Al or SS BP for tropical recreational diving?

[stokes]

As convinced by the several threads re: BP/Wing set-ups, even for recreational diving, my friends and I have decided to give-up our jacket BCs for BP/Wing set-ups.

We are seriously considering getting Halcyon 27lbs Pioneer wings, BP, harness from the Halcyon distributor here in Manila, Philippines.

All our dives are recreational, in sea water, tropical weather, 80Al tanks, thickest wetsuit of 3mil (but majority of the time, either 1.5mil or .5 skin suits, or bare back). For our type of diving, should we go for a Al BP or SS? I am under the impression that Al is more resistant to corrosion when exposed to sea water, but SS seems to be the more popular BP. Comments pls?

We also got the new Halcyon Pioneer wings which according to the site, does not require an STA. Any comments?

 

[Scubaroo]

Weight is the consideration here. How much weight are you carrying on your belts at the moment with your ordinary BC? A SS BP weighs about 6lb (FredT makes a 9lb plate I think), and an aluminium plate weighs about 2lb. A single tank adapter also ads anywhere between 3lb to 5lb.

 

[stokes]

w/ a wetsuit, i wear about 8lbs. 6lbs w/o wetsuit.

what are the differences between Al and SS, aside from weight?

how important is it to have ditchable weight? i figured, if i took the SS option, i would have no need of wearing any extra weight.

 

[Scubaroo]

The main difference is the weight, although I've heard some coated Al plates are not as resistant to seawater. Like steel, there are different grades of commercial Al alloys with different corrosive resistance. I'm betting the coated plates use an alloy more prone to corrosion, and rely on the coating to maintain it.

The most important thing with weight is that you are never weighted so much that you are unable to swim up from depth without your BC, in case of a BC failure. 6 to 8 pounds sounds very light, and some people might advise you to just go with the SS plate to avoid the hassle of a weightbelt. If you aren't comfortable with having no ditchable weight, get the Al plate. Travel is also a consideration - Al is best for travel, as you can usually get weights at your destination, and it's 4lb less baggage to carry around. If you plan to carry a camera or get a canister light in future, this may increase your weighting, so that is another consideration (you don't want to be overweighted). So after reading what I just wrote, the Al plate might give you some more lattitude. I dive with a 7mm wetsuit in cold water and need a lot of weight, so SS was the logical choice for me.

congrats on the decision to go with a BP/wings - you'll love it!

Ben

 

[devjr]

Or is it "aluminium"? Anyway, go with the aluminum plate. A lead belt will place more weight in the mid region. For most tropical divers with aluminum tanks I would conclude that this is preferable to a sheet of steel across the back. Also, there will be fewer galvanic currents to attract sharks. (G)

 

[Lost Yooper]

I suspect an AL plate would serve you well. It's nice to have some ditchable weight in case you have a problem on the surface.

Good luck.

Mike

 

[Scubaroo]

It's spelt (and pronounced) aluminium in a lot of countries outside of the US. Sort of like mum and mom.

 

[kitbuga]

Stainless steel weighs in at around 3 - 4 kg tank adaptor included if you're on singles.

here in the philippines temps rarely go below 79 degrees so a 3mm shorty is more than enough. I put on 2 kg to compensate for the buoyancy of the empty AL tank. otherwise if i used a steel bottle i would not need any weights. trim? no need in my setup. the weight of the BP was sufficient trim.

If you stop and think about whether the SS BP is heavy think of the Mares synchro tech which is over 7 kg dry (i think)! think also of the additional weight you'll definitely need on an AL BP.

just be creative on how you pack stuff for travel if extra baggage is a concern. i handcarry my reg and other heavy stuff. heck i might even try to make a "backpack" out of my backpack. just be ready to explain things at the metal detector.


cheers!