Am I buying the right items?

[DaMaDo]

Thanks again for the responses.

I considered the SS backplate, but I decided on aluminum due to it being easier to travel with and having more control over weight in the warm caribbean waters.

Herman, excellent idea with the weights! I will go the 2x1, 4x2 route

What thickness wetsuit would warrant the 38# over the 25#? I could also consider getting a 32# from OMS or 30# oxycheq mach V to be a bit more in the middle of the two hollis choices.

 

[TSandM]

Basically, as already alluded to, a wing needs to do two things: Float your rig at the surface when you aren't wearing it, and compensate for the loss of buoyancy of your exposure protection and the gas you intend to use during the dive.

It's difficult to get good figures on the loss of buoyancy from exposure protection, unless you actually check it yourself, but I have seen one test where a 7 mil suit lost 23 pounds of lift at 100 fsw. My dry suit and undergarments have 28 pounds of lift when the suit is as empty as I can get it. Most thin wetsuits will have far less -- my 3 mil suit only adds 4 lbs to my weight requirements. So, if you are primary diving warm water, you need only enough lift to float your full tank and any accessories you have (AND any weight you put on the rig) because the lift you can lose from exposure protection really gets lost in the shuffle.

A pocketed weight belt, like the ones XS Scuba sells, will run you about $40, as opposed to the price for the pockets you describe. Trident or XS Scuba single weight pouches are even cheaper.

 

[NE_Diver]

I would go with a 6lb steel backplate

+1

I was working down in the keys this summer and I used a 6 lbs SS plate with a 30# oxycheq mach V. I was a bit over weighted with just the plate but i didn't use any exposure protection (the water was 86 degrees). if you plan on diving in the winter it may be nice to have the extra weight. also before you buy the weight pouches try just a standard weight belt. you may find that they aren't that bad and it will save you some money.

 

[Hatul]

As BlueSparkle pointed out you want your rig to float, and also you want to have enough ditchable weight.

Adam

 

[herman]

-1 for the steel plate.
Its fine for cold water and those who do not travel by air but for those of us who dive warm water and/or fly a lot the steel plate makes no sence. Its another 4 or 5 lbs that is not needed and certainly not wanted in our luggage and on some- me for example- it alone will overweight me by 2 lbs in salt water and almost 6 in fresh. That is more overweighting than I choose to accept. Sure I can compensate for it with my wing but instead I choose to be properly weigthed which means no SS plate.

 

[DaMaDo]

Many thanks all!

I found the lift calculator spreadsheet on this forum and used the following inputs:

Head weight -10
Tank Full -1.4
Tank Empty 3.4
BP -2
Regulator -2
The rest at 0 and weight as integrated

It computes that I only need 15.4#s of lift and 0 lead.

With a 5mm suit I entered 18 lbs positive buoyancy and it required 22.8#s of lift and 17.4#s of lead.

So I will go with the 25# lift wing.

 

[SangP]

I'm really curious why all Hollis gear?

Furthermore, if you're going to be diving around FL, you might want to consider 30 lbs instead of 25 just in case.

For Indonesia, you might need a bit more lift too as the seas can get a bit rough n you want that bit extra to get your head outta the waves.

My choice if I was in your position:

BCD:
BackPlate and Wing Package reviews and discounts, Dive Rite
Uwatec Aladin Tec 2G Wrist Computer


Reg:
Apeks XTX50 Regulator
Apeks XTX50 Regulator
(You can get servicing for apeks real easy in Asia)

Comp:
Uwatec Aladin Tec 2G Wrist Computer

Depth Gauge for future tech dives and as a backup:
Uwatec Digital Depth Gauge 330M

SangP

 

[Saudi-Diver]

You could look at the DUI weight harness I have one and love it. I really hated having a weight belt round my hips found it really constricting. Love my DUI weight harness though.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

Hollis makes lovely gear, no question. Easy to service, too - wherever there's an Oceanic dealer, there's a technician to maintain your gear, when the time comes. And there sure are lots of Oceanic dealers around the place!

If you plan to dive using Al80s, I would recommend going with a steel plate.You'll either negate the need for weights completely or require noticeably less additional ballast. (If you're planning on diving steel tanks, though, the aluminum plate will be best, lest you horribly overweight yourself.)

The amount of lift needed in your wing will depend on a myriad of factors. If you ever plan to dive dry, for example - and yes, I've seen a few folks in Florida use tropical drysuits - then you'll need a bigger wing that can accommodate the weight of your gear and a flooded drysuit. That's a worst-case scenario, of course, but still. If you're diving wet with Al tanks and minimal weight - for example, I use 7lb of weight with a 3 mm suit and an Al80 or 63 - than Hollis' lovely wee 25 lb wing will do beautifully.

 

[DaMaDo]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions and help!

I know I was a bit hollis heavy but here's what I just ended up ordering and why:

Hollis DC2-212 because there is a sale online for only $289...

Hog 32lb Wing I actually changed my mind at the last minute and ordered this one because it's more lift for $83 less than the Hollis and the 25 vs 38 thing was driving me crazy

For the computer I went with the Aeris Elite because it was on closeout for $574 vs $750 and they actually ended up upgrading me to the Elite T3 for some reason.

Hollis Elite II Harness - I liked the padding/features/looks

Hollis Aluminum backplate - reviews said the cuts were good and everyone seemed happy, some complained about the quality of the cuts from other brands (loop chaffing etc)

XS Scuba weight pockets and the weight quantities that herman suggested earlier

I'm wondering if it's worth getting a cheap analog tank pressure/depth gauge in case of the digital wireless gauge failure.