Choosing a Backplate and Wing

[bvbellomo]

Does the Hogarthian/dir crowd favor hard weights in simple weight belts? That's my guess, but I haven't seen anything explicitly saying so.

I don't want to carry weights traveling. I can buy my own belt and hope the dive location has weights that fit, or hope they provide the whole belt. Not sure if this is a problem or not, I can stick anything into a bcd.

I am not sure why Hog isn't more popular with new and intermediate divers. A simple, cheap standardized setup is great to learn and start with, and divers can modify for personal preference (against strict DIR) as they get more experience and invest more money. Most everyone goes the opposite direction, which is more difficult, more expensive and more money up front.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I don't want to carry weights traveling. I can buy my own belt and hope the dive location has weights that fit,

You don't need a weight belt, indeed they can be a PITA with a wing, but appreciate those diving dry often need to chuck on loads of weight all over the place

Fix small weight pockets to your cam band - and if you want some ditchable, have one on either side of you waist belt and put your hard weights in there

I've never yet been to a dive centre anywhere that doesn't lend free weights and for those that want one, a weight belt

 

[drk5036]

If I ever found a dive shop that made me pay to rent weights, I would certainly never return there again. It is 100% standard for weights to be included.

 

[Joris Vd]

I dive tiny weight pockets planted in the back of my backplate. two kilo's fit each side and for most diving I do this is enough.

View attachment 663820

Nice!

Where did you get that backplate ? It's basically a piece of art.

 

[happy-diver]

There's a Scubaboard magician that hammers them out Joris Vd

Freedom Plate Divers Roll Call: show us your rig!

 

[halocline]

Does the Hogarthian/dir crowd favor hard weights in simple weight belts? That's my guess, but I haven't seen anything explicitly saying so.

In general, hogarthian principles favor the simplest effective gear configuration. But this becomes a bigger issue with technical diving where you have more gear and more complex dives that involve the need to problem-solve while remaining underwater.

For a strictly recreational, non technical, single tank diver, I think the best backplate is the freedom plate. But there is absolutely nothing wrong -at-all- with a standard AL or steel backplate that is designed for use with single or double tanks. Just make sure you get a small enough wing for single tanks; 30 lbs lift is plenty. In either case, using the single piece simple webbing harness is a definite improvement in the water over any of the padded or 'comfort' or 'deluxe' harnesses. Those typically seem better when you're in the dive shop but not in the water.

Getting back to your weight questions; it's unclear to me how much additional weight you actually need, but for the vast majority of single tank, warm water diving, you can get by with fixed small pockets (the XS scuba cam band pockets are good) on either the cambands, the waist belt, or both. In warm water, with a thin wetsuit, divers generally do not need so-called ditchable weight, like the quick release pockets on most BCs. Where you put the weights, i.e. either cambands or the waist belt, or neither, or both, depends on 1) how much additional weight you need, which is dependent on the tank and backplate buoyancy, and 2) what your trim is like in the water. As an example, lets say you are using an AL tank and AL backplate, wearing a thin (3 or 5 mm) wetsuit. You will certainly want additional weight in the camband pockets to offset the buoyancy of the AL tank and help to promote a horizontal trim. You could easily put a 2kg weight in each camband pocket. Then if you needed more weight, you could put a single weight in each of the pockets on the waist belt.

You made a comment about how this thread is 'moving around'. That's the nature of the internet. You have received some good advice from very experienced divers, for free. You should be thankful for that, even if it is mixed in with a bit of randomness and sidetracks.

 

[bvbellomo]

If I ever found a dive shop that made me pay to rent weights, I would certainly never return there again. It is 100% standard for weights to be included.

I agree it is unlikely, but I am not just trying to avoid a trivial amount of money. My concern is whether there is any chance the dive shop's weights won't work with my system. I don't know if this is a real concern or not. With my BCD, I can fill the pockets with any hard weight, any soft weight, or my ex-wife's meatloaf - anything dense enough works.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I agree it is unlikely, but I am not just trying to avoid a trivial amount of money. My concern is whether there is any chance the dive shop's weights won't work with my system. I don't know if this is a real concern or not.

Weights are weights. As long as you build in flexibility to handle hard or soft weights, you're golden. The people I've seen have issues are those that MUST have either hard or soft. Invariable the shop/boat will have the style of weights they cannot use.

 

[lowwall]

I agree it is unlikely, but I am not just trying to avoid a trivial amount of money. My concern is whether there is any chance the dive shop's weights won't work with my system. I don't know if this is a real concern or not. With my BCD, I can fill the pockets with any hard weight, any soft weight, or my ex-wife's meatloaf - anything dense enough works.

Most of us that travel with a BP/W will use some sort of trim pockets to hold any weights needed at the destination. Either hard or soft weights will fit in the pockets.

I like these. They slide onto the webbing and are simple, cheap and unobtrusive. I've never had a weight drop out of them, but I can open them and remove the weight during the dive if necessary. They will hold up to a 5lb hard weight or a slightly lighter soft weight, probably 2 kilos.

I have a pair of them on my waist belt. That's all I need for warm water with a steel backplate. With an AL plate, I would use another pair to attach to the upper cam band instead of getting larger pockets for the waist. You could add another pair to the lower cam band if necessary for a maximum of 15 kilos of weight which is more than enough for me even in a drysuit.

XS Scuba Single Weight Pocket

 

[Bob DBF]

I am not sure why Hog isn't more popular with new and intermediate divers.

Dive shop profit margin.