Optimal Back-Plate and Wing

[PoPo Diver]

My first venture in BP/W was with the total buoyancy system by HOG and loved it. Easy to setup and manipulate as you need it. I moved onto a back plate with a continual piece of webbing but have the hog set up for work stuff. Phenomenal piece of kit and durable to boot. If you get onto diverightinscuba.com, they offer a financing option for kit. Happy hunting

 

[Ayisha]

...I am looking for some RECOMMENDATIONS.
Please fill this thread with your bp/w's

My BP/W is a Halcyon Eclipse stripped down from a Halcyon Infinity.

All the parts are modular, so you can buy/keep what you want or keep it as minimalist as you want. Do you want weight pockets or adjustability? Np, keep the weight pockets or cinch.

Halcyon is expensive, but excellent quality. You can often get good deals on used equipment.

Do you have any plans of pursuing training with GUE or other agencies? If so, then you might want to look at specific equipment requirements.

Good luck!

 

[Streydog]

If you start with the very basic set up you can always add things later as you feel you really need to. One of the biggest benefits of going to a BPW set up for recreational diving is how simple they are.

 

[ginti]

I recently posted a thread where I discussed back inflates v.s. bp/w. I have come to a conclusion that bp/w may be the right way to go, but theres an issue. ALL the units that i have found are either way to expensive, to minimalist(in my opinion), or just not my style. I am looking for some RECOMMENDATIONS.
Please fill this thread with your bp/w's

If I remember well your other post, you have in mind to approach technical diving, where minimalism can be an advantage.
So before answering, what do you mean exactly with "too minimalist"? When minimalism becomes "too much" for you, and why?

EDIT: I wouldn't buy any of them, maybe I could consider the last one. But I am a GUE enthusiast, and maybe you hate that philosophy....

 

[Zef]

Unless one already has a wing, the DGX kit with plate, wing, and harness is typically the least expensive option compared to pricing comparable components individually.

Optimal is purely subjective and based on how one desires their rig to be configured. Based on my reading, it seems that most folk who at first went with fancy bells and whistles for harness and such have reverted in time to more simple solutions, while others who have found they have shoulder issues have changed their harness to include a QR or adjustability of the shoulder straps to assist with donning/doffing out of the water. It all boils down to what the individual desires....there is only a wrong answer in the realm of training where DIR/GUE type training organizations mandate what gear one must have for their courses...but there are folks that stray from those configurations after the training is complete to change their rigs to suit their needs/desires.

-Z

 

[rongoodman]

I bought a Halcyon Eclipse immediately following my OW course in 2006. I''ve never had any reason to regret the purchase.

 

[jlcnuke]

I'd go with the DGX kit and add on some palantic trim pockets from Amazon or similar. If you're planning on doing a lot of walking in the rig, without a wet/drysuit to pad your shoulders, then maybe consider adding on shoulder padding for those trips (DGX sells a pair for $20).

 

[ajanelle]

I'm a strong believer that minimalist is the way to go. Extra D rings, pockets on the BC, etc. don't make very much sense to me. A single piece of webbing has a lot less failure points than something with buckles.

I would look outside of these packages. There are plenty of used options that will work just as well for a fraction of the cost. A metal plate will last your entire diving career (though I can't say the same for the carbon fiber and plastic ones) and most brands are identical. I've picked up great single tank wings for $100. All in all you can easily get a full rig for under $300 (and likely for even less) if you're patient and look hard enough.

 

[Swedinsidemount]

Minimalist isn't bad. I'm not a DIR fanatic, sometimes shoulder strap clips are nice, I love extra d-rings and sometimes pockets. But seriously a lot of the superfluous "deluxe" features aren't helpful underwater and just end up adding failure points, drag, slow-drying smellyness, and extra profit for the seller. Eventually you will drop a tank on one of the fancy sewn-in plastic buckles and it will suck to fix. There's a reason the super-experienced cave/wreck people dive minimalist rigs and it's not just masochism.

The Zeagle setup is nice.

Regarding aluminum vs. steel plates - do you usually dive aluminum or steel tanks? Wetsuit or drysuit? Do you normally carry much weight on the weight belt? Do you plan to travel a lot with the plate?

I dive mostly in the tropics dive steel 80s and 100s with 3mm wetsuit in the summertime, and 5mm when it gets colder. I would really like weight pockets on mine as well at least a #35 bladder. I see alot of people like the DGX, but I rather buy a "better" one used.

Oh and i dive on a Full Face Mask, Don't think there going to be any problem with that and a bp/w right?

 

[jlcnuke]

I dive mostly in the tropics dive steel 80s and 100s with 3mm wetsuit in the summertime, and 5mm when it gets colder. I would really like weight pockets on mine as well at least a #35 bladder. I see alot of people like the DGX, but I rather buy a "better" one used.

Oh and i dive on a Full Face Mask, Don't think there going to be any problem with that and a bp/w right?

You say "better"... what about the DGX one do you think is worse than a "XYZ" brand one? What difference between them, if any, is going to be something you expect to need in your dives to justify the change in cost? I have Dive Rite, Halcyon, and even Palantic wings. Regardless of original price point, I've found nothing about any of them that suggests they aren't more than capable if you aren't doing something to actually abuse them. Halcyon's customer service was excellent, but I can't say about the others as it's the only one I had any issues with so far (it's also the oldest by a decent number of years).