Someone school me on BP/W, specifically for kids.

[dmaziuk]

Nothing is fool proof..............

Some make better fools. I find that an overfilled wing and weights on the front tend to turn me face down all the time. It's a good thing: I can do surface swims and see where I'm going too.

Not over-inflating the wing is a trick that doesn't take that long to figure out.

 

[JamesBon92007]

@JamesBon92007


Functionally, the BP/wing is superior in every aspect and if you follow the Hogarthian/DIR approach it gets really beautifully simple and functional. When I got instabuddied with someone who had never seen this setup before and briefed them on how they get gas and where all other items can be found the comments were always along the lines of "Wow, that's slick. Why doesn't everyone dive that way?" Excellent question.

As mentioned above, weight needs to go close to the tank or on the sides of the hip belt as far back as it will go. Then, you can take a nap on your back at the surface.

.

So, it sounds like if I get rid of the weight belt and put all the weight on the BP/W (weight pockets and SS plate) then it should be easier to maintain a vertical or tilted-backward orientation on the surface with a near-empty AL80. I have two backplates/wings at the moment and I'm shopping for a SS backplate. I have a Zeagle Express Tech with a soft backplate and after adding about seven pounds to the other one I'm very much preferring having some of the weight on my back rather than all of it on my belt, at least for horizontal trim while diving. So far I have not given in to the $110 for the Zeagle weight pockets because I'm not yet certain that it is going to be my ultimate setup. In any case it looks like those particular weight pockets would accommodate soft or hard weights so it shouldn't be a problem on dive trips to get the right amount of weights in them plus they should easily attach to a SS backplate instead of the soft backplate.

 

[Lobzilla]

So, it sounds like if I get rid of the weight belt and put all the weight on the BP/W (weight pockets and SS plate) then it should be easier to maintain a vertical or tilted-backward orientation on the surface with a near-empty AL80. I have two backplates/wings at the moment and I'm shopping for a SS backplate. I have a Zeagle Express Tech with a soft backplate and after adding about seven pounds to the other one I'm very much preferring having some of the weight on my back rather than all of it on my belt, at least for horizontal trim while diving. So far I have not given in to the $110 for the Zeagle weight pockets because I'm not yet certain that it is going to be my ultimate setup. In any case it looks like those particular weight pockets would accommodate soft or hard weights so it shouldn't be a problem on dive trips to get the right amount of weights in them plus they should easily attach to a SS backplate instead of the soft backplate.

When my nephew and I dove in British Columbia (cold salt water) they only rented AL80s there. We flew in with the SS backplates/wings and I brought a manifold and bands to turn two tanks into doubles. I only needed a V weight between the tanks to sink my drysuit.

However, my nephew looked like a small version of the Michelin Man in all the neoprene and it took a ton of lead to get him weighted. At the end of the first dive we re-weighted him and could drop a considerable amount of lead since there was apparently a lot of air trapped in wetsuit and gear that bubbled out during the dive. The remaining lead fit easily on his tank straps plus one medium block on each side of his waist strap, shoved against the plate. AL80s are not ideal for that kind of diving but you can make them work.

We did not worry about ditching his weights because I had two independent buoyancy systems (wing and drysuit) to haul him up if necessary. We shared the volume of the three 77 cuft tanks by doing a lot of air-donation practice with my long hose and moved up when either one of us hit rock bottom. Had a great time diving up there. Kelp forests, giant octopus, wolf fish, and dozens of other critters.

 

[JamesBon92007]

they only rented AL80s there.


However, my nephew looked like a small version of the Michelin Man in all the neoprene and it took a ton of lead to get him weighted. At the end of the first dive we re-weighted him and could drop a considerable amount of lead since there was apparently a lot of air trapped in wetsuit and gear that bubbled out during the dive.

We did not worry about ditching his weights because I had two independent buoyancy systems (wing and drysuit) to haul him up if necessary. We shared the volume of the three 77 cuft tanks by doing a lot of air-donation practice with my long hose and moved up when either one of us hit rock bottom. Had a great time diving up there. Kelp forests, giant octopus, wolf fish, and dozens of other critters.

I often come across mainly AL80s on dive trips but dive only with steel tanks when at home, but steel tanks seem to be more available than there were not too long ago, but some places that's all they offer.

I have one BP/W that is made from an old, plastic tank backpack and it takes a while for the air to bubble out. I enlarged the holes so it happens quicker but that, along with air in the wetsuit, certainly increases decent time.

The giant octopus sounds great! I have a collection of old movies that feature a giant, killer octopus My girlfriend had only been diving in the Caribbean and Puerto Vallarta so I took her to Catalina (California) so she could see some kelp forests. Too bad the water is not a clear as it used to be.

 

[Lobzilla]

@JamesBon92007
Wait a second. Are you talking about the small, narrow plastic tank carrier for old school wingless diving? That may be the reason for you experiencing a tendency of tipping forward on the surface. That carrier may put the wing too far away from your body. If you can wait two weeks I can send you a used but nice SS plate just for shipping cost. Most of my tanks are so negative that I only use an AL back plate these days. Please PM if interested.

 

[tbone1004]

@JamesBon92007 that would explain your problem, and it may well be part of why back inflate bc's have gained that unfortunate reputation. If you have all of your lead on the front of a weight belt *where it is most comfortable*, and all of the lift is on the back *where the wing is*, then yes, it will tip you forward, simple physics.

If you need more than 4lbs of lead, you should be diving a SS plate, and if you have one of those, and can better distribute the weight on the rig, it shouldn't be an issue to stay vertical. I will very rarely dive with any lead on a belt, and in doubles especially, it's a struggle to actually stay vertical since they want to lay you on your back

 

[divad]

@JamesBon92007
If you need more than 4lbs of lead, you should be diving a SS plate, and if you have one of those, and can better distribute the weight on the rig, it shouldn't be an issue to stay vertical. I will very rarely dive with any lead on a belt, and in doubles especially, it's a struggle to actually stay vertical since they want to lay you on your back

I love floating around on my back after a dive, slowly spinning around looking at the clouds. Yesterday an instructor asked me if was going to take a nap. I told him I was thinking about it.

 

[JamesBon92007]

you should be diving a SS plate, and if you have one of those, and can better distribute the weight on the rig,

Thanks. I'm working on getting one :)

I always rinse my gear so would the lower grade of SS be OK? I noticed a significant price difference.

 

[tbone1004]

Thanks. I'm working on getting one :)

I always rinse my gear so would the lower grade of SS be OK? I noticed a significant price difference.

which ones are you looking at?

 

[divad]

@JamesBon92007

If you need more than 4lbs of lead, you should be diving a SS plate, and if you have one of those, and can better distribute the weight on the rig, it shouldn't be an issue to stay vertical. I will very rarely dive with any lead on a belt, and in doubles especially, it's a struggle to actually stay vertical since they want to lay you on your back

I use steel 85 doubles and an AL plate with a 2 lb. light canister on my right hip and 2 1 lb. weights in a tiny pouch on my left hip between BP and spg D-ring. Yesterday I was able to tip myself forward to close to horizontal but it was uncomfortable and stressful to maintain so I relaxed and defaulted back to vertical. I could float like that forever ..............between naps on back, or, in the Lazy-Boy Recliner position.