Dive Rite single tank adapter vs Halcyon weighted tank adapter....?

[wgw04024]

Hi,

I'm going to purchase a Dive Rite setup with SS plate, deluxe harness, and rec series wing. My question is this, is there a way to add weight to the back like the Holycion single tank adapter? Will that adapter fit onto the Dive Rite SS backplate? The adapter is a bit steep, but the extra 6 lbs would sure be handy when diving cold up here. Thoughts?

Holycion adapter

Bill

 

[tbone1004]

you would be better off calling Tobin at Deep Sea Supply and purchasing a steel backplate with the weight plates. That will add an extra 8lbs and will be more stable than an STA, and shouldn't cost you much more. The cheapest BP/W system out there is $310 and that's with a fairly small wing and no STA from DGX, add $230 for the weighted STA from Halcyon and you're at $540. Cheapest with a Rec wing I found is $440 for a total cost of $670. A DSS system with weight plates is $560 plus shipping for a much better overall solution. If you travel at all, the Rec wing will always require an STA for proper use which is more weight and bulk to carry. The DSS rig can have the plates removed quite easily for travel and packs quite flat since the wing doesn't require an STA. On top of that, since the wing can be removed from the plate without undoing the cam bands or wing nuts and having pieces everywhere, it is much nicer for local diving because the wing can be hung separately to dry and cleaned without having to upset the cam bands

That said. I would not recommend the rec wing for singles use unless you are using 8" diameter tanks, and even then it is far from ideal. As far as the STA's, they are all universal because they use a standard bolt spacing so you can get away with it if you so choose.

Call Tobin, talk to him. If you're not of the "normal" size that BP/W's are built around, he also has "large" style if you're a bit bigger than most, and long plates if you're over about 6'3"

 

[decompression]

Tbone gives good advice, the Halcyon weight only fits the Halcyon STA (and 1 other IIRC), not the DR which is wedge shaped. You could always try a soft weight pouch that fits every 11" backplate and STA. Or a couple of pouches on the tank band.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[buddhasummer]

Yeah, it will also fit the Hollis STA. I don't like the DR STA as it only has one top set of slots I found it positioned the tank too high for my liking. I cut some extra slots under the top set it solved my problem but not having a machine shop cutting the extra slots by hand was no easy feat. A much better non weighted STA is the AGIR BROKK one although very spendy. I use the H weighted STA when diving dry combined with a 5.1kg plate enables me to remove weight from my weight belt. Convenience does however come at a cost.

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

For divers that want the weight back there but at a better price point here are 3 different options:

XS Scuba Weight Pocket (Need two)

Hollis Trim Weight Pockets

Halcyon Trim Weight Pockets

All three allow up to 5lbs each pocket and attach to the cam bands, just tuck them against the BP. I know they are more money, but I prefer the Halcyon ones due to how they attach (no velcro) and that that the closing flap uses velcro along with a clip to keep the weight in.

 

[geoff w]

Hi,

I'm going to purchase a Dive Rite setup with SS plate, deluxe harness, and rec series wing. My question is this, is there a way to add weight to the back like the Holycion single tank adapter? Will that adapter fit onto the Dive Rite SS backplate? The adapter is a bit steep, but the extra 6 lbs would sure be handy when diving cold up here. Thoughts?

Holycion adapter

Bill

My wife and I both have Dive Rite setups with both the regular and "lite" stainless backplates, and Dive Rite wings, and the Halcyon single tank adapter. The Halcyon STA works fine with the Dive Rite wings and backplates. If you go that route, make sure you get the little rubber pads so the Halcyon STA metal sides don't scratch up your tanks. I couldn't find the pads in the Dive Rite online catalog, but found it at Dive Gear Express. https://www.divegearexpress.com/pad-for-cam-strap. We both have Travel and Voyager wings, and the Dive Rite STA description says it's made for use with those 2 wings, so check the opening on the DR Rec wing just to be sure

The 6 lb insert for the Halcyon STA is extra on top of the cost of an STA with a blue H on it. I haven't sprung for the weighted insert yet, even for when I dive dry. If you don't already have tanks, I would spring for steel tanks instead of aluminum rental tanks before I spent the $ on the Halcyon STA. Occasionally the Halcyon weighted inserts appear on the auction web site, but I haven't seen any cheap ones

I think the Scubapro STA is identical to the Halcyon, in case you can get a better deal on Scubapro. I never bothered measuring the Hollis STA that looks the same to see if the dimensions are identical. I would check if you're thinking you could save a few bucks over the Halcyon

Personally, I think the Dive Rite gear is great

---------- Post added January 6th, 2016 at 11:03 PM ----------

...All three allow up to 5lbs each pocket and attach to the cam bands, just tuck them against the BP. I know they are more money, but I prefer the Halcyon ones due to how they attach (no velcro) and that that the closing flap uses velcro along with a clip to keep the weight in.

The Dive Rite travel weight pockets also have a clip to keep the weight in instead of relying on velcro, and are less spendy than the Halcyon ones

 

[Centrals]

A simple harness is preferred and is cheaper as well. And add a pair each of pads and DR travel weight pocket from DGX as suggested by geoff w.

 

[Sevenrider860]

I agree that the DSS weight plates are a much better solution than spending $230 for the weighted STA. I actually had to look to see if $230 was a typo!

I have a DSS long steel backplate with the weight plates. This gets me 16 pounds of ballast evenly distributed when I am cold water diving with a single cylinder. When I head to a warm water destination I remove the plates and put on my 17 pound Torus wing. As has been pointed out, the ability to easily remove and replace the DSS wings without messing with the cam straps is another reason I prefer the DSS design. I have found that the DSS wing design and the use of the wedge blocks with the cam straps keep the cylinder more stable than using a STA.

I would caution the "universal" comment about STAs. It is true they should all have 11 inch bolt spacing and they all should mount to a standard backplate, but they do not all have standard cam strap spacing or shape. An example, I have a generic (DGX purchased I think) STA and a Halcyon weighted STA (I did NOT spend $230 on this). Both have 11 inch bolt spacing, but they are very different designs. The Halcyon is basically flat where as the generic STA is more of a wedge. This allows the DGX STA to be used with some wings that have "anti-roll" solutions because the base that sits up against the backplate is narrower. The Halcyon STA has a very poor fit on these types of wings because of the wide, flat base that sits up against the backplate. The DGX STA has 9 inches between the bottom of the top cam strap slot to the top of the bottom cam strap slot. The Halcyon has 6 inches. There is also a difference on where the cam strap slot is located with relation to the bolts. On the DGX STA the top cam strap slot is centered over the top bolt. On the Halcyon the top cam strap slot is below the top bolt.

As a side note...if a new Halcyon weighted STA is going for $230 I think it is time for me to put mine up for sale! It has been sitting unused in a storage box for almost two years!

 

[tbone1004]

the anti-roll wings can have the tubes removed *They're just surgical tubing btw* and the flat STA's can work, but the comment was whether it will fit on the plates and they will, and since Dive Rite can't use anti-roll devices on the wings because of compatibility with the Transpac, they'll all work.

As far as cam band positioning, that isn't a function of which plates it will go on because holes in the plate are also largely in the same spot, so it just means you have to adjust where you put the cam bands on the tank, but they'll all work.

 

[captio2000]

I've used the Halycon Weighted STA on both my DiveRite Transplate and Halycon BPW. I'm a big guy and appreciate not dealing with it in weight pockets and helps my trim. I add even more weight to pockets on the tank cam bands so I rarely need weight pockets. Your mileage may vary.

Sometimes you can find factory seconds for the weight inserts - our shop frequently has them - diveseekers.com