Question DGX Custom Aluminum BP/W for new divers... thoughts?

[MrChen]

There are a lot of suggestions. The best part about any BPW is that it's always customizable. So if you try one harness and don't like it, then get a different one. You buy an aluminum backplate and want to ditch weights, then buy a stainless steel one. You want to expand the type of diving and need a different wing, then go buy what you need. The modular nature means you never have to replace everything if you need to make one change.

 

[Redbelly737]

I for one think you made the right choice re aluminum, esp if you're mainly a warm water travel diver. 14 lbs of add'l weight is not alot to carry on your dive, and as you gain more experience you may drop some lbs. I think you said your wife used 8 lbs. SS plate seems like too much ballast for her.

We dont need to get into a discussion of whether some of your weight should be ditchable, but if you want ditchable weight, a SS plate may not give you much weight to ditch, esp for her.

If you get into any diving where you're in a 7mm FS, or a drysuit, you can either get a SS backplate, or just have to add some ballast somewhere. But sounds like your main diving is warm water, may as well get a rig optimized for that diving. And not have to worry about a SS plate and a 40 lb airline bag limit.

And I think you made the right choice on the DGX rig - why pay more - but Im a cheapskate.

Enjoy the diving!

Appreciate your comments! Especially for the next year we will enjoy warm water diving and getting familiar with our setup. Most items have been ordered... look forward to getting everything assembled, sized, and fine tuned. Once I get everything setup I'll share impressions, pictures, and ask for more feedback. Whether it's forums, YouTube, or web articles, it's pretty amazing the amount of information available to a new diver.
Thank you!

 

[Centrals]

We were certified in Phuket. I don't recall if the tank was aluminum or Steel (It was a good leg workout to get up the ladder so, I hope, steel). I have a message into the Dive Center. Wetsuit was 3mm shorty.
While I needed 14lbs with that BCD I don't think I will need that much using a plate. That said, I have thought pros/ cons of traveling with a SS plate but think I will stick with aluminum. Thank you for the links and like the small pockets you suggested. Will keep the rubber MAKO weight belt in mind too!

Highly unlikely that steel tank was provided in Phuket. In this part of the world ie. SE Asia, aluminium tank is more or less the standard(with A clamp).

 

[mje113]

Regardless, you're either going to need a weight belt or pockets for lead. If you go the pocket route, small pouches like these ones are incredible. They're small, and can easily be moved around

I'm looking at the same DGX BPW, and am a little confused about weight options. The small pouches look nice but are they ditchable? I was diving with someone this weekend that was diving doubles and seemed really experienced and he said all his weights are on the back of his plate (near the tank) and non-ditchable. Seemed dangerous to me but what do I know.

 

[Redbelly737]

Just received some fun today! First impressions are really good. Aluminum Backplate and no burrs or roughness whatsoever. I think they are quite beautiful really! Will start putting them together tonight! (might have received a flashlight or two as well!)

 

[Robert H. Diver]

I'm looking at the same DGX BPW, and am a little confused about weight options. The small pouches look nice but are they ditchable? I was diving with someone this weekend that was diving doubles and seemed really experienced and he said all his weights are on the back of his plate (near the tank) and non-ditchable. Seemed dangerous to me but what do I know.

If you’re properly weighted you shouldn’t need ditch-able weights.

 

[James79]

I'm looking at the same DGX BPW, and am a little confused about weight options. The small pouches look nice but are they ditchable? I was diving with someone this weekend that was diving doubles and seemed really experienced and he said all his weights are on the back of his plate (near the tank) and non-ditchable. Seemed dangerous to me but what do I know.

The non-ditchable weight argument comes from the idea of a "balanced rig." In a perfect world, the diver would be weighted to be neutral without his/her rig on, and the rig would be weighted to be neutral with near empty tank(s). In that configuration, even if you had a total BCD failure at the start of the dive, you should be able to swim up the weight of the air in the tanks plus the negataive buoyancy from wetsuit compression. Most of those who dive without ditchable weight and can't achieve that swimmable degree of negative buoyancy at the start of the dive (big doubles, thick wetsuit compression, etc.) typically will have alternate means of buoyancy (Drysuit, double bladder wing, even a DSMB can be used as alternate buoyancy).
I wouldn't call it dangerous, so much as a different philosophy with different pros and cons.... in fact, I usually don't have ditchable lead on my typical benign open water type of diving. Sometimes don't even have a wing!

