Fresh ammo for the bp/wings debate

[US RANGER]

I have a Zeagle Ranger with an aluminum backplate on the inside. 2x12L 232 bar bottles. I found the Zeagle to be too soft even when using a single bottle and it hurt my back. Hence backplate. When I dive single I have a backplate single tank adapter.

With this setup I have the best of all worlds. The comfort of the Zeagle with nice straps and quick connectors, integrated little by little droppable weight (only 8kg now), and the firmness of a backplate. It sits on my back like it's bolted to my spine! Very comfortable and rock solid.

The only thing I could think to do to make it better is put a few of the kilos into the backplate by using a thicker steel one (thus having maybe 4kg to drop). But then again, I don't have problems with orientation so why bother?

On a side note, I almost drown on the surface once with a backplate, wing, and conventional weight belt setup (16kg). I was holding my scooter, very tired, the weight belt was sliding around (terrible with conventional weight and drysuits) had problems holding my face up out of the waterand and decided to get rid of the weight. This was borrowed equipment, and had a 6 ft. regulator hose, which was hanging down right under me which I didn't think about in that moment. The weight belt came off like it should, but amazingly enough, straddled the regulator and got stuck 6 ft. below me. Suddenly I was lying face forward and sideways in the water. I didn't have the strength to pull it up. F%¤K Okay, ditch the gear. Conventonal webbing setup on the backplate, no quick connectors, F%¤K me. I couldn't get out and spent a very long minute or so like that! My buddy came over and got the weight belt off, and after a bit of struggling, I got the gear off. NEVER NEVER again will I have plain webbing. 4 quick connectors takes 2 seconds to get out of, and I'm gone.

 

[roakey]

US RANGER once bubbled...
NEVER NEVER again will I have plain webbing.

Completely exhausted, weight belt improperly adjusted, dangling unparked regulator, didn't let go of the scooter just for a moment to have two hands to solve the problem and unfamilliar equipment.

And you conclude the solution to this entire CF is quick releases on the BP webbing?

Sounds like you had a massive failure of your most important piece of equipment, and this failure has persisted into the problem analysis phase...

Roak

 

[US RANGER]

The reason I had borrowed equipment is that the guy with me was taking his first dry suit dive. I wanted him in my stuff cause I knew it is solid and easy to get out of, and I could better deal with a situation in the borrowed stuff than he could.

I'm not sure how you properly adjust a single band weight belt on a dry suit at the beginning of the dive. I've found them to be terribly difficult to get tight enough that they won't move/rotate when you descend. Any suggestions are welcome, but you won't find me with one again anyways. The ones that go over your shoulders as well are quite fine though.

I guess I unparked the 6ft. reg while I was trying to get out of that webbing before I opted to drop the weight so I didn't get tangled up in it. I didn't know what to do with the 6ft. reg before the dive at that point so it probably wasn't parked right. Had never seen one before. My fault.

Do you drop your scooter in 45 meters as a first resort?

The point is that with the zeagle ranger and backplate like I have it, I can drop weight very smoothly with one hand and the individual weights will never catch on anything. I can also get out of it with one hand in 2 seconds. These things that went wrong or were done wrong WOULDN'T have been an issue here if I had had quick connectors on that webbing, PERIOD. I would have been floating next to my gear happy as an otter contemplating what went wrong there.

But anyways, thanks for the constructive analysis, it was early on in my diving experience, I learned a great deal from it, and I'm just trying to share the experience with others.

I imagine you have the air bags in your car disabled. Don't need those when your most important piece of equipment never does anything wrong. You would certainly never make a mistake.

 

[bwerb]

US RANGER once bubbled...
I'm not sure how you properly adjust a single band weight belt on a dry suit at the beginning of the dive. I've found them to be terribly difficult to get tight enough that they won't move/rotate when you descend. Any suggestions are welcome.

I didn't know what to do with the 6ft. reg before the dive at that point so it probably wasn't parked right. Had never seen one before. My fault.

Do you drop your scooter in 45 meters as a first resort?

1.) Get the weightbelt nice and wet before you start...it's the streching that causes it to expand and rotate before you descend. I make it a habit to get it wet and crank it as tight as it will go...as soon as I actually dive in, it's perfect

2.) Don't dive with equipment you are unfamiliar with...you now know why.

3.) I believe some scooters are adjustable to neutral bouyancy so when you let go of them they stay put.

 

[RichLockyer]

US RANGER once bubbled...
NEVER NEVER again will I have plain webbing. 4 quick connectors takes 2 seconds to get out of, and I'm gone.

In those same two seconds you could have added a little air to your suit and solved the problem.