BPW weight tradeoff

[KissmyBubbles]

Hi,

Newbie here considering BPW setup - I see a lot of people mention that it reduces lead due to the weight of the steel backplate. However, if I am a vacation diver and want to travel as light as possible - doesn't that mean I'm carrying that weight in my luggage instead of adding the weight when I get to the dive shop? (I wouldn't travel with the extra weights needed for a regular bcd setup)

Thanks!

 

[lexvil]

Yes

 

[divezonescuba]

Get the weight on the other end. A lighter plate also means that you have more control over trim weighting. A lot of traveling people use the lightweight stainless steel sketonized Diverite plate.

 

[runsongas]

soft backplates and aluminum backplates also cut down on travel weight if you don't need the ballast for where you plan to dive.

 

[KissmyBubbles]

soft backplates and aluminum backplates also cut down on travel weight if you don't need the ballast for where you plan to dive.

do the soft backplates have drawbacks from a durability/stability standpoint? i like the comfort i imagine it would give. and i plan on only recreational diving in warm waters!

 

[tbone1004]

Hi,

Newbie here considering BPW setup - I see a lot of people mention that it reduces lead due to the weight of the steel backplate. However, if I am a vacation diver and want to travel as light as possible - doesn't that mean I'm carrying that weight in my luggage instead of adding the weight when I get to the dive shop? (I wouldn't travel with the extra weights needed for a regular bcd setup)

Thanks!

it is not that cut and dry. The lead advantage that the plates give you comes not only from stainless being more dense than the plastic, but there is also a lot of extra padding and stuff that is not part of the rig anymore. While the plate may allow you to take between 6 and 8lbs off of your weight belt, it may only weigh a few pounds more than the normal BCD does.

You also mentioned soft plates which are comparable from a durability and stability standpoint, but they do not offer any appreciable improvement in comfort as the hard plates are not uncomfortable at all. I have thousands of hours of time in a stainless plate in nothing but a bathing suit. Once you are underwater it does not matter in the slightest.

 

[Doctor Rig]

Lots of tradeoffs..... not so cut and dry as tbone1004 said.

Eliminating BC padding (which adds buoyancy) means you can reduce needed ballast (lead). In a BPW, one can change the amount of lead carried which makes diving a little simpler by having a light or heavier backplate. Divers even add weight to their backplate to eliminate the amount of lead weights that needs to carried. A BPW system offers a lot of versatility depending on dive requirements, but at the cost of taking the time to find and tune the appropriate system components for enjoyable good trim. Go for it, you won’t regret it!

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

If you want a soft backplate, I would look at the Dive Rite Transpac XT. It is very comfortable and almost indestructible.
Transpac XT | Dive Rite

 

[KissmyBubbles]

If you want a soft backplate, I would look at the Dive Rite Transpac XT. It is very comfortable and almost indestructible.
Transpac XT | Dive Rite

have you looked at the diverite hydro lite? i've seen great reviews and it was one of the first non-jacket style BCs i looked at

 

[dmaziuk]

Hi,

Newbie here considering BPW setup - I see a lot of people mention that it reduces lead due to the weight of the steel backplate. However, if I am a vacation diver and want to travel as light as possible - doesn't that mean I'm carrying that weight in my luggage instead of adding the weight when I get to the dive shop?

Where/how do you travel? I can get all my kit into an almost-regulation-size (depending on the airline) carry-on, but that leaves no room for spare undies and t-shirts. And then there's sharp things that can't go into cabin and ARA fins that are too long for "regulation" size. So my steel plate goes into checked luggage with fins and trauma shears, problem solved.