Diving singles and doubles on a bp/w? Also surf booties

[fire_diver]

I'm not sure exactly what "surf booties" are so I didn't comment on that aspect. But in the general questions of what to wear on your feet, wear whatever works for you. There are very few right and wrongs in scuba, mostly just personal preferences.

As for recommendations of specific gear, for the most part as plate is a plate is a plate. They should all have the same hole spacing and webbing slots. Only real difference is in the level of finishing. Some plates are like polished works of art, some are more crude but they all work and function the same.

There are different stiffness levels on the webbing, but they all work just fine. There are straight d-rings and bent d-rings but again, both work just fine. Honestly, you can pick any complete backplate you want and it will be fine. On the wing, I would recommend a donut style. I'm not sure if they make something else for them any more for singles wings. I'm also a donut wing fan for doubles.

The wing CAN make a big difference in your diving. Too large of a wing and it will "taco" around the tank and make it harder to vent excess air. Horseshoe wings can require you to go to more of a vertical position to equalize air between the sides, and sometimes they can kink or pinch at the top and make air movement even harder. A horseshoe shape that is wider at the bottom can make the air want to collect more in that area which can make you very "nose heavy" especially if you have short, HP steel doubles.

I pieced all my stuff seperately. I have a SS hammerhead backplate (out of business) a diverite AL plate and a FredT 10# plate, diverite harness kit and whatever webbing came already fitted with the 2 other plates which were bought used. I did add my own piece of SOFT tubular webbing for the crotch-strap. I have an Oxyxheq MachV 30# singles wing and a Halcyon 55#explorer (soon to be replaced). My stage straps are dog leashes, my fins are Hollis. So you can see I have no brand loyalty. Buy what works best for you because it all plays together pretty well. I haven't found anything that isn't compatible yet but I have heard some others complain in the past. I just don't remember exactly what pieces weren't mating up.

If you buy a kit that you assemble yourself, this website shows how to assemble it. http://www.diverite.com/downloads/diverite_263.pdf

This one does a great job at explaining where things should be and why.

http://www.baue.org/faq/backplate_sizing_inline_images.php

And one more thing.... If you don't have spring straps on your fins yet, GET THEM. Seriously, I don't know why any scuba manufacturer is still using rubber and plastic.

 

[Agility]

A SS BP weighs about 3kg, 3kg you do not need to take with you in form of lead. If you use less than these 3kg of lead you might want to consider a Aluminium BP wich will weigh about half as much. You can mix all brands of BP and wing as long as you use the holes for the bolts (they are pretty much standardized) as soon as you want to thread your cambands through the BP without a STA you have to make sure the slots in the BP line up with the openings in your singles wing.
Some LDS do not seem to know much about backplates, avoid them and find one that does.

 

[eelnoraa]

I will say these regarding Halcyon's BC system:
Halcyon is expansive, but overprice or not is a relative statement
Halcyon is better than most in terms of attention to detail, which may or may not be important to some, I do appreciate the high quality myself
Halcyon's adjustable harness (cinch) is much better implemented than DiveRite counter part (Transplate). I have had both, and both sold now.
Halcyon's weight pocket is much better implemented than DiveRite's version too. I have had both, but both sold now
Halcyon's Eclipse wing is better implemented than Oxycheq's MkV wing. I currently still have both
Halcyon's Infiniti is a better design single tank rig, but not very good for double, due to the backpad design and cinch adaptor clearance

Starting with Infiniti is good choice if the cost is OK with you. If you can look pass the quick adjust feature, I will suggest going with Eclipse's (simple harness) instead. In fact, I would suggest just buy the plate/harness, STA and a wing (Blem ok OK). Backpad is not neccessary IMO. There are better method to add weight than weight pocket on waist harness. Quite a few people I know, started with Infiniti, eventually ditch the cinch, all paddings, weight pocket, making it basically a Eclipse setup.

 

[icedveins]

Starting with Infiniti is good choice if the cost is OK with you. If you can look pass the quick adjust feature, I will suggest going with Eclipse's (simple harness) instead. In fact, I would suggest just buy the plate/harness, STA and a wing (Blem ok OK). Backpad is not neccessary IMO. There are better method to add weight than weight pocket on waist harness. Quite a few people I know, started with Infiniti, eventually ditch the cinch, all paddings, weight pocket, making it basically a Eclipse setup.

I've heard a fair number of people raving about the quick adjust harness; I thought it was supposed to be a big selling point on the Infinity. But thanks for the point-by-point comparison. And fire_diver, you're definitely right about the spring straps. I've used both now and spring is a million times better than fumbling around with a clasp in low-vis water.

