Gear list for your thoughts.

[Zef]

what kind of exposure suit are you using (e.g., wetsuit, drysuit)? and how thick is it (e.g.,3mm, 5mm, 7mm)?

I have the Dive Rite weight pocket system advertised as an add-on item with the DGX backplate and wing someone else linked to above. I like them but I really only use them when diving my drysuit as I have a stainless steel back Dive Rite back plate and do not need to carry any additional weight with my 5.5mm wetsuit.

I dived with a jacket style BCD for many years and went back plate and wing (BP/W) a few years ago. I would not go back to a jacket style system but that does not mean that BP/Ws are the end all be all.

One of the nice advantages of a BP/W, particularly if one goes with simple webbing harness without unnecessary padding, the system is negatively buoyant so you do not need additional lead to sink it.

The practical side of a BP/W is that it can be customized in fit and function, is rugged, and is modular so that if one component should fail you don't have to replace the whole system....which is what happened with my jacket style BCD. I am confident that I will be using my BP/W for many years in the future.

But there are lots of good BCDs on the market. Buy what you find comfortable, meets your needs, and fits your budget.

-Z

 

[DBPacific]

.

When going with a harness system like this one is it better to not use the weight systems they offer and only use a belt?

I have that BCD. When I have the choice, I dive steel tanks and I have a steel backplate which lowers my weight needs to about 8 lbs (I dive cold water so lots of neoprene). A weight belt can work just fine with this BCD and other similar ones, but I personally got the Dive Rite weight system and just attached it to the DGX BCD because belts were giving me a lot of back and hip pain and I've had more troublesome belts unbuckle themselves and fall off

(and get tangled up with or get covered by the BCD buckle so it's virtually impossible to unbuckle quickly in an emergency)​

than I've seen integrated weights fall off. It's entirely up to how you like it, but I prefer integrated weights.

 

[Lifter]

what kind of exposure suit are you using (e.g., wetsuit, drysuit)? and how thick is it (e.g.,3mm, 5mm, 7mm)?

I have the Dive Rite weight pocket system advertised as an add-on item with the DGX backplate and wing someone else linked to above. I like them but I really only use them when diving my drysuit as I have a stainless steel back Dive Rite back plate and do not need to carry any additional weight with my 5.5mm wetsuit.

I dived with a jacket style BCD for many years and went back plate and wing (BP/W) a few years ago. I would not go back to a jacket style system but that does not mean that BP/Ws are the end all be all.

One of the nice advantages of a BP/W, particularly if one goes with simple webbing harness without unnecessary padding, the system is negatively buoyant so you do not need additional lead to sink it.

The practical side of a BP/W is that it can be customized in fit and function, is rugged, and is modular so that if one component should fail you don't have to replace the whole system....which is what happened with my jacket style BCD. I am confident that I will be using my BP/W for many years in the future.

But there are lots of good BCDs on the market. Buy what you find comfortable, meets your needs, and fits your budget.

-Z

I appreciate your reply. I will be using a 7mm wet suit. I’m 6”1 and weight about 240.

 

[Lifter]

.

I have that BCD. When I have the choice, I dive steel tanks and I have a steel backplate which lowers my weight needs to about 8 lbs (I dive cold water so lots of neoprene). A weight belt can work just fine with this BCD and other similar ones, but I personally got the Dive Rite weight system and just attached it to the DGX BCD because belts were giving me a lot of back and hip pain and I've had more troublesome belts unbuckle themselves and fall off

(and get tangled up with or get covered by the BCD buckle so it's virtually impossible to unbuckle quickly in an emergency)​

than I've seen integrated weights fall off. It's entirely up to how you like it, but I prefer integrated weights.

I went through my PADI OW course using a vest style with inter grated weight system so that’s currently all I know. I have read several places that belts can cause discomfort as well. I guess I’ll just have to make a choice. Thanks for your input. Much appreciated. As far as weighing goes I was using 25lbs would I expect to use less with a steel back plate?

