VDH Wing + what BP for single tank? STA ...?

[Jay]

I've bought a VDH 18# wing, and need a little guidance for the BP.

My diving is all tropical, 3/2 wetsuit, prefer a SS BP (I always fly & dive but net net prefer SS), don't mind some frankensteining, if anything probably would SM next and not do doubles so plate's core use is for single tank. If I could get a FP from Eric I would, but can't wait ~a year.

Are there other SS plates designed specifically for single tank use? I've only been able to find Golem dog-bone Golem Stream Backplate


Given I can't get a FP, I probably prefer a plate styles like Mares SS XR vs a dog-bone style plate.

I've read that the VDH doesn't really need a STA (as dual cams and the wing's stabilisers do the job), but given the popularity of the FP+VDH romance and how the FP's (rear) Rails/Tank Brackets works it seems prudent to investigate further.

To me, it seems that if a round tank is against a flat (non STA or Rail) surface then it's more likely to have some movement? Are STA's typically used or is this more of a 'diver-decides' type of thing?

Instead of STAs do some divers use small stabilising plates?

The other feature of the FP is the angle of the tank (using its Rail) versus the plate. This seems important to stop compression of the lower wing and for tank ergonomics. Has anyone tried to angle their STAs?

Last question. Has anyone got a Mares XR BP with a VDH wing?

Thanks!

EDIT: now using FP Rail/Tank Bracket to describe that part rather than STA.

 

[lexvil]

I have and use a VDH flat plate, with two tank straps through the plate I have never felt and shift at all of the tank, I have had tank shifting using a doubles style ridge plate without an STA.

I also use a Freedom plate, the angle of the STA on that is more to keep the tank straight because the backplate angles in to meet the lower back. I have 7lbs tucked under the FP rail for cold water and for warm water I remove the rail and add a short (1 hole) STA to the bottom to keep the tank more even, I did this for diving Truk with the 18lb wing, locally I use the 35 lb wing with the built in stabilizers removed.

The VDH flat will work well while you wait for the FP, it’s worth the wait.

 

[Kasey Kohler]

I was in the same boat you where, I ordered the VDH wing by its self because I new I wanted a new setup and I wanted to get it while they where available.
Then I was looking for a backplate to pair it with. I put my name on the list for the freedom plate so hopefully I’ll get that one day.
But until then I just got the VDH stainless steel backplate it’s definitely not as flat as my DSS kydex but hopefully with the roll controls in the VDH wing it will keep the tank nice and steady.

 

[Jay]

I also use a Freedom plate, the angle of the STA on that is more to keep the tank straight because the backplate angles in to meet the lower back. I have 7lbs tucked under the FP rail for cold water and for warm water I remove the rail and add a short (1 hole) STA to the bottom to keep the tank more even, I did this for diving Truk with the 18lb wing, locally I use the 35 lb wing with the built in stabilizers removed.

The VDH flat will work well while you wait for the FP, it’s worth the wait.

Ah the FP wait ... it's very tempting

A Q re your warm water setup with no rail/Tank Bracket ... do you find the angle of the tank then is 'wrong' / it's too close to your lower back/butt versus having the Rails/Tank Braket attached or does your short STA mitigate that?

View attachment 489270 View attachment 489269 View attachment 489268 I was in the same boat you where, I ordered the VDH wing by its self because I new I wanted a new setup and I wanted to get it while they where available.
Then I was looking for a backplate to pair it with. I put my name on the list for the freedom plate so hopefully I’ll get that one day.
But until then I just got the VDH stainless steel backplate it’s definitely not as flat as my DSS kydex but hopefully with the roll controls in the VDH wing it will keep the tank nice and steady.

Thanks for that. It's a good option to have. One other option I'm thinking, if Eric's Tank Brackets are more readily available (maybe easier to bulk manufacture) then that provides a solution to flat plates. Initially I thought the rails were 'fixed' as per what looks like on the left of the pic below, until I saw @stuartv's pic:

 

[lexvil]

Warm water with the FP, I used a short bracket in the bottom hole, the bracket I used was a tank stabilizer/spacer that is used with doubles, a simple \_/ which pushed the bottom of the tank away from my back. If you are really worried about it, even though it is completely unnecessary, you can put an STA on the VDH flat plate, the one from DGX will work.

Waiting for a freedom plate is easy, Eric doesn’t take deposits you just need to be ready to jump when it’s offered.

