The Modular Sport Diving System Using a Backplate and Wing
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2019
- Using a backplate wing and single tank adapter for sport diving.
This system can easily be converted to a doubles config by changing wings. Ideal for entry level sport divers who would like to train towards technical diving. - กีฬา
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Very instructive, thank you! Is it possible to use a p-weight when using a single tank adapter?
Great video! Quick question for you - Recently I’ve been looking into getting my first backplate and wing setup. I am trying to find something I can travel with that works well in cold and warm water. Do you have any recommendations?
Hey Sam.
Not a simple answer...
Aluminium or plastic plates are ideal for travel but require more weight when diving. This is OK if you dive in warm places where 3 to 5 mm wet suits are used. When you travel to colder places, especially where dry suits are required heavier plates make more sense. It also depends on the carriers you choose to fly with. If we ever get to fly internationally again in this new crazy COVID world.
I personally use steel plates that I put in my overhead storage together with my torches, batteries, dive computers and regulators. You can get away with it most of the time as this can fit in a regulation size bag. That way you can put your suits and other things in your check-in bag.
If you travel a lot and dive mostly in wet suits and single tanks, then aluminium or plastic should work well. as long as you can get weights at your destination.
If/When you use double cylinders and dry suits, steel is probably a better choice. Traveling is harder, but doable.
Thanks for the video, Pieter. Quick question for you-- I recently picked up Apeks' aluminum backplate, stainless steel STA, and their "Griplock" tank band. Do I need 2 tank bands with this setup or can I get by with just one? If using just one, should I feed the tank band through the top or bottom slot of the STA?
Separately-- do you find that the crotch strap with this setup is necessary? Thanks
Hi Perry!
If the STA has slots at the top and bottom then yes. Two straps is better. I think that if the single band is too high or low the cylinder might not be secure enough.
The crotch strap will make the setup a lot more stable and comfortable. It wall also add more attachment points for towing etc... Probably not required for single tank diving, but strongly advised.
Kind Regards
Great video. Could you do a video on setting up the backplate and webbing?
I'll see what I can do for you...
Pieter Coetzee - thanks! I’m waiting for my apeks wtx and single harness to arrive in coming weeks. I’ve heard that it’s not so easy at first so any help would be appreciated 👌
@@elmo319 Happy to give you some tips and more pictures...
Great video! Could you please tell me what equipment pieces you are using (harness,backplate,wing and) thanks
Merry Christmas Harry!
I use an Apeks WTX Stainless plate with a deluxe one-piece webbed harness.
www.diverightinscuba.com/wtx-backplate-17367.html
The DGX plates at www.divegearexpress.com is also amazing at a budget.
Single tank adapter:
www.divegearexpress.com/dgx-premium-single-tank-adapter-11-75-in-30-cm (remember to add two cam buckle straps.)
Wing (BCD):
www.divegearexpress.com/dive-rite-travel-exp-wing (DGX used to have a copy of this wing as depicted in the video. The Original Dive Rite wing is awesome.)
The bolts that ship with the adapter is a bit long. just cut them to the desired length using a Dremel or similar tool.
Pieter Coetzee thank you very much and a belated merry Christmas to you
Pieter Coetzee - I was reading the Apeks product info and their single tank wings do not require an adapter so I was interested to know if there is a benefit from using this BC? I guess it’ offers more customisation? I really like the Apeks gear and I’m trying to find a good all round BC solution for both cold and warm water diving that has options. Do you have any experience with the WTX harness?
www.apeksdiving.com/uk/products/bcds/product/wtx-harness.html
Great channel by the way 👌
@@elmo319 Hi Elmo
I do have experience with the WTX harness. I also use the Dive Rite equivalent that inspired the WTX. (www.diverite.com/products/backplates-harnesses/transplate-harness/)
My answer to the question depends on what your level and/or goals are.
If your a sport diver looking for good gear then the WTX harness is a great option. It is well made and full of features like D-Rings in all the correct places as well as easy adjustable straps and clips that allow you to get in and out easily. I will however still add a solid plate and a tank adapter. I believe that the WTX harness will be a lot more stable and the cylinder will be much more secure in the centre of your back if using a rigid plate and single tank adapter. Upgrading to a double cylinder config will be simple also.
If you're more advanced, perhaps moving towards advanced-nitrox-deco you might want to consider a simpler continuous harness system weaved directly through the backplate slots. Technical divers and Training Agencies such as IANTD and GUE will typically frown upon fancier harness solutions and almost always prefer the DIR Hogarthian configurations that insist on using a continuous web harness.