 

[MichaelMc]

The steel plate typically weighs 5-6 lb. So it shifts that much from your belt, or hip integrated, to your back. Where it typically has a beneficial effect on trim. Roughly shifts, as steel is not as dense as lead. Beyond that, your vest BC may have had a bit of buoyant padding in it that you had to carry lead to offset. A BP/W typically does not have any padding, though it is an option. So that may eliminate a bit of total weight.

On the padding, many find it is not needed, unless they are walking rather far to the dive site. Typically one is wearing a wet suit anyway, which serves as padding.

+1 on going BP/W. It is a very rugged, compact, and adaptable system. Welcome to the board.

 

[DBPacific]

I went through my PADI OW course using a vest style with inter grated weight system so that’s currently all I know. I have read several places that belts can cause discomfort as well. I guess I’ll just have to make a choice. Thanks for your input. Much appreciated. As far as weighing goes I was using 25lbs would I expect to use less with a steel back plate?

I went through 3/4 certifications on a jacket BCD, and all 4 with weight belts. As Michael said, the steel plate takes off some weight, steel tanks take off about 8 more pounds for me, but are more of a pain for lugging long distances. Weight belts for me never stay where they should even when I'm horizontal and tighten them at depth. They end up under my BCD, up around my ribs, and rotate completely back to front so I can't even find the release when I'm taking things off. Integrated were well worth the price. If you don't dive with a wetsuit, I'd look for either a bp/w with some padding or add on some padding. I know the DGX one has optional shoulder pads for extra comfort, I just dive in a 7mm so I don't notice it once it's on.

 

[lexvil]

The F8 is a great choice, I have two of them.

 

[Lifter]

The steel plate typically weighs 5-6 lb. So it shifts that much from your belt, or hip integrated, to your back. Where it typically has a beneficial effect on trim. Roughly shifts, as steel is not as dense as lead. Beyond that, your vest BC may have had a bit of buoyant padding in it that you had to carry lead to offset. A BP/W typically does not have any padding, though it is an option. So that may eliminate a bit of total weight.

On the padding, many find it is not needed, unless they are walking rather far to the dive site. Typically one is wearing a wet suit anyway, which serves as padding.

+1 on going BP/W. It is a very rugged, compact, and adaptable system. Welcome to the board.

As far as the regulator goes. Is it mandatory to use long hoses with the BP/w?

 

[rongoodman]

The F8 is a great choice, I have two of them.

I've never been fond of the Flatheads' hose routing, and from the pictures I've seen the F8 isn't any different.

As far as the regulator goes. Is it mandatory to use long hoses with the BP/w?

Not at all, although primary donate makes good sense no matter what the hose length. I'm fairly small, so a 5' hose works for me in recreational settings.

 

[DBPacific]

As far as the regulator goes. Is it mandatory to use long hoses with the BP/w?

Nope. You can set it up however you like. Long hoses are more of a technical diver thing than what most recreational divers will run into, so if you have no need for that set-up, just do what you're comfortable with. From what I've seen and have been taught by others, long primary hoses are to 1) route under your arm and therefore minimize the amount of things jutting out from your profile that could get caught or entangled, and 2) provide backup air to a buddy if you're working in single file spaces like a cave or wreck. The short necklace style backup reg is again to reduce your profile and entanglement points and so you know that your back-up air is always right by your mouth in case of emergency. Depending on what regulators you go with, it can be pretty easy to buy just a hose if you want to change the length later on or have different configurations to swap out on for different types of dives. If you don't really have a need for long hose set-up, just do what you're comfortable with and what your muscle memory will remember in a pinch. I personally like the long hose set-up and I switched to it and a backup necklace when I bought my own gear, but my diving now is for work in high fishing areas and I often carry a few extra pieces of gear, so minimizing entanglement and snags is a big plus. It also gives me a bit of peace of mind being able to watch my secondary for any issues and know that if I run into a problem with my primary, I can just lower my face and pick it up with my teeth and I have air. I've had a lot of friends who have the more common set-up with their octo clipped off onto their BCD who have unknowingly snagged and detached their octo, then when it started to free-flow or when they looked for it just couldn't find it.

Apologies, I'm very wordy, but I hope this helps