My Hogarthian rigged Oxy 18 Mach V on the Oxy soft plate with two weight dump pockets and two cam band pockets weighs just under 6 pounds. My VDH 18 wing on Oxy soft plate and again with two dump pockets and two cam band pockets weighs 5.5 pounds. Both include a small DGX light and line cutter.
I am considering replacing the steel D rings with nylon rings and possibly the steel buckle with a nylon buckle. That would shave .5 pounds.
Oxy soft plate. I do not rig mine with the slip feature, I lock it in with belt slides. I use two cam bands and a one inch quick release crotch strap.
Ultra Lite Travel Plate *Black*
www.caveadventurers.com
I have tired of metal plates rubbing my back and bruising my arms and back. If it is tropical I do not have on much in the way of neoprene and I do not need a giant square steel doubles plate with STA to adapt it to mount a little aluminum 80 which still allows me 1.5 hour dives.
The Oxy rig is on the right, the VDH rig is left but the metal plate has been replaced by another Oxy soft plate.
I am tired of metal stuff cutting me, bruising me, sucking the heat out of me and smashing into stuff in my bag. Metal plates have a place but not on my back in 80+degree water.
Hogarthian is by it's nature and even by it's creator DIY. You get a roll of 2 inch webbing, some rubber bands from MTB tires and a pile of clips and buckles and web it together, curse 50 times or more in the process of getting all adjusted, fall over nearly exhausted a few times. But, hey, the good news, once done, it may outlast you. I usually drink and partake of 420 and watch an old sci-fi thriller in the wee hours past midnight when I put my rigs together. That way when I fall over exhausted I can just lay there until morning.
