Yet Another BP/Wing Advice Thread

[herr2720]

I'm looking to transition to a BP/wing setup after floating around the sidelines in my BCD and I figured that there hadn't been a thread about BP/Wings in 5 minutes so......

My basic stats:

• 6ft, 200lbs
• 2XL Whites Fusion Tech Drysuit with XL thermal fusion undergarment winter/fall or MK2 summer
• Cold water inland northwest lakes/rives (it was a balmy 41 deg yesterday but at depth it's still only in the 50s mid summer)
• I requiring a lot of lead to sink (30+ lbs with the Thermal Fusion)
• LP98/HP117 single tanks and a slung AL19 pony.

I've been using my SP Knighthawk BC which has always been great with a wetsuit up to 7mil for me, but has never really felt right with my drysuit, specifically in the shoulder area, and the sternum strap is not adjustable and completely in the way of the drysuit valve.

So, for a harness, what are other members thoughts with the Whites suits, specifically that they seem to have a large chest area due to the zipper design. Do you find a minimalist harness works best for you around the zipper, or does it matter. Any favorites?

For the tanks I am using would a 32lb wing work?

Weighting: Did transitioning to the BP/Wing setup affect your weight placement? Currently I split my weights between a belt (12lb), the QR pockets (8lb each) on my Knighthawk and the trim pockets. With a SS Plate I'm assuming I could drop a little weight, but for large amounts of weight do you put it all on a belt or harness or split it around, attach part of it to your backplate, add trim pouches, etc.

Thanks

 

[TotDoc]

I am about your size (6'3, 225#) and I also use a whites drysuit with a thermal fusion undergarment. I predominantly use a HP100 tank and I have a 30# wing. Like you, I use quite a bit of weight while wearing that setup in salt water.

Keeping a balanced setup requires me to put a small amount of weight on a weight belt to make sure that my rig will still float when my tank is full of air at the beginning of my dive. With a steel plate for your BP/W, you will be dropping at least 5-6 pounds from the lead you carry. Since that is less than what you are carrying on your weight belt, it looks like you will likely continue to need one.

For the harness, I like the simple webbing I have on my halcyon. I have used a Zeagle express tech with the "upgraded" harness with clips on the shoulder straps. Honestly, I don't find that to be a problem to get over the chest zipper. Either type will work fine. I have found, however, that the simple webbing is really all that's needed, and there is not a lot to be gained by using a fancy harness. The only reason I have one of the harnesses with the clips is for demoing skills to students so that I am using the same kind of gear they are using.

As far as weight distribution is concerned, the weight of the steel plate is already a redistribution of your lead. I have very sinky legs, so in a back inflate BC, I find that I need some weights in trim pockets on the upper cam band to make staying horizontal easier. In my BP/W, I still have the upper cam band trim pockets, and I will use them when diving wet, but I don't need it there as much in my dry suit since I can shift a little air to my legs to correct trim. If I am wearing a setup that requires a weight belt, though, anything I do that allows me to drop some weight I carry always comes off the weight belt first.

 

[ams511]

I figured that there hadn't been a thread about BP/Wings in 5 minutes so......

Wow, has it been that long? My opinion (for what its worth) is that people over complicate the wing sizing decision. If you go to a LDS to look at the wings you will see that there is usually not a significant difference in size from one wing to another. For cold water 30 - 40 lbs of lift is the rule of thumb. A 32 will work but you may need to arrange your weights differently.

 

[RJP]

I'm looking to transition to a BP/wing setup...

Check this recent thread for most current information...

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bu...nother-bp-wing-advice-thread.html#post7050717

 

[Agility]

If you use 30# of lead you could move most of it to a p-weight for single tank or a v-weight for doubles. For your type of diving I would prefer steel doubles thus reducing the lead requirement

 

[fnfalman]

I'm looking to transition to a BP/wing setup after floating around the sidelines in my BCD and I figured that there hadn't been a thread about BP/Wings in 5 minutes so......

My basic stats:

• 6ft, 200lbs
• 2XL Whites Fusion Tech Drysuit with XL thermal fusion undergarment winter/fall or MK2 summer
• Cold water inland northwest lakes/rives (it was a balmy 41 deg yesterday but at depth it's still only in the 50s mid summer)

I don't own a drysuit but I've used a Fusion Tech with Mk2 undergarment while diving in the Idahoan lakes & ponds during the winter.
1. 5ft6, 205-lbs chubby
2. Whites Fusion Tech with Mk2 undergarment
3. Faber HP100 M-series
4. Dive Rite Transpac soft BPW with 4-lbs permanently mounted trim weight.

