New Diver Questions on Buying Gear

[StubbornRussian]

My wife and I were certified in Puget Sound, Washington a few months ago and then just came back from Kauai where we did some diving and are both now totally addicted. Was planning the next dive vacation before we even got back.

The bulk of our dives will be warm vater vaction diving but we will probably do some occasional diving up at the Sound or spear fishing/crabbing along the Oregon Coast. I have been researching gear and have a few questions:

1. For a BCD versatile enough to handle all of this I am probably into a backplate and wing? I am about 6'2" 200 lbs.

2. What is your preferred method for weights with this type of setup?

3. Tentatively planning next trip for Bonaire. Any chance one of the local dive shops there rent out backplate and wing setups? Is it common for any typical LDS in the states to have something like this for rent? Would really like to try it out in the warm water before I invested into it. Would like to try it out in the cold water too for that matter but most concerned with warm water as I think this will be the majority of our dives each year.

4. For something tough and also comfortable - Zeagle Express Tech Deluxe? Any others that should be on my radar?

5. Any wetsuit manufacturers that I should stay away from?

6. Could I get away with a 5mm full wetsuit with 5mm vest for pacific coast diving. We used 7 and 7 up at the Sound but I feel it was overkill for me as I run very hot. Would allow me to use the 5mm for most travel locations.

6. My wife will take the stance that she learned with a jacket BC so she won't want to switch. What is a comfortable and tough jacket BC that could be used for warm and cold water and that also travels well?


I could keep rattling off questions but I will stop there. Thanks in advance for your time.

 

[freewillie]

Here is my $0.02. I would classify myself as a avid local diver and vacation diver. I dive beaches in Southern California primarily and will take my BC with me on vacation as well. For me, I needed a BC light enough to pack and also have enough lift for full 7 mm, hood, gloves, and booties. For the record I don't think a back plate w/ wings is light enough from a practical perspective to be a travel BC.

I went with the Zeagle Stiletto. Has plenty of lift for cold water diving but at 7 lbs is a passable travel BC. You should look at BC's that are in the 7 lbs and under category with 30 lbs or more lift. Fortunately I've seen several new BC's that fit this recommendation.

As for your exposure gear I would recommend getting what you need for that specific environment. There is nothing worse than being cold and diving, expecially with multiple dives on the same day. Once you are cold you are cold and it is very difficult to get warm. In addition to my 7 mm I also have a 3 mm vacation wetsuit, and a 3 mm vest I can use in any situation including under a rash guard for really warm water. Check out the other threads, you really can't have too much gear.

Each person has a unigue form and some wetsuit manufacturers fit some better and not others. It is entirely driven by fit first, the manufacturer is less important. Look for good quality neoprene with quality stitching.

Have fun, good luck.

 

[fnfalman]

For the record I don't think a back plate w/ wings is light enough from a practical perspective to be a travel BC.

You don't have to pack the BPW. You can use it as a carry-on luggage. There are various people who had proposed to have a local outfit making a nylon/cordura pack that attaches to the BPW and use the whole set-up as carry-on luggage.

I'm not a vacation diver, but if I were, I'd want to use my own gear instead of some beat-up poodle jacket on rent by the vacation spot's LDS. After sending several thousand dollars to go on a dive vacation, the last thing I'd want to do is to suffer through dives with crappy gears. But then that's me.

 

[spectrum]

My wife and I were certified in Puget Sound, Washington a few months ago and then just came back from Kauai where we did some diving and are both now totally addicted. Was planning the next dive vacation before we even got back.

The bulk of our dives will be warm vater vaction diving but we will probably do some occasional diving up at the Sound or spear fishing/crabbing along the Oregon Coast. I have been researching gear and have a few questions:

1. For a BCD versatile enough to handle all of this I am probably into a backplate and wing? I am about 6'2" 200 lbs.
I can agree that it's the easiest way to cover a broad range of dive wear, go for it. Be sure to take into account the weight of the chosen rig for the sake of air travel.

2. What is your preferred method for weights with this type of setup?
Weight harness, such as a DUI weight & trim. it eliminates all conflicts between crotch straps and weight ditchg and it will be secure no matter what you wear.

3. Tentatively planning next trip for Bonaire. Any chance one of the local dive shops there rent out backplate and wing setups? Is it common for any typical LDS in the states to have something like this for rent? Would really like to try it out in the warm water before I invested into it. Would like to try it out in the cold water too for that matter but most concerned with warm water as I think this will be the majority of our dives each year.
Find a mentor that will share, rental chances are slim in general unless local responds with a better option.

4. For something tough and also comfortable - Zeagle Express Tech Deluxe? Any others that should be on my radar?
Decide how minimalist you want o be and go from there. All have their fans.

