- The backplate: stainless steel 3mm is normal and gives you a couple of kg of weight. Aluminium is lighter (maybe good for flying, or if you're wearing heavy kit in fresh water). Generally use stainless steel. €50 second hand - you don't need new.
- Wing: need two; one for a single with about 15kg buoyancy, one for a twinset with about 18kg. They're different as the twinset version is wider. Get a doughnut wing, NOT a horseshoe. Don't get a bungeed one. Lots of options around; Halcyon's the most expensive, but there's plenty of others which are just as good.
- Single tank adapter: required if using a single tank. This is a U-shaped metal plate and a couple of cam bands. You should get 4 weight pouches to put on the cam bands to put your weight. (The number depends on how much weight you need and where you put it). About €50 second hand.
- Weights; for single tank use weightbelt weights. For a twinset you will use 'V' weights which fit behind the twinset between the wing and backplate. Would suggest you get a "tail weight" too. Get 5 kg in 2kg, 1kg and a 2kg tail weight.
OP
Troponica
Registered
It sounds like mentally you are already considering the DIR way of diving........hit the google machine and see the equipment set up, balanced rig, rock bottom etc.......there you’ll find the answers you seek.......I sound like Yoda.
you can still weight yourself properly and still have ditchable weight that is fully secured so it will not fall out accidentally. so why not have it if you want it ? makes sense to have the ability to ditch and not need it, than to need it and not be able to ditch it.
but of course that whole discussion changes when diving in warm salt water with a thin suit and very little weight vs. diving cold water in a 7mm suit or thicker with a heavy steel tank and lots of weight.
i have an xdeep sidemount rig that has no ditchable weight. but when i dive the cenotes in mexico it makes no difference because ditching weight in an over head environment doesn't really make any sense right ? and when i have dived it at home, i am in a dry suit so i have redundant buoyancy.
no it does not make any difference which way you attach the first stage. use it however bet suits you. i used to dive an apeks sealed reg so i would flip it to protect the seal. didn't really need to but i thought it was a good idea at the time.
i actually ride my cylinder pretty high on my back so my reg hits me in the back of the head. many people do not like this. for me, i like it high.
many will use a small loop of bungee to secure their hose. some bc's do have a really long hose. you could always switch it for a shorter one as well.
but of course that whole discussion changes when diving in warm salt water with a thin suit and very little weight vs. diving cold water in a 7mm suit or thicker with a heavy steel tank and lots of weight.
i have an xdeep sidemount rig that has no ditchable weight. but when i dive the cenotes in mexico it makes no difference because ditching weight in an over head environment doesn't really make any sense right ? and when i have dived it at home, i am in a dry suit so i have redundant buoyancy.
no it does not make any difference which way you attach the first stage. use it however bet suits you. i used to dive an apeks sealed reg so i would flip it to protect the seal. didn't really need to but i thought it was a good idea at the time.
i actually ride my cylinder pretty high on my back so my reg hits me in the back of the head. many people do not like this. for me, i like it high.
many will use a small loop of bungee to secure their hose. some bc's do have a really long hose. you could always switch it for a shorter one as well.
MaxTorque
Contributor
I have a HydrosPro for my "warm water" setup. It's a comfy, decent bcd, with a nice LPi and dump valves and ime, once you get the trim pockets on the bladder setup, enables a really good position in the water with a single cylinder (single 12l steel in my case) with both wet and dry suits (although i use slightly lower buoyancy fins with the drysuit, as my skinny chicken legs are sinky in a wetsuit, but a little floaty in a dry suit.
I have indeed added a crotch strap, and that allowed me to run with the waist strap much less tight, which in turm meant the stand, and yes, a bit bulky, integrated weight system was less obtrusive. I've stuck with that system simply because those large integrated pockets are much more capable of accepting all sorts of lead you get handed when on holiday diving, which can be hard and soft, and anywhere from 3kg chunks to 0.5 kg. If you are only ever using your own lead, that matters less, but i'm not carting a load of lead round the world for fun lol!
The LPI hose i find tends to sit reasonably close, make sure the little elastic loop on the lh shoulder strap is positioned down towards the top D ring, and make sure the plastic hose clip in toggle is a reasonable way down the intflator dump hose as this stiffens the assy ime and causes it to flap around less.
As i use it predominantly with a wetsuit, having ditchable weighs is more important as i don't have the integral buoyancy redundancy i have with a drysuit, another reason to keep the std integrated removable weight pockets.
I have indeed added a crotch strap, and that allowed me to run with the waist strap much less tight, which in turm meant the stand, and yes, a bit bulky, integrated weight system was less obtrusive. I've stuck with that system simply because those large integrated pockets are much more capable of accepting all sorts of lead you get handed when on holiday diving, which can be hard and soft, and anywhere from 3kg chunks to 0.5 kg. If you are only ever using your own lead, that matters less, but i'm not carting a load of lead round the world for fun lol!
The LPI hose i find tends to sit reasonably close, make sure the little elastic loop on the lh shoulder strap is positioned down towards the top D ring, and make sure the plastic hose clip in toggle is a reasonable way down the intflator dump hose as this stiffens the assy ime and causes it to flap around less.
As i use it predominantly with a wetsuit, having ditchable weighs is more important as i don't have the integral buoyancy redundancy i have with a drysuit, another reason to keep the std integrated removable weight pockets.
MaxTorque
Contributor
oh, and for a 40m dive, unless i'm with buddies of a well known provenance, i'll carry a 3l pony as backup if i'm single cylinder-ing, probably even with a 15l as backgas. Any issue that causes a problem at that depth and delays your ascent could easily send you into deco or at least a longer safety stop, and therefore carrying a bit more gas is sensible. if your buddies are known, you have practices gas sharing with them, and have good gas management, including ensuring they have enough to share, then maybe not. Also, with a single cyl you are probably on a single 1st stage only which given the 40m of water over your head starts to sound a bit close to the wire to me.......
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