My advice (since you like Apeks already):
Rather buy the APEKS WTX Back Plate and get the simpler One-Piece Web Harness. When assembled, add a small wing for a single tank with a Stainless Steel single tank adapter, or a 45pound WTX wing for doubles.
www.apeksdiving.com/uk/products/bcds/product/wtx-back-plate.html
www.apeksdiving.com/uk/products/bcds/product/deluxe-one-piece-web-harness.html
hope this helps.
Do you need a tank locator strap? I'm talking about that small length of fabric strap with a plastic buckle that I always see on BCD's that I rent. It's there so that if the tank cam band fails, the cylinder will be stopped from simply rising up and out of sight by the locator strap clining to the cylinder valve.
Hey! The answer is No... The simple truth is that tank bands don't catastrophically fail. They are extremely strong and should be inspected regularly for wear-and-tear. The most common tank band failures occur when people don't "cam" the cylinder properly.
The little fabric loop you describe is very useful amongst beginner divers as they provide an approximate measurement point for the ideal cylinder height. I don't think you should depend on it to save your cylinder and you probably don't need it if you are comfortable with setting up your gear. You will not see this loop amongst technical divers or divers using plates and wings. It is simply NOT needed.
Hope this answers your question.
@@PCoetzee24 Yes this answers my question. Thank you for responding so soon.
Is the single tank adapter strictly necessary or can I attach a low profile screw to the back and put the tank this way?
The single tank adapter is not strictly necessary but it makes the system more modular. Without the single tank adapter you'll probably have to weave the straps through the slots in the plate. This makes swopping between single and double cylinder configurations hard. Swopping the wing is also harder.
Maybe you can give some advice to me.
I don't like wings that are long because I am 5 ft 3. I was looking at the wtx single wings 30 or 40 but it would seem as though those wings are fairly long because the entire cylinder sits inside the wing? Hence they say a STA is not needed (I've never seen one in real life)
Would my above assumption be correct? The wing you have in this video looks really small and manageable so I assume the cylinder is fairly big compared to it.
I know people say the length of the wing shouldn't matter but maybe it does when you can feel it on your ass the entire dive or maybe I should just get use to it.. I know you can get a retractor kit for the single apex wings but I don't think that will shorten it, just pull the sides in?
I have the wtx harness currently, Just sold my twins and moving to a single cylinder set up with a 'stage' bottle that I'll use for extra air etc when I need it.
Hi Richard
I agree that the wing would not sit too far below the cylinder. The cylinder should "kind of" hold the wing in place.
The trouble is that there aren't really wings designed for short or tall people. In my opinion wings are sized according to the cylinder and plate and not the diver. This will probably suit the majority of divers.
The Apex 30 and 40 pound wings does seem tall from judging the images on the web site. The distance from the bottom bolt hole to the lowest part of the wing however does not seem to tall. I have a WTX 45 doubles wing and that is actually shorter at the bottom than most other brands.
The wing used in the video is the DGX 30 pound from Dive Gear Express.
The cylinder is a Euro spec 15 litre. Should be similar to a cu100 US.
What cylinder size do you use? US cf80 Alu should fit a single tank wing perfectly.
@@PCoetzee24 Hi, I'm in the UK so I use steel 12 litre short not tall cylinder at the moment and I'll be using a 15 litre with the new wing. When I had twins I used an OMS double wing and these seemed short and because of the bungee it pulled the wing in so it wasn't too wide as well.
I think you're correct they don't make wings for short people, some one from 'x deep' told me the wing size doesn't matter its the size of the harness that only matters. I'm not sure if that is correct. I just think it may be uncomfortable to have a long wing.
@@RichardSlater Yeah. I think however that the cylinder size matters more than the harness. The euro 12 short is a bizarre size. I personally prefer the 15 or 12 long. You should not have any problems with either. 12 short is an odd size that manufacturers typically do not cater for.
13 or 15 long will also give you beter distribution of weight and better trim.
I got rid of all my 12 short cylinders. But I'm 1.84 cm tall...
1.85 meters.
You don't even need the single tank adapter. Instead thread the tank bands trough the wing and backplate holes. Cheaper, lighter and more robust.
You are correct if you only use the system for single tank diving. A lot of people switch between single and doubles regularly. Single Tank adapters make the switch easy and is therefore more modular. Your advice is however good for somebody getting started with the setup.