Aluminum or Stainless Steel Backplate?

[Tom Winters]

Tom, are you coming to DEMA? If so look me up.

Tobin - No DEMA for me this year. Next year for sure since it's in Orlando.

 

[mania]

Honestly - you will have both of them.
I use aluminium for dry suit - mainly because then I can put extra weight at the bottom of my doubles - and I do need to do so.
Then in Egypt (red Sea is the second most salted sea in the world) with single alu 80 I use the stainless one - so I don't need to put too many weights.
Mania

 

[Hop Devil]

I'm getting ready to buy a backplate and wing setup and wanted some advice on whether to get an aluminum or stainless backplate. Here is some background info that might help:

I fly to most diving locations, most in conjunction with business trips. Diving ranges from 80 F with a 3 mm wetsuit to 50 F in a drysuit. When wearing a 3mm suit and my current jacket style BC, I wear about 12 pounds weight. I will be diving singles.

Thanks.

I agee with the others. I have both plates and just swap my wings around.
Hammerheadscuba has great packages for cold and warm water.
www.hammerheadscuba.com they can also be reached at www.swmetalproducts.com

 

[Hank49]

I use a 3mm full suit, 6 lb plate and no weights. This is a switch from a jacket and 4x3mm suit and the same weight on a belt (up to 8 lbs) I switched because my feet were really negative and I always had to "waggle" my fins to keep them from sinking. I do level out with no effort now but the one thing I'm getting used to is the weight being on my back. If I tilt to the side the weight wants to roll me over on my back. It's minor. And if I wear booties my feet are just slightly buoyant at 5 meters or less. Below that they start to go negative. There is no perfect system that I've found....yet.

 

[DiveGolfSki]

For warm water dives, I use the SS with 3mil full suit and have 5lbs on trim pocket on the tank and 3 lbs on my harness (also trim pocket) and it's great. I taken the SS on dive trips and it's not much of an issue for weight anyway but I'd imagine it could be given the weight limit for international travel. I really prefer not having a weight belt so the SS is my way to go.

 

[halocline]

It's real nice to offset the buoyancy of an alum 80 with a SS plate. Considering all the other crap you have to haul around on a dive trip, the extra weight of the plate is no big deal. If you feel confident you can rent steel tanks, maybe the aluminum BP is okay. To me, though, one of the primary benefits of using a plate is the improved trim and comfort of having almost no weight on your belt.

 

[mossym]

i have a ss, but as has been said now i'm going to get an aluminum for travelling...you'll most likely end up with both.