In this configuration, I require no other weights. The Faber HP100 M-series is good for at least negative 6.5-lbs when it's empty.

• I requiring a lot of lead to sink (30+ lbs with the Thermal Fusion)
• LP98/HP117 single tanks and a slung AL19 pony.

That's a lot of lead for freshwater diving. The Knighthawk probably doesn't help.

I've been using my SP Knighthawk BC which has always been great with a wetsuit up to 7mil for me, but has never really felt right with my drysuit, specifically in the shoulder area, and the sternum strap is not adjustable and completely in the way of the drysuit valve.

Sternum straps are almost always in the way of the suit inflator valve.

So, for a harness, what are other members thoughts with the Whites suits, specifically that they seem to have a large chest area due to the zipper design. Do you find a minimalist harness works best for you around the zipper, or does it matter. Any favorites?

I've seen plenty of people using HOG-style harness with the Whites and other drysuits. I prefer the Halcyon Infinity harness but that's just me.

For the tanks I am using would a 32lb wing work?

Depends on where you put your weights: some on your body and some on your BC, or all on your BC.

Weighting: Did transitioning to the BP/Wing setup affect your weight placement?

Yes. On my Dive Rite Transpac, I have 4-lbs worth of trim weight. On the hard plate BPWs, I don't need any trim weight.

Currently I split my weights between a belt (12lb), the QR pockets (8lb each) on my Knighthawk and the trim pockets. With a SS Plate I'm assuming I could drop a little weight, but for large amounts of weight do you put it all on a belt or harness or split it around, attach part of it to your backplate, add trim pouches, etc.

If you use a steel plate, you might not need the 8-lbs at all. So if anything all you need is 12-lbs on your weight belt, which is not too heavy. When I go free diving, I wear a 14-lbs weight belt. It doesn't seem to impede my movement any.

I still think that you're overweighted, especially in freshwater and with a steel tank. If anything, I'm more "fluffy" than you are.

Thanks[/QUOTE]

 

[herr2720]

It would be nice if I could leave some lead at home as my back would love not carrying that much weight to the dive site along with the rest of my gear.

As it is right now with 500psi in my OMS LP98 (neutral at 500psi), a completely empty BCD, a slightly uncomfortable squeeze in my drysuit with my dump valve all the way open, and my lungs at FRC I float on the surface like a bloated corpse on a hot summer day. That is without at least 30lbs of lead and my pony (-3lbs full with reg) with my warmest setup.

I have found that I drop a few pounds with the MK2 vs the Thermal Fusion, and I can drop a little more when I switch between my tech and sport skins for the Whites Fusion.

Most likely I'll approach the project like my AR or 10/22. If I bought it as a package I'd likely replace almost every component in the first year to tweak it to where I want it so I'll just piece it together in a mix of new and old.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, right now I like the idea of basic HOG harness/SS backplate as long as I can still sling a pony as needed. Then start building from there, probably a doughnut wing, a few packages from DRIS, a few from eBay and a few from the LDS.

 

[rhwestfall]

30# seem like an awful high amount of lead.... that being said, if you truly need it, look at plates like those made by DSS (SS is -6 #), and an option of weight plates -8 to -10 pounds for the set... adding steel tanks, and your weight needs drop rapidly...

Regrettably, those are not "value priced", but I found them well worth it.

 

[herr2720]

Already use steel tanks, mostly the OMS LP98s and the Faber HP117 as their empty buoyancy characteristics and size is almost exactly the same (Empty neutral/Full -7 & -9 respectively according to the spec sheets). I have 2 PST95s that allow me to drop 3 lbs but I like the OMS tanks a little better for transport as they weigh 5lb less on land when full but are only only 3lbs more buoyant than the PSTs.

The DSS stuff looks nice and the cost isn't a huge factor, if it was I would sell my Knighthawk, but for now I plan to keep it a little longer at least for travel.

Along the weight lines when compared to my drysuit I've typically needed:
18lb in salt with an AL80, 3mil Pinnacle suit
16lb for the Manta dive off Kona with a steel LP80/same suit and I had to pick up rock at the end of the dive to keep me from floating off the floor with no air in the BC
20lb in freshwater with a 7mil, 5mil hood, gloves and boots + Pony

Perhaps I need to eat less mexican food, but it's so fun to fart and then ask my dive buddy to check the exhalation valve on my drysuit....jk

 

[fnfalman]

Is it possible to do a weight check with just your drysuit in a swimming pool?

You weigh just about the same as me and taller. There's no way you'd have more fat than me.

Also, with a near empty tank and an empty BC, you should be able to float on the surface with but your breathing.