5. Any wetsuit manufacturers that I should stay away from?
The ones with cuts that don't match you. More here on the topic.

6. Could I get away with a 5mm full wetsuit with 5mm vest for pacific coast diving. We used 7 and 7 up at the Sound but I feel it was overkill for me as I run very hot. Would allow me to use the 5mm for most travel locations.
Locals can respond but from what i read S Cal. is colder than Maine in warm times. Many will be 7/7 or dry. As you slow down , get longer and multiple dives you will feel less cold tolerant.

6. My wife will take the stance that she learned with a jacket BC so she won't want to switch. What is a comfortable and tough jacket BC that could be used for warm and cold water and that also travels well?
There is no real learning to making the switch, same inflater, back dump, cam bands and away you go. The big benefit is freedom of movement and the ability to resize on a moments notice. It's her call in the end but keep working on her.


I could keep rattling off questions but I will stop there. Thanks in advance for your time.

Good questions!

Pete

 

[crimedog72]

I also live in the PNW and use the same gear for warm water diving. My thoughts:

1. I can't speak to using a jacket BC, as I've been BP/W from the start, but I will say that is a great way to go. SS plate is a little heavy for travel, but on the other hand, you'll need hardly any lead with this setup in warm water.

2. I use weight pockets on the belt of my BP harness. Also have a way to rig weight on the plate itself, but that is not ditchable, and in warm water you'd probably not be using enough lead to carry in more than one place.

3. Don't know about Bonaire, but I rarely see BP/W for rent in any other warm water locations.

4. I don't hear too many people grumbling about the brand of BP/W they chose. I use a Halcyon Eclipse with 30# lift, it has done me well both in the Sound and the tropics.

5. Not sure about this, but fit is really important.

6a. Something to think about here...as a new diver, you're probably going through gas pretty fast, and moving around a lot in the water. As you gain experience, your air will last longer and you'll be more relaxed, less active in the water. I was always fine with 40, 50, even 60 minute dives in 7/7, but once you start getting into 80+ minutes in the water, you'll start to chill fast. And it's hard to warm up from that kind of chill, pretty much kills any more diving for the day. Anything that will keep you warm in the PNW will almost certainly overheat you in the tropics.

6b. I don't think the learning curve to switch would be very steep, but I don't know enough about specific models of jackets to make a good recommendation.

You will love having your own gear and using it for all your diving, you can't overstate how nice it is starting every dive already comfortable with your stuff. Have a great time.

 

[TSandM]

Great questions!

In cold water, what matters a lot (and will matter to your wife, unless she's a tall, strong woman) is the total weight of the gear. Lead is unavoidable, when you need to stay warm, but you can cut a pound here and a couple of pounds there with wise choices. As I said recently in another thread, aluminum tanks are a bad move in the PNW, because you have to wear lead to sink the tank; switching from an aluminum to a steel tank will let you take five or more pounds off your total gear weight.

In addition, most BCs have padding and fabric that traps air and renders the BC positive, sometimes as much as three pounds. A backplate system has no intrinsic buoyancy (in fact, they sink) so that's another three pounds you can take off the total weight of your gear.

Heavy weight pockets both interfere with proper horizontal trim, and can make the weight retaining system insecure. Using a backplate puts five pounds of your ballast on your back, so it isn't in your weight pouches or your weight belt. If you use something like the Deep Sea Supply weight plate option, you can take even MORE weight off the belt, and still have plenty to ditch if you need to render yourself positive at the surface.

Overall, I think your wife is misguided . . . as a small woman who dives avidly in Puget Sound, I will tell her that the backplate system will ensure a correct fit, keep the tank stable on her back, and minimize the total weight of what she has to carry to the water.

Oh, and BTW, I travel a lot and haul my stainless plate with me. It's not a big issue. Most BCs weigh as much as a plate and harness do, and being able to take the wing off and pack it separately really cuts down the bulk in the luggage.

 

[Bigd2722]

I own and dive a backplate and wing. I own a Zeagle Express Tech Deluxe. I like the wing better, but you won't go wrong with the Express Tech.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Everyone has their preferences. For tropical diving, a 3 mil will plenty of wet suit for you. I also think that for vacation diving, a weight integrated bc is low maintenance and easy to pack. I have multiple gear sets, including my cold water gear and my tropical gear. Purchase gear that will suit you most frequent diving conditions.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Lopez116]

+1 on the Zeagle Stilleto. My wife has a Zeagle Zena and loves hers as well. We dive so cal and the caribbean with them. We've always traveled with our bc's and really like knowing exactly what to expect with them, how to spread the weights, where the dumps are, etc. Having to use a rental after being used to my own would suck.