HOG BP/W Question

[Susaroo]

I'm moving from my Aqualung Lotus to a bp/w and I'm almost 100% on the HOG total buoyancy control system. I am back and forth about choosing between the aluminum bp and the Deluxe Flex Harness Softplate, leaning (tonight) towards the softplate. I live in the Northeast US and am getting more into diving up here but the majority of my dives have been and will be warm water and involve travel. I'd appreciate any thoughts about pros/cons of choosing the softplate. Thanks!

 

[Zef]

Recommend getting in touch with @Jim Lapenta, he is a great resource for HOG equipment.

I can vouch for HOG offering great quality and very good customer service.

I would recommend the aluminum plate over the soft plate unless your diving was going to be exclusively travel related, and then still I would lean towards a metal plate. The metal plate will be more durable in the long run without sacrificing comfort.

-Z

 

[Nemrod]

Just keep it simple with a standard Hogarthian harness without all of the extra D-rings. You will not like this but for your local diving get a stainless plate and a 30 pound (+) wing and for your destination diving get an Oxy 18 with the Oxy soft travel plate. You can do for now with a single wing, an Oxy 30 and switch plates.

Cave Adventurers - Ultra Lite Travel Plate *Black* - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

Ultra Lite Travel Plate *Black*

www.caveadventurers.com

They say it will only fit Oxy wings but it will fit any wing generally that has standard slot spacing and hole spacing. Works on my VDH wings like it was made for them, fits my Oxy wings, of course, perfectly.

James

 

[FuAn]

Id get a stainless BP regardless, the extra weight will save you carry around weights and is far more comfortable. unless you travel with a whole family and always have to squeeze in with already loaded bags, its most likely not a big deal to pack a stainless BP in your luggage, Ive been traveling with one for decades...
Otherwise buy what you will need the most now and supplement with the next option when you got some extra money down the line. Diving in cold water you actually will find the weight on the BP very useful.

 

[scrane]

I have had a HOG 23 lb wing for about five years and have been very happy with it. It rides on a bare bones standard harness and an aluminum BP. I started out with a stainless BP, but since I only do warm water diving I soon traded it for the aluminum. I see no benefit from the added weight for the diving I do. As it is, my fully loaded checked bag is 48.5 lbs.
All the added padding and bulk of the deluxe harnesses are useless underwater.

 

[Rukkian]

I'm moving from my Aqualung Lotus to a bp/w and I'm almost 100% on the HOG total buoyancy control system. I am back and forth about choosing between the aluminum bp and the Deluxe Flex Harness Softplate, leaning (tonight) towards the softplate. I live in the Northeast US and am getting more into diving up here but the majority of my dives have been and will be warm water and involve travel. I'd appreciate any thoughts about pros/cons of choosing the softplate. Thanks!

I got the tbcs as my first bc, and it has been great so far. I went with the ss backplate because I almost exclusively dive cold water. Unless you are only diving where you have to fly, I would personally stay away from the soft plate. It will just mean having to add way more weight other places.

 

[Joe2518]

I've enjoyed the mares soft plate that I picked up from DGX.

 

[Shabaday]

My GF has the HOG aluminum BP/W/Harness with the Zeagle weight pockets that attach to the BP holes and keep the weights off the hips added to it. She LOVES it. She also has the SS BP and does not travel with it...ultimately it was too heavy but does use it local.

 

[rongoodman]

Go with the stainless. They travel just fine, and spread the weight more evenly across your back.

 

[Nemrod]

There are soft plates and there are soft plates. The one the OP mentions appears to be padded and bulky. The Oxy Ultra Lite plate and the Mares and other copies of the concept are bare bones textile plates without any padding, barely 1/8 inch thickness.

As to toting aroud metal and in particular stainless steel plates, that can get real old real fast. For destination diving having over weight luggage, heavy boat bags and carrying a heavy metal plate around on and off boats when there is lead on the boat to use makes no sense to me. Local diving, sure, travel diving, no way.

James