9fingers wrote:Nem, I would love to hear in more detail what size double tanks and wings you find works...
Quote: I users DR doubles wing and a old Seatec that I split the inner section so it will spread to accept small double tanks.
I've got a double-tank/double-hose project I'm trying to sort out.
I'll going to PM in case you miss this.
Cheers, Tim
I use either my Seatec horse collar or a DR Rec wing with 45 pounds of lift. The other wing I have used is an old Seatec Seahorse wing that I split to allow a wider center platform to accept double tanks. I bought the DR Rec wing after those experiments.
Contrary to the norm, I do not exclusively dive double hose regulators. My current solo doubles rig is a Hammerhead plate with independent 72s and Conshelf regulators. I also dive a twinset of 50s on a Sherwood center outlet manifold with double hose regulator and a reversed single hose on the left post.
Prior to busting my leg, now a little over four years ago, I had cut my own plate and I was experimenting with various doubles rigs and wings etc. Now, I have lost interest in it as I have no use for double tanks since they are too heavy and just too, too much for me to carry and I see no point in them for my current diving.
The vdh mini-plate can carry small 6.9 twins but it is really too narrow for twins. Of course it is, it was designed to be optimal for singles. I would prefer a center channel for a doubles plate and a little more width. I think Captain made a plate several years back for doubles, a flat plate with a center cutout for the double hose. Mine was similar but without as much of the cutout. That itself is a discussion. I have played around with eliminating the cutout by simply shortening the plate and using a conventional single piece webbing but the issue there is that large people will run out of "arm" room so then a larger shoulder loop has to be left in the harness which then compromises stability of the rig.
I was just fooling around on Table Rock last week and did a 120 foot dive on the Kimberling Bridge, I used a cave filled Faber LP85, Freedom Plate, Mach V 30 wing and I had a aluminum 80 for redundancy slung with a Conshelf. I ran my PRAM on the back tank. I did not use either of my Krakens because they are brand new, only pool tested, sorry, I only do deep solo with a regulator I have used previously on several dives, a rule.
The modern bent doubles plates are as good at carrying doubles as they are horrid with a single tank. The only thing is they force a high tank position especially when used with a double hose regulator. And, when the tank is positioned as low as one might like it, leaving the regulator issue aside, the top band falls of the tank shoulder.
So, the short answer is I have not solved the doubles rig and after busting my leg, I have no need for doubles.
Nem