Possible to modify a 32# bladder to fit on a zeagle express tech wing?

[phork]

What issue?? You just need to use the center strap. BTW, I used a Singer heavy duty with a walking foot to sew mine. It was barely strong enough. Not sure I needed to sew another seam, but I did.

Actually, that might work if I used the top set of grommets. I'll check it out after work tonight.

---------- Post added July 10th, 2013 at 01:04 PM ----------

Instead of a zeagle express tech, why not pick up a HOG AL plate. At 2lb, I doubt Zeagle is lighter in any meaningful way. No modification needed, fit for sure, better yet, stable rigid plate platform that you are familiar with.

Aside from it being lighter than the AL bp, it's easier to pack because it's a good bit smaller and I intend to do more with it later.

---------- Post added July 10th, 2013 at 01:07 PM ----------

Anyways, thanks for the info everyone. I'm going to see how well it will work tonight if I remove the seam on the BP, use the top set of grommets to mount and the center strap for the tank bands.

If nothing else, I'll just pick up a new wing and deal with the woman however I can.

 

[The Chairman]

Actually, that might work if I used the top set of grommets. I'll check it out after work tonight.

Might? It works great. Like I said, I've already done this.

Whenever you need to modify gear, you have to think about what you are trying to modify. Putting a tab or two on a bladder is a piece of cake, but trying to re-engineer how it sits on a BC would be tough. So, the logical place to make things fit is the back plate. You don't have to worry about causing a leak in the bladder and pulling out the seam was pretty easy.

 

[Chilly_Dipper]

Here's the situation, I need a travel bp/w. I currently dive the Hog SS bp w/ 32# wing and love it. My initial plan was to pickup a Zeagle Express tech bp and throw the Hog wing on it since the Zeagle wing I was going to get with it was a 30#. I didn't see the point in having 2 separate wings that have a 2lb lift difference. The problem that I'm having is the holes where the tank straps on the Hog wing tread through don't match up with the ones on the ET bp. The ET has a horizontal length of 4.5in's where the Hog wing's are just under 4in's so it creates tension between the two. The vertical length is about a half inch shorter on the wing as well since the grommets don't match up perfectly to attach the two (the grommets are close enough so it's not an issue, it just offsets the lower tank strap a bit).

I'm wondering if it's possible to get it modified so it would fit properly for the tank straps? I don't think modifying the bp would work but I'm thinking if it's possible to widen and lengthen the holes for the tanks straps, it would fit quite well. Any possibility we could make this happen?

Answer to the question. Absolutely you can modify anything to work with anything given enough time, effort, and money.

The real question is why would you want to? Like someone already mentioned Al BP and travel wing. Unless you're traveling without fins you're not saving any space or significant weight once you add in the water weight of your soft plate (unless of course you take 3 ->4 days to dry it out).

 

[phork]

The real question is why would you want to? Like someone already mentioned Al BP and travel wing. Unless you're traveling without fins you're not saving any space or significant weight once you add in the water weight of your soft plate (unless of course you take 3 ->4 days to dry it out).

Because I was trying to eliminate the need to purchase another complete rig. I already have a SS BP and the 32# wing. I wanted to get a lighter/smaller BP and use my current wing rather than buying another travel wing. All that I needed to be done was widen and lengthen the holes where you thread the tank straps. In the end, it would have saved me a few hundred dollars. But, instead, I found a wing that will fit both my Hog BP as well as the Zeagle ET without mods. So the Hog wing, as much as I liked it, is either going to the woman once she finishes school and has time to dive or will be sold.

 

[The Chairman]

(unless of course you take 3 ->4 days to dry it out).

Haven't played with one yet, have you? It doesn't absorb water like that. I own, aluminum, kydex as well as other types of back plates. In my opinion, this is the lightest and most packable of them all and by a wide margin.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Haven't played with one yet, have you? It doesn't absorb water like that. I own, aluminum, kydex as well as other types of back plates. In my opinion, this is the lightest and most packable of them all and by a wide margin.

The Express Tech is packable all right, thanks to the double-edged sword of it not being very rigid. I crammed my Express Tech in a backpack and took it around the world, from the US to Africa to Malaysia and Indonesia and back.