Looking For Advice on First BC Purchase

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Quite true. Ill advised, but quite true. One of my standard comments to divers seeking advise on selecting a BP&W is "The solution to being over weighted is never a bigger wing"

What is the solution? If the ballast represented by the basic rig exceeds the buoyancy of the divers exposure suit something needs to change. Might be the exposure suit, might be the cylinders, might be both, might be staying out of the water.

Tobin

One of the reasons I dive sidemount on vacation now.... Though I am picking up a titanium backplate if I can organize a group of divers to sponsor archaeologists in the Aegean, as that is the ONLY way to dive ancient shipwrecks. I know the guy who guided the archaeologists in 2015 that "found" 22 ancient wrecks around the Greek island of Fourni (sponsored by 3 American divers).

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I am gonna be a Plus 1 with Kosta on the XDeep Ghost. Wish I knew you were selling yours, I might have bought it. I just bought a new one. They come in a standard and a deluxe version. The deluxe might fit the bill for your girlfriend and you, as they do have comfortable neutrally buoyant padding in the straps and have quick release buckles (like a normal BC) for ease of getting into and out of.

Yeah, I'm kind of bad about selling my dive gear that I don't use anymore. I sold practically all of my UW camera gear, and that was such a hassle.

 

[Trailboss123]

Yeah, I'm kind of bad about selling my dive gear that I don't use anymore. I sold practically all of my UW camera gear, and that was such a hassle.

I feel you! I am the same way. I am so lazy about selling stuff. I have 2 Scuba Pro BC's that I should sell and I just haven't gotten around to posting them. One only has 5 dives on it and is totally pristine and will be a sweet deal for someone. BTW- We need to get out and dive together the next time I am up in the PNW! I will be coming up to visit my kids and grandkids around the 4th of July. I will PM you and see if we can make something work? Sund Rock!

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

around the 4th of July. I will PM you and see if we can make something work? Sund Rock!

Sund Rock at that timeframe should be doable. My family has a beach house around the corner from there.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Though I am picking up a titanium backplate

Titanium is an interesting material *if* high strength and a weight reduction relative to steel improves the product.

The loads on a scuba back plate are trivial, back plates aren't made of stainless because it's strong, back plates are made of stainless because it's 495 lbs / cu ft.

Quick and dirty comparison of Steel, Ti and aluminum (Please note, quick and dirty and spare me the details of this alloy vs that alloy, I am aware of the variations)

Aluminum is ~1/3 the density of steel, and ~1/2 the strength. That allows the designer to use twice as much to get roughly equal strength to steel, and still save weight. This is particularly where larger thicker sections provide advantages, thick big tube alum bike frames vs thin walled steel frames. Scuba back plates bent sheet, so you really don't get any "section" based advantage.

Ti is roughly 60% the weight of steel, and offer comparable strengths to steel and stainless. That allows the same volume of Ti to be used and have a part that is ~40% lighter than Steel or SS.

At of course much higher cost.

IMO Ti Scuba Back Plates are a solution in search of a problem.

If you want light weight use aluminum or Plastic, properly executed either is quite capable.

If you want heavy use Stainless.

All things being equal, and they seldom are truly equal, a plate that is 5 lbs in Stainless will be 5/3 = ~1.7 lbs in aluminum and ~3 lbs in Ti.

Bring money for the Ti plates........

Tobin

 

[Nasser]

Not all warm water destinations use aluminum tanks. Steel tanks are common in the Mediterranean. Mind you, these are not the dive destinations that tropical destinations are, but...

Very true. The last three liveaboards I was on in the Sudanese Red Sea all had 15 liter steel tanks and the water was very warm - so I was in a 3mm shorty. I dive a SS BP&W but I felt overweighted without any additional ballast - in that case I wished I had an Al BP.

To the OP I too can highly recommend the BP&W approach - it really is a practical modular solution and your harness will always fit you perfectly once you've got it dialed.

 

[Centrals]

Tropical warm water in when and where.
The tropical water temp in Philippines around Jan - Mar can be as warm as 18C(65F)!!

 

[Nation of Heat]

Tropical warm water in when and where.
The tropical water temp in Philippines around Jan - Mar can be as warm as 18C(65F)!!

Primary destination for the foreseeable future is Roatan. Water there is typically 85F (29.5C) most of the year.....last trip there in January was still 83F (28C). I use a 3mm shorty at most, but often go just with a rash guard.