How do you pack and travel with your SP Hydros Pro BC?

[ReadyTo Dive]

As the title states I’d like to know how you pack and travel with your SP HP BC. Do you:

Pack and travel with it as shown in the promotional video (with the cam band wrapped around the BC) and all of your gear inside of the backpack? Maybe you use the provided backpack but only for the unstrapped BC itself?

Carry-on or checked luggage?

Do you lay both shoulders straps down flat completely until you hear the “clicking“ of the monoprene going over the hinge or do you leave them up in the standard position?

For those who have attached knives, do you unmount the knife and sheath and put both into your checked luggage or maybe just the knife only say wrapped inside a towel/similar?

Finally for the overachievers, how many dives do you have on your BC and do you hang it long-term on a BC hanger? If not, how do you long-term store it?

Any other travel tips/tricks/insights? Thanks in advance for any and all input!

 

[ChuckP]

30+ dives on mine in Curacao and Bahamas. I just hang it on a BC hanger....

I have a Stahl suitcase that I pack it in along with other diving stuff, in the Bahamas we fit three full sets of gear in two checked bags with no problems. Lights go in a G2 case, all the charging cords go in another case - that goes in a checked bag. We use the backpack to carry on regulators, computers and cameras. The computers and cameras go in the hard case that came with a G2 computer minus that packing foam.

If I traveled by myself, I could get everything I needed for a long while in a carry on and a back pack - minus fins.

 

[elbig]

I disconnect the weight pockets because it folds easier that way. You don't have to use them but I do even when I travel. I use the provided backpack as a carry on. I carry BC, DC, mask, and regs plus a few other items. I pack fins knife with checked luggage. I know they say you can attach fins to the outside of pack but I don't do that. I have about 20 dives with it . I hang it on a BC hanger. I love it.

 

[ReadyTo Dive]

Thank you both for your input!

I’ve just returned from lugging 2 sets across the Yucatán for a week (13 dives plus 3 local dives before traveling) and they worked out perfectly. I’m really happy with everything as a whole and looking forward to do it all again soon.

After a bit of trial and error I ended up settling for putting the BC flat inside the backpack and not buckled/cinched with the cam band (but with the weight pouches still in). When I tried to pack it buckled (as shown in the promo video) it seemed a little too tight around the bladder IMO and ended up not being required anyway. My SMB stayed attached to the rear bottom backplate holes via bungees the entire time. I wore my primary computer on my wrist as a watch the entire time also.

I then put a SP regulator bag (the $39 one) on top of the BC that contained my 1st and 2nd stages (as the BC has an Air2), my console, mask, lightweight gloves and several other small items like a tool kit and defog and it all fit perfectly and was never too tight. I could have strapped my fins to the outside but did not; they went inside the check luggage along with my knife, skins, boots and camera gear. I believe I could have put my skins, boots and more inside the backpack as well but it was not necessary for me to do so on this trip.

Overall the BC (and everything really) performed perfectly. It took a few dives to fully adjust but that is to be expected with new gear but never did I feel like the shoulder straps were in danger (even when attached to a steel 120) and I never felt pushed “face down” at the surface. I’ve now dove it in freshwater, in saltwater and in the cenotes and for me I don’t think I could really ask for anything more. I will keep trying to reduce/streamline things even more as well as keep trying out different packing configurations but for now, for my needs, I’m giving this setup 2 thumbs up.

 

[Scratch_Monkey]

Sounds like you got your reply but to chime in.... I just got the Hydros Pro as well and took it for its first trip to Roatan two weeks ago. I packed the BCD (like the video) and my regulator (no bag) in the backpack along with my dive computer and a camera (regular camera) wrapped in some shorts/t-shirts. I carried it on the plane (along with another small shoulder bag with clothes) with no issues. The Scubapro backpack went in the overhead bin and my shoulder bag went under the seat in front of me. The rest of my gear (booties, fins, mask, wetsuit) was in my checked luggage. I did not bring the integrated weight pockets, instead opting to just bring the travel waist strap.

After I got to my hotel room, I added my mask, wetsuit, and booties to the backpack (taking out my camera and clothes!) and strapped my fins to the outside and carried that down to the shop. The DM was like "where's your gear?" and I was like "this is everything!". While he was impressed that it all fit into that backpack, he was more impressed that it was made in South Africa since that's where he's from. While the backpack (with not too long fins) could hold pretty much everything as a carry-on item, to me it was most useful transporting my gear to the shop.

Like you, it took a few dives to get my new BCD settled in but it ended up working nicely! Also like you, I kept an eye on the shoulder straps but never noticed anything suspicious and I, too, never felt pushed "face down" at the surface.

I went from 12 pounds to start (based on the amount of weight I used on my last trip) but ended up with just 6#s (3x3) in the back trim pockets by the end of the week. I really felt like I had my weight dialed in properly for the first time and it was so nice. I was able to empty the BCD on descent and then never touched it again, controlling my buoyancy solely with my breathing. I was able to comfortably hold my position during the safety stop and, at the surface, did the "take a normal breath and let it out buoyancy check thingy" and floated like I was supposed to when properly weighted.

