HELP with buying Harness/back plate/wing

[LakeCountyDiver]

Hey fellas I usually dont buy anything with out a mountain of research and I have just began my quest to seek out the right TEC BC as you will. I am in the market for a Backplate/Harness/Wing and other items. The reason for this is I have tried many BCs and all styles. I in the furture will be doing tec diving and am just startng my First step toward that (the reasearch).

I do not use the pockets on my BC. I do not do weight intergrated I have a weight belt. I do not have enough D-rings. I hate Jacket style and any REC BC's I find that are back inflate are Weight intergrated. I want a BC that one day I will be able to use doubles on. I also am a bigger guy and a lot of BCs are just a little akward.

I would just like your guys thoughts and reviews on different brands and styles. Let me know what you think. I see most sets are sold piece by piece so what all goes in to it? Thanks for your help

 

[waterpirate]

for the most definitive explanation of the what and why and how you should search out Tobin's advice and guidance at DSS.
Eric

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

Being that your in Florida I would get off the board and go to a dive shop that is more into the technical side of diving. If close to North Florida I would urge you to go to a cave shop. You generally get better service and less smoke blown up your butt.

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

Being that your in Florida I would get off the board and go to a dive shop that is more into the technical side of diving. If close to North Florida I would urge you to go to a cave shop. You generally get better service and less smoke blown up your butt.

Thanks I wish I could but there are no real Cave/Deep shops near me we had one but it went out of buisness. None that are not at the least an hour+ away. I mean I am not going out tomorrow to but a BC I am now just searching for reviews and opinions. I will def order offline since Shops have a crazy mark up.

 

[Divedoggie]

Here: caveadventurers.com - Home
or
Here: https://www.deepseasupply.com/

Check out their webpages then get on the phone. Both have excellent reputations.

 

[fnfalman]

You're in Florida. Pay a visit to Dive Rite company headquarters and see to yourself why they're the best. Dive Rite people do some nasty stuff and they design their dive gears accordingly.

 

[Mike Boswell]

My wife and I have Oxycheq SS plates, wings, and weight pockets and love them.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

You've got lots of options. Someone already mentioned Dive-Rite. They make good, quality gear. It's not my preference ... but it's good stuff. In Florida you've also got Halcyon and Oxycheq. Dunno where you live, but if you can make it to High Springs, stop by Extreme Exposure to check out Halcyon products. Not sure where your closest Oxycheq dealer would be, but they're not that hard to find.

My personal preference in backplates and wings is Deep Sea Supply ... based in Pasadena, CA. Tobin George, the owner, is active on ScubaBoard (CoolHardware_52) and always willing to answer questions. He's a wealth of information. I've personally toured his facility and know the quality and care that goes into his products.

There are a few lesser-known options also available. Golem Gear makes some quality systems. HOG/Edge makes an excellent product ... I've an associate who sells their equipment and many of my students end up in Hog/Edge rigs and are very happy with them.

There are several others out there that will serve you well. The key thing is to shop around ... if you can get your hands on the gear, or better yet get a chance to dive it, then you can make a more informed purchasing decision. Backplates are pretty easy ... there's really not a lot of difference between them, other than some options that might appeal to you. DSS makes a weighting system that bolts into the back of the plate that's very appealing for cold-water divers. Halcyon makes a "cinch-strap" system that's really appealing to folks who are concerned about getting into and out of their harnesses more easily. Some manufacturers will make different length plates to suit different body sizes ... or lightweight plates made out of aluminum or kydex for tropical diving.

Harnesses ... well, almost every manufacturer will offer both a simple "hog" style as well as a more complex alternative. The style you choose will depend on whether you want the extra complexity and hardware of the latter, and whether you think it's worth the additional cost. For many, a one-piece "hog" harness is attractive because of its simplicity and inexpensive replacement cost.

Wings ... don't get too caught up in the "donuts" vs "horseshoe" debate ... while that is an important preference issue, a more important consideration is lift capacity and choosing a wing that fits the size cylinder(s) you'll be using. The most important piece of advice I can give you is to avoid wings that claim to be suitable for both singles and doubles ... because in order to make that claim they have made compromises that are not optimal for either. Purchase a suitably-sized singles wing for diving singles and doubles wing for diving doubles. Cheaping out on an "all-purpose" wing only makes diving either configuration less easy than it needs to be.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[kathydee]

If you are anywhere near Highsprings I second the idea to stop by Extreme Exposure and check out Halcyon. You can't go wrong with Halcyon. Excellent equipment & worth the trip.

http://www.extreme-exposure.com/

 

[cool_hardware52]

Hey fellas I usually dont buy anything with out a mountain of research and I have just began my quest to seek out the right TEC BC as you will. I am in the market for a Backplate/Harness/Wing and other items. The reason for this is I have tried many BCs and all styles. I in the furture will be doing tec diving and am just startng my First step toward that (the reasearch).

Kudo's on the research.

The concept of a BP&W is pretty simple, but the variables available today can be confusing / overwhelming, particularly if you haven't had first hand experience with one (or several)

You have already received good advice, and there are many good quality products for sale today.

Depending on your application you will need to choose:

Plate size

Plate material

Wing Size, wing shape

Harness Type

STA (single tank adapter) or No STA (aka direct mount)

Available accessories, pads/ storage pockets, weight plates etc.

I'd be happy to walk you through your options. I need about 20 minutes and the following info:


Height and weight

Exposure suits used

Cylinders used.

626-799-5078

Tobin