there are also Ti plates which are a bit more light.Well, the Al plates aren't THAT much lighter.
e.g. this hardcore russian stuff: Спинка титановая AVL-ST-2-4 * AVL - 550g
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
there are also Ti plates which are a bit more light.Well, the Al plates aren't THAT much lighter.
It is included and with picture to prove(the one on the bottom right).Don't forget to add a crotch strap as well. I don't see that listed. I don't care how much you think you don't want one, you will not want to dive without it once you start.
I'm not averse to relatively quickly picking up an AL backplate for reduced weight when traveling, so that's not a huge concern for me.