The only negative with the BCD I noticed was that, when I was over-weighted and had to put a little air in my BCD at the bottom, sometimes I would have to roll over to get the air in the bladder distributed properly. To be fair, at this time I was playing around with my weight location on a belt (when I still had 12#s, 10#s, etc..) and some of that could have been improper distribution.

I had my secondary attached to a silicone "octopus holder" to a D ring on my shoulder strap and my gauges (at first) just strung under my waste strap, then attached to a waist D ring via a carabiner that I borrowed from a DM, and finally attached to a retractor that I purchased in West End. I think next time I'm going to try attaching my gauges with a snap bolt to a waist D ring and use the retractor on a shoulder D ring for a torch.

If any of you can chime in with how you secure your kit (alternate, gauges, etc...) I think that would be a great discussion! While it sounds like they've sold a ton of Hydros Pros, it's hard to find good info online about how people are using them given all the options you have.

ReadyTo Dive: What surface marker buoy do you have?

 

[ReadyTo Dive]

Sounds like you got your reply but to chime in.... I just got the Hydros Pro as well and took it for its first trip to Roatan two weeks ago. I packed the BCD (like the video) and my regulator (no bag) in the backpack along with my dive computer and a camera (regular camera) wrapped in some shorts/t-shirts. I carried it on the plane (along with another small shoulder bag with clothes) with no issues. The Scubapro backpack went in the overhead bin and my shoulder bag went under the seat in front of me. The rest of my gear (booties, fins, mask, wetsuit) was in my checked luggage. I did not bring the integrated weight pockets, instead opting to just bring the travel waist strap.

After I got to my hotel room, I added my mask, wetsuit, and booties to the backpack (taking out my camera and clothes!) and strapped my fins to the outside and carried that down to the shop. The DM was like "where's your gear?" and I was like "this is everything!". While he was impressed that it all fit into that backpack, he was more impressed that it was made in South Africa since that's where he's from. While the backpack (with not too long fins) could hold pretty much everything as a carry-on item, to me it was most useful transporting my gear to the shop.

Like you, it took a few dives to get my new BCD settled in but it ended up working nicely! Also like you, I kept an eye on the shoulder straps but never noticed anything suspicious and I, too, never felt pushed "face down" at the surface.

I went from 12 pounds to start (based on the amount of weight I used on my last trip) but ended up with just 6#s (3x3) in the back trim pockets by the end of the week. I really felt like I had my weight dialed in properly for the first time and it was so nice. I was able to empty the BCD on descent and then never touched it again, controlling my buoyancy solely with my breathing. I was able to comfortably hold my position during the safety stop and, at the surface, did the "take a normal breath and let it out buoyancy check thingy" and floated like I was supposed to when properly weighted.

The only negative with the BCD I noticed was that, when I was over-weighted and had to put a little air in my BCD at the bottom, sometimes I would have to roll over to get the air in the bladder distributed properly. To be fair, at this time I was playing around with my weight location on a belt (when I still had 12#s, 10#s, etc..) and some of that could have been improper distribution.

I had my secondary attached to a silicone "octopus holder" to a D ring on my shoulder strap and my gauges (at first) just strung under my waste strap, then attached to a waist D ring via a carabiner that I borrowed from a DM, and finally attached to a retractor that I purchased in West End. I think next time I'm going to try attaching my gauges with a snap bolt to a waist D ring and use the retractor on a shoulder D ring for a torch.

If any of you can chime in with how you secure your kit (alternate, gauges, etc...) I think that would be a great discussion! While it sounds like they've sold a ton of Hydros Pros, it's hard to find good info online about how people are using them given all the options you have.

ReadyTo Dive: What surface marker buoy do you have?

Funny story on the SMB. I bought/used SP SMB #40.312.001 and it fits the Hydros perfectly IMO. The only thing to mention is that since the Hydros rear dump valve is on the left (vs. being on the right as I'm used to) I had to attach it "logo upside down" so I would not have both the BC and SMB dump valve pulls hanging next to each other. I use a pretty remote shop in Mahahual whose owner I've become friends with and she really liked it as well so I gave it to her as a gift thinking I'll just buy another when I return home but now I'm having a bit of a difficult time finding this exact SMB... I really do not like the rubber $23 ones at all and the 2 nicer current 2018 ones are not the same SMB. 1st world problems I suppose but it fit perfectly and I'm REALLY hoping to find/buy another asap. I have my LDS hunting it now and I'm pretty sure they'll find it.

I also bought/used/had attached the mini d-ring kits on the bottom of all of the weight pockets thinking they would be "re-enforcement bars" after reading the "monoprene ripped hole" thread here on SB but like you I was able to drop my weight needs all the way down to #6 so they were not only not needed but really they kept me from being able to smash the colored weight pockets flat enough to cinch down the cam band as shown in the video. Also, another person travelling with us has a Hydros with 60-70 dives on his and he hangs items from the mini d-ring bar off the bottom of his weight pockets all the time and the hole on his BC has not ripped or stretched out or anything either so tbh I don't know how that person managed to rip that particular hole but thankfully it's been a non-issue for us (just like the should straps - maybe they were both just GEN-1 problems?). I thought about removing the d-ring sets altogether but I figured I might as well just leave them in case I do ever decide I want to hang something there (even though I likely will not). If I travel somewhere and want to take the backpack only and no check luggage I will surely remove them then to get the extra leverage back.

