Sanity check please - Chinese BP/W setup

[Barmaglot]

I'm looking for something cheap to replace my Cressi Travelight which met an untimely end courtesy of an... ignorant person. Got a liveaboard trip to Myanmar coming in a month - I could just rent a jacket, but perhaps it's time to transition to a BP/W setup. However, money is somewhat tight, as I'm about to replace my camera rig as well, so I'd rather not go the XDEEP/Halcyon/whatever route. I also have an inexplicable urge to get it bright canary yellow.

For what it's worth, I dive purely in the tropics, 3mm full wetsuit, always carrying a camera (but the camera rig is very close to neutral), about 10 pounds of lead.

Looking at Aliexpress, I've come up with this:

Backplate - 53.52€ 22% OFF|Aluminium Legierung Technik Tauchen Backplate Flügel BCD Ultraleicht backplane Für Scuba Tauchen Harness System Hardware Backmount|Pool und Zubehör| - AliExpress
Wing - Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com
Harness - 54.84€ 32% OFF|HALTEN TAUCHEN Scuba Tauchen Backplate Harness Set BCD Ultraleicht Backplane Zubehör Gabelung Strap Gewicht Gürtel Dive Zubehör|Pool und Zubehör| - AliExpress
Single tank adapter - 56.76€ 30% OFF|Aluminium Legierung Tauchen Einzigen Tank Adapter Set Für BCD Backplate Halter STA Scuba Tauchen Tank Halterung Ultraleicht Getriebe Ausrüstung|Pool und Zubehör| - AliExpress
Regulator holder - 5.62€ 30% OFF|Halten Sie Tauch schlauch halter Regler Messgerät Oktopus Halter & Clip für Unterwasser Tauchen Taucher bcd Zubehör| | - AliExpress

Am I missing anything for a full working system here? The harness system appears to be complete, the STA comes with bolts and tank bands, the wing doesn't have webbing slots, but with the STA I shouldn't need those, correct?

Is there a good way to add pockets to this? I typically carry a spare mask, DSMB, torch, hat (for sun protection on the surface) and a wet lens or two in my pockets, using both BCD pockets and tech shorts. Moving to this setup would leave me with just the thigh pockets.

Also, I'm pretty partial to using right shoulder dump to vent air from the BCD, and this wing appears to only have it only on the back left. How difficult, if at all possible, would it be to retrofit it with an additional dump valve?

 

[lowwall]

Keep practicing with the butt dump. It's so easy to use in motion once you get used to it. A little roll to get it to the high side and a tug on the line.

The only time I use the corrugated hose to dump is when I'm on the surface before the descent and maybe on the safety stop if I have any air left.

 

[dmaziuk]

So, 25 dives later, impressions.

Initially, the tank was too high - I kept bumping the back of my head into the regulator while cranking my head backward so that I could shoot upwards while in trim.

Yep: if I have it where I can reach the valve, I too bump my head on the reg. I ended up lowering the whole thing: longer shoulder straps, shorter crotch strap. Now I have to undo the buckle and push the plate up a bit to get to the knob: no biggie as far as I'm concerned.

 

[pisauron]

Wow that was fast getting 25 dives I envy you! You said you are in asia now? Is Ali stuff popular there?
Do people use Ali regulators?

 

[Barmaglot]

Wow that was fast getting 25 dives I envy you! You said you are in asia now? Is Ali stuff popular there?
Do people use Ali regulators?

It was a liveaboard trip to Mergui Archipelago, as is typical of liveaboard trips, we were doing 3-4 dives a day.

I'm currently in Thailand, yes, but there is very little crossover with local divers - they tend to dive with operators catering to them (Thai guides, Thai food, Thai language) whereas I'm diving with operators catering mostly to westerners - international guides, food that isn't 90% chili peppers, English language, etc. The French owner of the liveaboard, who, as you can imagine, sees a lot of different stuff, had never seen the "Keep Diving" label before.

 

[Barmaglot]

Keep practicing with the butt dump. It's so easy to use in motion once you get used to it. A little roll to get it to the high side and a tug on the line.

The only time I use the corrugated hose to dump is when I'm on the surface before the descent and maybe on the safety stop if I have any air left.

I somehow find the corrugated hose easier to use than the butt dump. Maybe because I'm always carrying a large camera, so both my hands are in front, and it's a shorter movement to grab the hose rather than reach back and find the dump valve string.

 

[Barmaglot]

Yep: if I have it where I can reach the valve, I too bump my head on the reg. I ended up lowering the whole thing: longer shoulder straps, shorter crotch strap. Now I have to undo the buckle and push the plate up a bit to get to the knob: no biggie as far as I'm concerned.

It's a rec setup, not manifolded doubles - I'm not worried about reaching the valve. Good point about extending the shoulder straps - I'll look into that, thank you.

 

[pisauron]

It was a liveaboard trip to Mergui Archipelago, as is typical of liveaboard trips, we were doing 3-4 dives a day.

I'm currently in Thailand, yes, but there is very little crossover with local divers - they tend to dive with operators catering to them (Thai guides, Thai food, Thai language) whereas I'm diving with operators catering mostly to westerners - international guides, food that isn't 90% chili peppers, English language, etc. The French owner of the liveaboard, who, as you can imagine, sees a lot of different stuff, had never seen the "Keep Diving" label before.

That's interesting. like two different diving worlds in one place.
the "Keep diving" brand by my opinion is one of the best Ali has to offer. Other shops on Ali copy it and sell it without the branding.

I wonder what regulators chinese people use

 

[inquis]

It's a rec setup, not manifolded doubles - I'm not worried about reaching the valve.

You're that sure you'll never jump in with the valve accidentally off? I've personally had the DM turn it off as I stood up to walk to the transom...

 

[Barmaglot]

You're that sure you'll never jump in with the valve accidentally off? I've personally had the DM turn it off as I stood up to walk to the transom...

I've done it once, and since then I make double sure it's open, including an inflator check and several breaths off the regulator as I'm getting ready to jump.

 

[inquis]

I somehow find the corrugated hose easier to use than the butt dump. Maybe because I'm always carrying a large camera, so both my hands are in front, and it's a shorter movement to grab the hose rather than reach back and find the dump valve string.

You didn't mention adjusting body position, so I suspect you are still trimmed head up. If you try the butt dump and nothing comes out easily/instantly (without changing to what feels like "head down"), that would confirm it. If so, it's obviously up to you whether that's desired or not.