Long struggle with Transpac bcd

[Dive Rite]

Hi Sax,

Wow, I am so sorry you are struggling in your new rig! The main issue is the exposure protection. A 7mm/7mm core is a bunch of extra flotation that you're going to have to learn to work with. The Venture EXP wing doesn't give extra lift at the hips (the older Venture wing did), so you're head down because you have so much neoprene on the rest of your body that your head is the only thing not buoyant!

How to solve? Give me a call as I think this is easier to chat about than write about. A couple of immediate questions:

How deep are you diving the rig and having these problems? When working in a shallow pool or quarry (say 20-25 feet) you are going to have trouble with that much neoprene until it gets crushed a bit from wear and tear AND you gain more experience. As you go deeper, the neoprene will crush and you won't be fighting all that buoyancy as much.

Did you dive the neoprene suit with a Jacket BCD and did that work for you?

How much weight are you wearing?

Yes, you can remove one of the tank straps and lower the tank if you think this will help, but let's talk about your suit and rig more before you do that.

I'll be in the office Wed morning 9-12 EST 386-752-1087 or PM me your phone and I can call you.

Cheers,
Kathleen

 

[Jax]

About satwar

Location
___Sudbury, Ontario
Occupation
___Retired engineer
Gender
___Male
Certification Agencies
___PADI
Certification Level
___Open Water Diver
# of Logged Dives
___0 - 24
Dive Classification
___Just An "Average" Diver
Years Certified
___Less Than One Year
Dive Equipment
___Cressi one piece 7mm; Henderson core warmer 7mm; Henderson H2 boots, gloves, hood 7mm; DiveRite Transpac BCD; steel 100 cf tank; Mares Carbon 42 regulator; Atomic Aquatics Subframe mask; 24 lbs lead distributed in two (8 lb forward + 4 lb aft) weigh pockets on each side of BCD.
SB Challenge
___Bouyancy control

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I don't dive a Transpac, but for various reasons I dive with the tank a bit lower than usual (judging by where the upper strap would be on most STA's for example).

I tried out a double-hose rig in the pool a couple of months ago, and I'm pretty sure it was on a Transpac. It fit me great. I took note of that particularly, because when I was first BC shopping I had ruled out the Transpac based on the fact that it didn't look like it would fit me (I'm really short-waisted and I was concerned about the height of the upper cam strap once the waist strap was around my waist; although to to be fair I also decided I wanted a plain SS backplate so I didn't pursue it).

Anyway, here was this Transpac that fit even short-waisted me fabulously (and with the double-hose reg you typically wear the tank even lower as compared to the modern "normal").

Well, I remarked on this, and, as it turned out, some vintage divers had modified their Transpacs so that the whole rig rode lower down. I'm sorry that I can't remember the exact details, but I think there were some factory webbing loops or maybe slits for the waist strap, and that they had had modified this to attache slightly higher, thus lowering the whole thing (?).

I hesitated to post this because I'm not *positive* this was a Transpac, but I'm about 95% sure. And of course, that's not to say this is the mod you would need anyway. But then I hope you will only take away what you need from this idea -- if you even need it

Blue Sparkle

 

[satwar]

problem is the wing...
The wing was designed to put lift at your hips which will push you head down.... So... Do a proper weight check, fully geared up with 200 ish psi in your tank and do a weight check. I'm betting you're diving somewhat heavy and need a bunch of air in that wing. Because of the shape of the wing you will always feel pulled up from your butt because of that. Pushing the tank down farther will NOT make it any better though. Put the top tank band about two inches below the crown of the tank. The top of the valve should be level with the top of the shoulder straps when they're pulled up, which is about 2 inches from the crown. Keeping the tanks down as low as you mentioned will only cause you more problems and is just unsafe and awkward...
Try that, and see if that helps, Jet Fins or the Hollis F1 Bat fins will also pick your head up

I worked real hard at getting my weight down from 28lbs to 22lbs. With a full steel 100 I gradually start descending when I fully exhale. If I inhale too soon after I start descending (I am a rookie) I'll pop back up to the surface. I think I'm as low as I can go at my current level of experience. I don't need a lot of air in my bcd to stabilize my buoancy as I descend, so I don't think I'm overweighted. But....I haven't done a weight check with an empty tank at 15 ft yet.

I talked to my instructor today and he's scheduled some pool time next week to work with me on my horizontal trim. Over time I've moved the tank lower to reduce my head down attitude. Mind you I was fighting the problem with "turtling" at the time. Now that "turtling" has been solved by moving my weigh pockets to straddle the last belt loop on the cumberband, maybe I can experiment with tank position again.

