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?
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?