 

[stuartv]

Initially I thought the rails were 'fixed' as per what looks like on the left of the pic below, until I saw @stuartv's pic

I think they were fixed in an earlier generation of the FP. Mine is the current gen (I believe) where an improvement was making the tank rail removable.

 

[Jay]

Warm water with the FP, I used a short bracket in the bottom hole, the bracket I used was a tank stabilizer/spacer that is used with doubles, a simple \_/ which pushed the bottom of the tank away from my back.

Was the one on the left the one you used?

It is a sandwich of plate | wing | <STA> | tank. With the tank bands attaching the tank to either the STA or the plate and the screws attaching any STA to the plate.

<--- just posted this comment as for rookie BPW divers Frankensteining it it's helpful.

You'll see it if the tank is not aligned with the plate properly, once you know what that looks like. If you let boat crews change your tanks, they may not see it. (With 2 cambands tank swapping on boats works better with 3 hands anyway, so I'm always there "helping" them.)

... I pinched a hole into a wing I used to have. Actually, it put 3 holes in the bladder. I don't know for sure, but I am pretty sure it happened when I was trying to swap my BP/W from one tank to another between dives, on a pitching boat. I suspect I accidentally dropped the BP/W onto the bench and the corner of the plate landed on one side of the lower part of the wing.

That is one reason why I now use ScubaPro-style Quick Release tank straps, instead of cam bands, and I have used a piece of string (cave line) to make a loop that is tied to my BP. I use the loop to hang my BP on the tank - just like a lot of integrated BCDs do, using a loop of webbing. It is tied to hold the BP at the right height, so it can just hang there while I fasten the tank straps. I don't have to hold it up with one hand while I try and fasten tank straps with the other. And I don't risk dropping the BP/W in the process...

The above 3 quotes were from another thread which touched the same topic: A question on BP/W single tank mounting

I normally dive 'full-service' so it's always the boat-boys/girls who change the tanks. I'l use the SP-style QR bands as mentioned by Stuart above. If I additionally use plastic book-screws to hold the wing onto the plate (and no mini/STA), then it seems I'm adding more of a ridge in the centre where the tank will sit and be pulled on by the cams/straps, or potentially skew off alignment?

The other 'problem' I've got with regular plates is that the ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜\_/˜˜˜˜˜˜ is that the middle part is 2.5cm wide at the base, and approx 10cm wide at the top. The wing's stabilisers are ~7cm apart. I'm not sure if the wing's tank stabilisers will have any thing to stabilise against apart from the tank on one side and air on the otherside. I guess the totally flat BP would interact ?correctly/better? with the stabilisers. Could be I'm just overthinking this aspect, and I should just buy it and hope for the best

Adding a mini/STA might fix the above problem but the small stabiliser about is 10cm wide, so I'm pushing into the wing by 1cm each side. I could cut them down / find a narrower one?, and hopefully the wing's stabilisers could be removed / worked around. A few issues to overcome. Waiting for a FP for a year won't work, but I've asked Eric on his thread if he'll sell his Tank Brackets separately - hopefully they're mass produced for him and it's not a hard crank some out. These would solve everything.

I've got the BP narrowed (hopefully) to either a Mares XR (2.5kg/5.5lbs) or one of the DiveRite BP (SS 2.4kg/5.3lbs) or the Lite version (1.3kg/2.9lbs). I normally with 10lbs (~4.5kg) in a Hydros Pro. I'm guesstimating that even with the 2.5kg the BP/W system with no extra weight I'll still be a lb or two light at this stage (vs the HyrosPro)?

Comments / help most welcome!!!!

 

[lexvil]

THe one I use is more like the one on the right, the oxycheck. I believe you may be overthinking all of this, try it with the built in stabizer and see if it moves and seek a solution to solve it then, it will make little difference in a dive. Add weight if you need to, you don’t want to fight to hold a stop.

 

[rhwestfall]

I believe you may be overthinking all of this

Amen....

 

[dmaziuk]

I wonder how much shipping the FP to Melbourne would cost...

I'm not at home ATM so I can't measure the DGX "soft sta" exactly. It's tall enough and long enough to work well on my storm plate, and it's cheap enough to just give it a try. I think DGX might ship free down under if you buy a hundred bucks worth of stuff: they have d-rings, double-enders, triglides, bungee cord, and all sorts of stuff you can never have enough of.