Travel BP&W For Warm Water Diving

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The soft plates are really designed only for aluminum 80/63 tanks. Negative steel tanks will flop around and roll side to side.

I never thought of that. I only use this setup traveling, so it has always been AL80s. With the AL80, it does feel like the tank is a little loose on your back. I got use to it real quick, and it doesn't bother me. It must be horrible with a negative tank.
 
The BP/W packs very nicely into a suitcase, fits very flat (you may want to remove the cam bands for a neater finish). I use a HOG aluminum plate with a 23lb wing and hog harness... it's much more travel friendly than my previous bc. My wife has same setup with a 32lb wing... the wing is bigger but still travel friendly. As for pockets you can get a couple that could attach to your harness or plate. i don't use pockets though, everything gets clipped off somewhere.
 
I use an AGIR AL plate with Oxy 18lb wing it packs very small. If I could only have one plate I'd choose a steel plate, you can always save some extra weight in your bag elsewhere. The added weight of a steel plate offsets the buoyancy of the common AL rental tank nicely. The weight difference between an AL and steel plate isn't huge. I only have the AL plate in honesty coz I'm an OCD gear freak and have complete rigs for all conditions, wet local, travel and drysuit diving. No wonder I have no money.
 
The BP/W packs very nicely into a suitcase, fits very flat (you may want to remove the cam bands for a neater finish).

When I traveled with a backplate, I would remove the STA and cambands, then bolt it to the front instead of the back. I would then pack that on top of the wing in my carry on. I could fit all my gear except fins into my carry-on, including a wetsuit. My BP and STA are both steel so it was very heavy for travel.

---------- Post added July 22nd, 2015 at 11:48 PM ----------

I only have the AL plate in honesty coz I'm an OCD gear freak and have complete rigs for all conditions, wet local, travel and drysuit diving.

That's a problem a lot of us have.
 
When I traveled with a backplate, I would remove the STA and cambands, then bolt it to the front instead of the back. I would then pack that on top of the wing in my carry on. I could fit all my gear except fins into my carry-on, including a wetsuit. My BP and STA are both steel so it was very heavy for travel.

oh the Hog wings can be used without an STA so none for us... on less weight to carry i suppose...

never tried fitting my stuff into carry-on though, always wondered if i'd have issues @ gate security
 
never tried fitting my stuff into carry-on though, always wondered if i'd have issues @ gate security

Every time I traveled with my steel backplate in my carry-on they would have to open it after it got x-rayed. It only took a couple extra minutes at gate, but it was worth it to not have to worry about the airline breaking or loosing my gear.
 
Every time I traveled with my steel backplate in my carry-on they would have to open it after it got x-rayed. It only took a couple extra minutes at gate, but it was worth it to not have to worry about the airline breaking or loosing my gear.
I put everything essential for my dive, including the SS backplate, in my carry on and have yet to have it opened and checked. I have always found it kinda odd since it would seem that something "significant" could easily be hidden beneath the plate.
 
Meanwhile they confiscate my 9/16" open end wrench from my camera gear consistently. I am pretty sure somebody would stop me before I could disassemble the plane one bolt at a time...
 
I put everything essential for my dive, including the SS backplate, in my carry on and have yet to have it opened and checked. I have always found it kinda odd since it would seem that something "significant" could easily be hidden beneath the plate.

On my last trip the TSA stop me to inspect my carry on because the X-ray could not see what inside my regs first stage. The TSA agent said it was to dense. It is always something when we travel with our gear
 
I almost always have issues with security when traveling, if it's not my lights it's my computer, if not computer it's my regs...I often wonder if they actually know what they are doing. Or perhaps it's just because I look like a crack head, gaunt, skinny and bald. I must confess to sometimes getting lippy which never helps the situation particularly when the person in "authority" is on bit of a power trip, but sometimes the ridiculousness of the questions is too irritating to ignore. Yes, I cut off my nose to spite my face.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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