Has anyone had any problems ordering bp/w gear online? I would prefer to get it from my LDS because the owner's a great guy and runs an honest, helpful business, but I don't recall him having a lot of bp/w stuff in stock. I don't see any particular reason to spend a bunch of money/time driving to or calling dive shops, so I would prefer to order it online; I'm just concerned about the sizing of the bp.

I'm reading through the article fire_diver linked me, but if I'm ordering online I can't try it on before I buy. The best thing to do would probably be to rent - which I'll likely do - but I'm curious as to whether or not a given size fits true across brands. Halcyon, par exemple, offers standard and small, but I remember seeing mediums, medium longs, and the like in some other brands. I'm 5'11" and a lean 160 lbf, if that's a useful point of reference. I know the adjustments in the straps depend on the exposure suit and other equipment, but I would imagine the size of the plate itself depends generally on body size and shape.

 

[fire_diver]

No need to worry about "fit" Backplates are all the same size. If a company was selling multiple sizes, I would assume (yeah I know that's dangerous) the medium is the "normal" size. It is possible to get shorter or longer ones but you have special order them. The webbing is ones piece and you adjust it to fit you. There should be more than enough webbing for even a big guy wearing a drysuit. This is part of what makes the BP/W system so good, you don't have to worry about it not fitting.

Can you link to the company selling a "medium-long" backplate? I haven't ever seen that before.

 

[Oldbear]

...

As a sidenote, I was thinking about buying a pair of 5mm surf booties instead of dive booties. I find the surf booties a lot more comfortable than dive booties and I prefer using them for freediving/spearfishing, so why not scuba? I also surf, but when I'm surfing I go without booties or a hood (unless I'm somewhere with a prickly bottom). Any thoughts on the booties?

I tried surf shoes for a while. I spent the beginning of each shore dive dumping sand out of them after entry. And the sand that didn't make it out acted like sandpaper on my toes...raw within two dives. Some open heel fin straps will rub the back of the foot above the cuff of the surf shoe.

After about three weeks of shore diving with surf style shoes...I had enough and got out the old dive hightop dive booties.

 

[darrenlowjq]

Some people here have mentioned the cinch system as an advantage of the Halcyon Infinity. That was indeed what got me to switch from a Dive Rite rig to the Infinity. I like it and continue to use it, but my fundies team mate did not and ended up removing the cinch system. She said that her harness shifted too easily due to the cinch system. So I think there's an issue of personal preference there.

One thing I really appreciate about my Infinity rig compared to my Dive Rite rig is that the Eclipse wing has a completely removable bladder with an outer shell. The outer shell prevents damage to the bladder while also making it easy for me to completely dismantle the wing by unscrewing the OPV, inflator corrugated hose and taking the bladder out to rinse or even swap it out if it gets punctured instead of throwing out the whole wing. But not everyone is as OCD as I am about maintaining gear so this may or may not be a pro for you. This also probably isn't a uniquely Halcyon feature but its something to keep in mind.

I've also read quite a few accounts of great Halcyon customer service online, though no first hand experience as I've not had to send in my Infinity for servicing. A manufacturer who's willing to stand behind their product and help you out when the gear craps out through no fault of your own is a major plus in my book.

 

[C Dub]

As a sidenote, I was thinking about buying a pair of 5mm surf booties instead of dive booties. I find the surf booties a lot more comfortable than dive booties and I prefer using them for freediving/spearfishing, so why not scuba? I also surf, but when I'm surfing I go without booties or a hood (unless I'm somewhere with a prickly bottom). Any thoughts on the booties?

I have both surf booties, as well as a similar pair of booties specifically designed for small sail boat racing. Both work great for scuba, so go for the surf!

 

[icedveins]

Can you link to the company selling a "medium-long" backplate? I haven't ever seen that before.

Not a medium long, but this is what I was talking about: https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?category=backplates

I saw this and got pretty confused. But basically I guess I can order any "medium" bp and it should fit fine? That's definitely a relief. And darren, I'm pretty OCD about my gear too - if I spend a bunch of $$$ you can bet I'm gonna do my best to make sure it lasts.

 

[djtimmy77]

I went with DSS due to the fact that they make a long plate. a "normal" sized DR plate just felt "wrong" to me as I am tall. I was patient and got DSS plates (SS and Kydex) used here on SB for a big cost savings. Also got a used DSS wing for a great price. You can also get good deals on used H gear here if you are patient.