I was also a bit surprised how well they went into an AA carry-on overhead bin and I also had the "rolling pocket of air" issue at depth; I would either lean forward and to the right to release the air from the rear dump valve or go into the "standing upright" position for a second to release air from the right shoulder dump valve. My camera setup is pretty heavy so when handing it off to my dive buddy that was really the only time this was an issue for me but with some helpful tips from my friend I quickly worked it out.

On the console, I originally used SP retractor #28.553.00 but found it too large and really didn't like anything about it tbh (esp it being a "metal on metal connection" once attached to the BC) so I bought SP retractor #28.010.000 and attached it to the bottom-most metal BC d-ring under the left weight pocket and it worked out perfectly! I couldn't be happier with the switch. I also have this really simple reg holder that is basically just a plastic d-ring (very similar to the ones on the SP retractor I now use) with a small 2-3" piece of nylon with a bungee loop on the end of it that I only use to hold my reg up off of the boat floor on the way to the dive sites and it works great but I did have to learn to reach up a bit higher for the right shoulder dump valve when needed as I always seemed to grab the reg holder first. I currently have it attached to the new small plastic hole on the right shoulder strap that SP touts as a new attachment point, not the metal d-ring. I will say too that both of the Hydros top shoulder metal d-rings seemed placed too high for my liking but since I rarely use them it's not a big deal for me. I hope all this helps!

 

[ReadyTo Dive]

Oh, one last thing, there was one other thing that I didn't like that I'll do my best to describe. On a Panga, when the BC has a tank strapped on it and the SMB attached to the bottom holes on the backplate, the entire kit would hold itself up by where the SMB met the boat bench basically. A tank isn't long/tall enough to hit the bottom of the boat when the BC has a SMB attached to the bottom of the backplate so the entire kit was hung/pulled on/etc by where the SMB met the boats' tank-hole (lol). Again though, to me/IMO, this just reiterates to me that this BC is tough/strong as I did this day after day on multiple rough and long boat rides with no consequences to speak of.

 

[Bubbles McGee]

I have 15 dives on mine. I packed it like the video but I take my reg in it's own bag. I had all of my dive gear as carry on accept for my fins. When I got to the resort, I transferred everything into my mesh dive bag to carry to and from the boat. At home I keep it on a BC hanger with some air in it as I've read that it keeps the inner bladder lining from sticking together. I put my dive knife in my checked bag wrapped in a glad freezer bag. The sheath is mounted on the grommet holes on my left side. I bought a ninja pocket to keep my camera in and will use it for other things as necessary. I had 2 lbs in each trim pocket and 5 lbs in each of my front pouches for my recent Grenada trip. I'm going to try 12 lbs total on my next trip to St Vincent coming up soon. I loved the Hydros overall. The back inflate is great and not having to wear a weight belt was even better. Very comfortable.

 

[ReadyTo Dive]

I have 15 dives on mine. I packed it like the video but I take my reg in it's own bag. I had all of my dive gear as carry on accept for my fins. When I got to the resort, I transferred everything into my mesh dive bag to carry to and from the boat. At home I keep it on a BC hanger with some air in it as I've read that it keeps the inner bladder lining from sticking together. I put my dive knife in my checked bag wrapped in a glad freezer bag. The sheath is mounted on the grommet holes on my left side. I bought a ninja pocket to keep my camera in and will use it for other things as necessary. I had 2 lbs in each trim pocket and 5 lbs in each of my front pouches for my recent Grenada trip. I'm going to try 12 lbs total on my next trip to St Vincent coming up soon. I loved the Hydros overall. The back inflate is great and not having to wear a weight belt was even better. Very comfortable.

Thank you as well! For the first portion of my trip I actually used SP neoprene hybrid cargo shorts (#65.351.600) because I was certain I would need pockets somewhere along the way for something but in reality I only used them to hold a small slate I almost never use and for holding any trash/bottles/etc that found while out on my dives as I am always vigilant about removing any trash I can ever find anywhere. I ended up not using them at all on my cenote dives nor on the second half of my trip at all as I did not find having pockets as necessary as I first thought I would. One of my companions had a ninja pocket for his Hydros however I do not believe he ever opened it even once if I recall correctly.

As for long term storage I now have the BC's each stored in a large hard-shell check suitcase with a piece of polyfoam in the shape of a neckroll pillow under the should straps to keep them from becoming deformed over time and because I have to store the suitcases away anyways so I figured why not go ahead and get the most I can out of the empty storage space the suitcases will take up anyways.

 

[Porko83]

This is how I pack my gear for tropical diving and I have always carried it on international flights.
Hydros and sewing nova's
Made a youtube video