BP/W for beginners?

[Still Kicking]

A steel B/P is a very poor choice if you ever decide to fly somewhere with your gear.

Many people including me take a steel plate on vacation but one of the benefits of a modular BP/W system is that you can disassemble it and sub a lighter plate (aluminum or more exotic material) if you want a travel-specific rig.

"Regs go in carry on."

I used to do this but I almost lost two regs in Cabo because Mexican TSA said they were "not permitted." Luckily a supervisor gave me a pass on them (though they took my multitool). From now on, I'm checking my regs.

 

[Imla]

If you have just a smidge of ambition to actually dive locally in/around the Oslofjord, which has some really world class cold water diving in all directions within 8hrs driving, then anything BUT a steel plate is madness to buy as your "everyday" plate.

Norway is cold(!) water, drysuit diving! Our OWstudents LEARN to dive in drysuit from the first dive. A steel plate is the only way to go.

(Personally, I do have an aluminium plate, the only time it is in use, is when I am going to the cabin and want to bring BOTH my RB and a small set of doubles for rec-dives. The aluplate is used because I am bored and don't want to carry the doubles without a plate on them. I dive in the steel plate)

 

[Doc Harry]

We probably won't be flying around too much with dive gear, but in the rare cases that we happen to, the possible extra luggage cost is negligible in the big picture. Doing it on a regular basis, we'd agree. But what are the alternatives?

Some flights to certain dive locations have strict baggage limits, and flashing extra cash won't get you anywhere. For most international flights I can check 64 kg for free. But that doesn't help when I get the last flight on a small propeller aircraft to some remote island where the weight limit is only 18 kg. In that case I'd rather have a light B/P and 2kg more clothes than just a heavy steel back plate.

Alternatives? A travel-friendly lightweight aluminum or carbon-fiber B/W. Forgive if I'm wrong, but I've yet to encounter a dive shop that doesn't rent lead weights.

Personally, when I was diving dry, I had both a heavy steel plate for local diving and a light travel plate.

 

[lowwall]

What do you do to prevent your SMB unrolling. I've tried and tried, and nothing I've done but stowing it in a pocket worked consistently

Nothing special. Instead of using the velcro, I've got a loop of bungee attached to the end of the DSMB. It's long enough to go around twice so it can't slip off one end.

 

[Alex Ouroboros]

Take Less knickers and dresses, it offsets the weight,,, honest

 

[Alex Ouroboros]

Nothing special. Instead of using the velcro, I've got a loop of bungee attached to the end of the DSMB. It's long enough to go around twice so it can't slip off one end.

Will post pic’s tomorrow of the best remedy

 

[leadduck]

I think when comparing BCD jackets vs BP/W the suit is very important. Note how different the shape of their bladders is.

Drysuit divers love BP/W because they need a lot of lead and BP/W allows them to put a lot non-ditchable on the back. They also don't need BCD jackets' pockets because drysuits come with leg pockets. The shape of the wing bladder has its center of lift at the tanks' center of gravity.

Wetsuit divers' situation is very different: they need less lead but want it ditchable. Diving below 60ft, a thick wetsuit looses a lot of buoyancy that must be compensated with the bladder. So the purpose of the bladder is different compared to the drysuit diver. When you descend and loose buoyancy at your center of gravity (lower back), you want a bladder with a rather low center of lift and not a wing with a lot of volume at your shoulders.

 

[lowwall]

Will post pic’s tomorrow of the best remedy

Great. It seems like everyone does it a little bit different and I don't think we've had a recent thread.

 

[Divercouple]

Norway is cold(!) water, drysuit diving! Our OWstudents LEARN to dive in drysuit from the first dive. A steel plate is the only way to go.

Our course will be done in cold water in a drysuit, that's correct.

So what we have learned so far is:
Drysuit + cold water = steel bp + steel tank(s) , which reduces the need for weights.

BP/W seems to be preferred by many drysuit divers, but are they also usable if you're diving a wetsuit in warmer waters, or do all parameters change, given the same tank size/weight? Needing to change to a smaller wing, aluminium bp etc?

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

One size does not fit all. I have a Sub Gravity 3mm aluminum BP & 26 lb wing for diving down south on vacation, which weighs 7lb's. For drysuit diving up here at home, it's a Sub gravity 6mm stainless BP which weights 10lb's on its own. The whole rig with a 37 lb wing weighs a little over 15 lbs.
My dive gear to fly's for free on 2 of our airlines, so I don't want to have to pay an extra $80 to a $100 each way for it being over weight.