cool_hardware52
Contributor
What's the benefit of a steel plate over an AL plate in the water btw?
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Ballast where you need it with buoyant tanks.
Tobin
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What's the benefit of a steel plate over an AL plate in the water btw?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ballast where you need it with buoyant tanks.
Tobin
Wow, lots of good advice here.
I'm 100% sold on the BP/W setup. The only issue now is finding a good brand and price shipped to HK. It looks like the "better" brands are: HOG, Halcyon, Hollis, Zeagle, ScubaPro. I've seen in-house brands by Diverite and DGX, but nobody here seems to have mentioned them.
Also, dmaziuk and tobin both makes a good point about getting the plate and wings from the same brand, so that everything fits nicely together. Looks like I can avoid the STA that way - one less piece of gear to buy/manage.
You guys have convinced me to skip the shoulder pads and backplate pad. I'll start with plain straps first.
Seems like the main disagreement here is between AL or SS backplates. Currently, I dive with a 3mm suit. On some tropical dives, that may be a shorty, or even a T-shirt if it gets really warm. Additionally, the LDS boat in HK generally gives us AL63 tanks instead of AL80. Given all that variation, it seems like an AL BP gives me more flexibility. I can always add 3-5 lbs of trim weight on the tank strap or something if needed.
I'm leaning toward the following:
- AL BP
- PLAIN webbing harness
- 25# bag (HOG / Hollis / Oxycheq / OMS / Zeagle / ???)
Pricing seems to be around:
- Wings $300
- BP $75
- Harness $50
- Cambands $50
A rig should retail for around $475. The nasty bit is shipping. If I buy outside of HK, it will cost around $80 to send it here. OTOH, the LDS tend to over charge a lot, so I'll have to research the cheapest way. (One LDS wants $1,000 for a Halcyon wing + BP + Straps)
Next up, I'll have to decide on brand and model for regulator. But, I'm afraid that will open an entirely new can of worms. But, a lot of the LDS and online shops will give hefty discounts if everything is bought together, so maybe worth exploring. (Locally, EVERY shop her is aggressively pushing Scubapro stuff)
The nasty bit is shipping. If I buy outside of HK, it will cost around $80 to send it here.