How much weight dropped moving from BCD to SS BPW

[GiantMoray]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a BPW very shortly, I dive both UK and Egypt, with about 4kg lead wearing a shortie in Egypt. I use 10kg with drysuit in UK currently but expect that to reduce a bit as I get used to drysuit.

My concern is ill end up overweighted in Egypt with a SS backplate.

Can anyone reassure me/confirm my concerns?

Thanks
James

 

[boulderjohn]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a BPW very shortly, I dive both UK and Egypt, with about 4kg lead wearing a shortie in Egypt. I use 10kg with drysuit in UK currently but expect that to reduce a bit as I get used to drysuit.

My concern is ill end up overweighted in Egypt with a SS backplate.

Can anyone reassure me/confirm my concerns?

Different brands of back plate weigh different amounts, and it will not be easy to estimate the difference in volume of your new total rig. that means a precise estimate is not possible. Will you have a single tank adapter? that adds weight as well.

My wild guess is that it will be close. I wouldn't worry about it myself. I can say that with confidence because I do what you are planning to do and I don't worry about it. If you are overweighted, it won't be by much.

 

[Nasser]

You'll be ok. I dive a SS BP with a 3mm shorty in the Red Sea. I shed about 2kg from my previous Jacket style BCD when I switched to a SS backplate. With a 5mm suit in the colder months I add a little weight. But consider that it will also depend on the tanks you dive with. Most dive centers in the Red Sea have Aluminum 12l liter tanks, however, if diving 12liter or 15 liter steel tanks - common on some liveaboards, you will probably end up dropping some more weight.

cheers,
nasser

 

[phoenix31tt]

If I dive an ss backplate I'll be over weighted.. And I dived with just under 4kg before I switched from bcd to bpw


Alot has to do with how buoyant your bcd is as well, I thought mine was very buoyant (Mares dragon)


Sent from my Nokia Lumia using Tapatalk

 

[GiantMoray]

Thanks, it is an xdeep Zeos I am looking at which does have a sta. I do worry too much, but if the jacket failed is want to be able to get myself buoyant or if something happened to me I wouldn't want anyone to have trouble getting me buoyant.

 

[pjhansman]

For what it's worth, in my drysuit I dropped 7lbs when I went from a ScubaPpo Knighthawk to a DSS BP/W (with SS plate).

 

[GiantMoray]

Thanks, is that without a sta?

 

[kelemvor]

If it's going to be too close for comfort, you could always go with an aluminum or even plastic (diverite makes one) backplate. I ended up buying all three...

 

[John_B]

I use six pounds less weight with my steel DSS backplate vs. a rental BCD. The DSS wings have a built-in integrated STA, so that's not a factor.

 

[GiantMoray]

My other thought was if a full wetsuit would add enough extra buoyancy over a shortie?