JamesK
Contributor
JamesK, thanks for the links on the Oxycheq gear. I hadn't come across that company in my BCD searches. I like the color options available. I assume these would be fairly easy to setup for sidemounting a single tank fairly easily?
Thanks
Not a problem at all. Glad I could help
Setting them up for sidemount would require some work. You would need to find a way to keep the wing from tacoing (folding on itself like ELan described). This could be done by placing the wing under the harness, sewing tabs on the sides of the wing for bungees, or anything else you could come up with. Some people sew a tab in the side and then run a bolt snap and bungee setup across their stomach to hold the wing down. However, it would probably not be as stable as a dedicated small lift sidemount specific wing. Something like the Hollis SMS 50, Razor, or UTD setup. I use a UTD 20lb wing. The reason something like that works is because it spreads the lift out low and across your hips, giving you a stable platform. However, with that being said, if you can manage gas trapping of the OxyCheq wing, you can make it work. I can dive an AL80 with just my harness and no wing using lung volume to control buoyancy. You don't need a lot of lift to work with a single tank. I have not tried it without the wing with two AL80's. UTD even markets their setup as usable with a single tank SM setup. Of course the other two I mentioned would work just as good with that.
Hollis SMS 50
Hollis Gear: SMS 50
Razor
Go Side Mount - Steve Bogaerts
And for some reason I can not get the UTD page to load properly but here is a series of videos on their homepage discussing their setup
Z-System Setup - Unified Team Diving
Well the OP was referring to a BC like zeagle express tech or trabspac which does not have those plastic plates spread over
Both could be set up to work with SM, but would take work. I would say going with something SM specific would be a better option if it is decided to go a SM route.
---------- Post added April 17th, 2012 at 09:20 PM ----------
Unless you have something sticking out moving the point of bladder force application it will be disbalanced. The al80 is still heavy - about 5 lb so you will either have to balance it with the air or weights. And you will have to move them along the dive.
Besides you will have to route your second reg somehow unless you are diving solo.
I personally see no benefit.
I don't use air trapping nor do I move weights around before or during the dive. What are you stating you will have to move during the dive?
As for the routing of the second reg, I assume you mean backup. That is easy. Run a long hose down the tank off of a bottom port, through some tank bungees, and then back up around your neck once. Run the backup off a bottom port and then around your neck once and attached to a bungee necklace. Run your SPG off either port depending on where you want it on either a 6" or 9" hose. Run your inflator off a 5th port if you have one and right in to the wing, or off a top port straight in to the wing using a 9-15" hose.
You seeing no benefit does not mean their is not one. Of course, me seeing a benefit, does not make it right either. It's all what you like.