Respectfully,

James

 

[Brett Hatch]

I'm looking at the same DGX BPW, and am a little confused about weight options. The small pouches look nice but are they ditchable? I was diving with someone this weekend that was diving doubles and seemed really experienced and he said all his weights are on the back of his plate (near the tank) and non-ditchable. Seemed dangerous to me but what do I know.

They are ditchable if placed within reach, you just open the velcro and pull the lead out (or let it fall out). If mine are placed on the high camband, I can't reach it, but I can on the low camband, or on the waist strap.

That being said, many divers don't dive with easily ditchable weight, and consider ditchable weight to be hazardous. The thinking here is that ditching weight at depth can cause an uncontrollable ascent, which is a very dangerous situation, especially if you are diving under a hard ceiling. And sometimes the weight will end up being ditched on accident, if the quick disconnect is not plugged in all the way, gets snagged, or something like that. In the event that you would want to intentionally ditch weight, most folks would agree that it should only be done once you reach the surface, and at the surface you could ditch your entire rig if the non-ditchable weight is a problem.

For me, I'm comfortable diving with ditchable weight, or without it. In cold water I dive with ditchable weight in the form of a weight belt. This is very useful in a thick wetsuit, because a total BCD failure might make it impossible for me to swim up off the ground. It's not so important with a drysuit, but I prefer the weight on my hips, so dive dry with ditchable lead on a belt too. I always don the belt under my crotch strap, so that it cannot be ditched accidentally, but could be ditched by undoing both the belt and the crotch strap. In warm water, I typically dive with only non-ditchable weight, and I don't worry about it, since the total buoyancy change throughout the dive is small enough that I could easily swim up, even with a complete BCD failure and full tank of gas.

If you're not sold on this idea, that's fine, but many divers are. If you search for "balanced rig" on here, you'll find many threads discussing the pros and cons. At the end of the day, both methods are dived a zillion times per year without incident, so it will come down to the type of diving you do, and your preferences.

 

[Nemrod]

I love these ditchable weight pockets from Dive Rite.


They come as a set and I use a set on my waist strap and then on my cam bands I use non-ditchable pockets, these for cam band trim weights:

Deluxe Small Weight Pocket "Removable Type" Holds knifes, weights or misc!

Our newest weight pocket is made from 2520 Ballistic denier fabric with a very durable construction Attaches by sliding through the 2" inch webbing loop on the backside! The pocket can hold small items like knifes or Jon lines or up to 4lb hard weight or 4lb+ soft weight Dimensions: 4" x 4" x...

www.piranhadivemfg.com

And I use the OxyCheq original soft plate similar to this one:

Ultralight Soft Travel Backplate Pad "Small Model" "Generation 2 Model"

Our newest product for divers looking to lighten their load when traveling or just a quick dive. Using a simple harness will get you in with a comfortable and lightweight backplate pad Going on a trip where weight is an issue? No more with our ultralight soft backplate pad Please note overall...

www.piranhadivemfg.com

Herei s a set up from Cave Adventures with Oxy wing and Oxy soft plate:

Cave Adventurers - Cave Adventurers Harness, OxyCheq Wing and Ultra Lite Plate - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

Cave Adventurers Harness, OxyCheq Wing and Ultra Lite Plate

www.caveadventurers.com

I really, really, dislike those large bent (doubles) plates for single tank and warm water diving. Just saying. I have spent, seriously, decades trying to minimize my scuba rigs. Here you can see the Dive Rite weight pouches (the red dump pull tabs). I am using in this photo the VDH mini (flat singles) plate and VDH 22# wing:



Everything is tucked in tight. In that photo I am using as primary a rare CE 156 Scubapro regulator (gifted from Couv) and normally I remove the unneeded rubber boot on my spg but forgive me from varying from Hog dogma as that is an original Scubapro 0-3500 psi gauge I bought brand new along with the Scubapro 109 secondary necklaced when I worked at a dive retail store decades ago and it has the original rubber boot .

 

[mje113]

Just received some fun today! First impressions are really good. Aluminum Backplate and no burrs or roughness whatsoever. I think they are quite beautiful really! Will start putting them together tonight! (might have received a flashlight or two as well!)
View attachment 786630

Those look sweet, I may just pull the trigger on the SS version tonight!