Anyone travel to the Carribean or Antarctic with a Backplate/wing?

[darylm74]

I bought an aluminum plate for travelling just to keep things a tad lighter. I had my bp/w, camera, regulator, turtles, reel, as well as a lot of other stuff such as reading material all in my basic carry on and a very small backpack. If my baggage had gotten lost,the only thing I would have needed would have been a wetsuit and maybe a light. They definitely pack down a lot smaller and tighter.

The one thing I don't get is people listening to sales people at their LDS. If you're going to pay that much money for something, do some reasearch and get what you want and think is best for you. LDS's are great for showing you their products and giving you the highpoints but past that, it is all static. My LDS sales some of the best stuff on the market but I do my research before I go talk to them about something I want to buy. If I can't get what I want there, then I buy somewhere else. It is insane that people will get on epinions and stuff and research a $100 MP3 player for days but they'll walk right into their dive shop and buy the first thing that the salesman tells them they need. From all the stories I've heard, LDS sales people rank right up there with the used car salesman. Luckily for me my LDS understands the concept of not being this way and it sounds like some other people have good ones, but as a whole, there seems to be more bad apples in the bunch than good ones.

 

[countryboy]

I pack everything in one case, BP/W, Jet fins w/ spring straps, regs, save a dive kit w/ tools, SMB, lights, wetsuit, etc... in the suitcase everything weighs 45 lbs...

I carry the computer and camera in my carry on laptop bag..

No problems yet.

 

[MSilvia]

I am shopping for my first BC, and out of all the ones I've tried, the hands down best one I've tried is a Dive-Rite steel bp/w that my buddy let me try at Dutch Springs. Based on the advice I've heard from him and other experienced divers (around here and on SB), it seems like a bp/w is a no-brainer set-up, especially since I've tried it and know I prefer the stability and simplicity.

You're right to question what your LDS said... they're full of it.

 

[Hoosier]

Problem is, my LDS (who was also my instructor for my drysuit course) is very reluctant to sell me a bp/w as my first bp/w, saying "they're great for technical diving in a drysuit to the Andrea Doria, but not the best for a first BC, and you certainly wouldn't want to travel with one or wear it with a wetsuit in the Carribean ... it wouldn't even be practical to take one to South Africa or the Antarctic (both places I plan to travel to and dive in the next two years)".

I don't want to start the debate about BP/W vs ordinary BC again. You can pick whatever you like. I don't think your LDS DID check the Halcyon website or the movie, "Into the Blue."