 

[satwar]

Hi Sax,

Wow, I am so sorry you are struggling in your new rig! The main issue is the exposure protection. A 7mm/7mm core is a bunch of extra flotation that you're going to have to learn to work with. The Venture EXP wing doesn't give extra lift at the hips (the older Venture wing did), so you're head down because you have so much neoprene on the rest of your body that your head is the only thing not buoyant!

How to solve? Give me a call as I think this is easier to chat about than write about. A couple of immediate questions:

How deep are you diving the rig and having these problems? When working in a shallow pool or quarry (say 20-25 feet) you are going to have trouble with that much neoprene until it gets crushed a bit from wear and tear AND you gain more experience. As you go deeper, the neoprene will crush and you won't be fighting all that buoyancy as much.

Did you dive the neoprene suit with a Jacket BCD and did that work for you?

How much weight are you wearing?

Yes, you can remove one of the tank straps and lower the tank if you think this will help, but let's talk about your suit and rig more before you do that.

I'll be in the office Wed morning 9-12 EST 386-752-1087 or PM me your phone and I can call you.

Cheers,
Kathleen

PM'd my phone number

 

[satwar]

Pictures of you in the rig would be helpful.

I'll see what I can do. Side profile I presume is most helpful ? Unfortunately I don't have my tanks available right now. Will have to wait until next week.

 

[Dann]

Hello

I have a Transpac II with a Venture EXP, 2" crotch strap on it and was in a similar situation after I bought it. For pool work and tropical, I dive a 3mm full length wetsuit, AL80, 6mm boots + slingshots (now replaced by slipstreams), 2" pressure gauge clipped to the left D-ring off a 24" hose, the octo was attached to the top left D-ring on my shoulder strap (getting DIR hoses now) and using 6lb of weight. My goal was to set my gear up and perfect my trim. Initially I used the 8lb DR QR weight system.
Same as you, I watched the vids online prior to the dry setup and QR weight system installation. Once in the water (using the QR weights) I was pitching on my back and rolling on my left side. I could not do a lotus hover to save my life.
HEre's what I did and worked for me:
I removed the QR weight system from the harness. I am now using a belt. I started by using same amount of weight (3lb) on both sides of the belt. Being able to move the weight in the water, I found the proper location to solve the pitch problem. Now I was rolling to the left.
Taking a closer look at my setup, I observed that I have more weight on the left side of my body compared to the right (the pressure gauge and the octo). I replaced the 3lb on my left with a 2lb weight. I kept 3lb on the right.
This gave me perfect trim. No more rolling.

I recently returned from a trip in Cuba, where I used their belts and their weights. I asked for 8lb but they gave me 10lb on the belt. Once in the water I moved the weights on the belt until I stopped rolling. before you do this, however, make sure that if you have any air in your wing - is equally distributed left to right. Even with the donut you can still move the air side to side by rolling. This will affect your trim.
I made sure I used the same belt everyday - if possible, as I already knew what I had to do to get trimmed.

I'm still keeping the DR QR weight system - I'll try them again. But for now a belt with uneven amount of weight works the best.

Good luck
Dan

 

[satwar]

I think that using a weight belt is by far the most flexible option, but I've avoided using one because they tend to slip off me.

 

[bertiebasset]

Hi all I picked up a transpac with rec horseshoe wing in the summer its a 2007 model I had some issues with head banging valve but after watching the dive rite videos many times I may add I have put more length into the shoulder straps remembering nipple line when loaded with a steel 12 300bar about 18 kgs in weight reminding myself not to over tighten those adjusting pulls think I may have found the right fit in 5 9" 75 kgs dive thick underwear ursuit drysuit not banging my head at the moment but I have the top camstrap right before the crown cant ever see myself getting it any lower than that I always sit the rig chest strap first then crotch and belt took about 8 dives to dial it in just my 2 pennies Robert

---------- Post added December 11th, 2014 at 03:54 PM ----------

Plus I found the weight belt didn't feel right with a 2 kg sitting under the boot so have reattached the weight pockets and will try to pool dive the rig Monday see how it all goes I also brought some jet fins to address my slight floating feet problem Finland has very multilevel shore diving and dumping gas from the horseshoe wing is interesting sometimes if not embarrassing with my dm divebuddy ��

 

[tbone1004]

what first stage are you using? Yoke or Din? Crotch strap?
See if you can get a buddy to take a picture of you at the pool from the side and we can help a bit more then