Back plate and wings

[randytay]

I was diving with my instructor yesterday and the topic of bp/w came up. He said he spent alot of money on his first BC when he started and wished someone had told him about bp/w back then. He encouraged me to get a set and try for myself.

After looking around, my conclusion is this: a plate is a plate, the webbing is the webbing; what this means is that I wanna go "cheap".

So my question is:

1. What is ceteris paribus, the least expensive bp/w manufacturer?

2. Do I get a harness to secure the plate or get one of those long webbing and thread them?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Superlyte27]

a plate is not a plate, and webbing is... ok, webbing is webbing as far as I can tell...

I like Hollis, Dive Rite and Halcyon. And that's the order from cheapest to most expensive

 

[CT Sean]

"Ceteris paribus is a Latin phrase, literally translated as "with other things the same," or "all other things being equal or held constant." - From Wikipedia - which never lies

A harness can be "that long webbing", but there are other types as well that more resemble standard BC straps. I can't comment as I've tried neither - yet (that's a lame wink smiley )

I like Hollis, Dive Rite and Halcyon. And that's the order from cheapest to most expensive

Where are you finding Hollis cheaper than Dive Rite?

 

[iztok]

Have a look at HOG gear. I got two BP/w sets with crotch strap (one AL one SS BP and one for singles and one doubles wing) for less than $250 each.

 

[WeldonDowd]

Try Scubatoys or Hammerhead for a backplate. And Hog makes a single tank wing that everyone seems to like; I have a Diverite but if I needed a new one I'd buy that one. Weather you go with one continueous piece of webbing or a harness is up to you. Either one will suit you well. Leisurepro sells Diverite harnesses very reasonable. If you want to try just the webbing check out Piranha Dive Manufacturing for the D rings, keepers, and buckle. Scubatoys probably has webbing and hardware also. But in short, I don't think you can get a much more economical setup then a hammerhead bp and a hog wing, and it is all quality gear too.

 

[halocline]

Plates are not all the same; the angles are different and that does make a difference on how they feel on your back. The DSS plate are pretty flat, the dive rite and oxycheq plates are a little less flat, and the hammerhead plates have a fairly steep angle. One isn't better per se than the other, just different.

Another plate worth looking at is the freedom plate, made by ZKY on this forum. It's an excellent single tank-only plate. If you know that you will not be using the plate for doubles, its something to really consider.

As long as the deal is what you're looking for, try caveadventurers.com for a package that would included a dive rite pr oxycheq plate, harness kit (webbing and hardware) and either a oxycheq or dive rite wing. If you get a dive rite wing for single tank use, only consider the travel wing, the others are all way too big IMO.

Buying a package from DSS (deep sea supply) might be a little more money, but its very high quality and well designed gear, and the plate/wing work together very well.

 

[Amphiprion]

salvo stainless steel backplate 69.95 scubatoys
oxycheq standard single cylinder wing 199.95 scubatoys
oxycheq hogarthian harness setup 44.95 scubatoys.

 

[Superlyte27]

"Ceteris paribus is a Latin


Where are you finding Hollis cheaper than Dive Rite?

In my dealer price lists for both Dive Rite and Hollis.

 

[Jbell8289]

I Love my HOG 32 wing, $200, DRIS
Dive rite basic harness, $25, divegearexpress.com
Dive rite Alum backplate, $60, divegearexpress.com
Dive Rite Cam straps X's 2, $40, divegearexpress.com

Total $325...pretty cheap considering a scubapro knighthawk goes for like $500 something and you are limited to what you can do with it.

 

[Crush]

This is a pretty good deal: BackPlate and Wing Package reviews and discounts, Dive Rite

SB member get an additional 10% off from scubatoys.com

You will want/need trim weight pockets (at least four, probably six).

As with all other systems, make sure you have sufficient lift for your conditions. Single tank: In a T-shirt you may need 12# or less (not sure). In a 3mm wetsuit you might need about 18# (again, not my setup so I am not sure). In a full 7mm two-piece you might want 30# lift or so (my setup - 24# can suffice, but 30 is better).

If you are going to be flying with it, AL might be better than SS.