Soft vs metal back plate

[jsarche]

I’ve searched but haven’t found conversations on this, so I apologize if I’ve missed it. I’m close to buying my first BC system as an AOW diver with 70 dives - many in the Caribbean with some colder-water Pacific dives as well. I don’t plan to progress to tech diving, and I think warm-water travel diving up to 20 or so days a year is what’s in my future. I’m totally good with that, but I’m also tired of renting jacket BCDs and wondering when my rental regs were last serviced.

I know I’ll be buying a bpw setup. Setting aside brand considerations, I’d love to hear some opinions on the pros and cons of a soft back plate. I’m leaning that way, but I’m really interested in hearing about the advantages and disadvantages of that versus a metal (almost certainly aluminum for me) back plate. Thanks in advance.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

I use an aluminum for traveling, weighs so little it doesn’t make much of a difference when checking bags, but has enough negative buoyancy when warm water diving that I usually only need to add a couple lbs, if that…No experience with a soft plate.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

If you want to use one plate for both warm and cold water I would go with an aluminum plate.
If you use it in cold water all you have to do is add some to your weightbelt and it will be fine.
Those soft plates were pretty much made for tropical diving with travel weight in mind. I’d hate to try one in cold water with a steel 120 and a 7mm wetsuit, yikes!

 

[rongoodman]

I have always traveled with my SS plate without issue. I run fairly cold, though, and never dive with less than a 3mm wet suit. If I was only wearing a rash guard and trunks I'd probably take the aluminum plate so as to have a little weight ditchable. I don't see any purpose at all in a fabric "back plate", as it sacrifices the rigidity and stability of a metal one for no apparent advantage.

 

[Scared Silly]

I have always traveled with my SS plate without issue. I run fairly cold, though, and never dive with less than a 3mm wet suit. If I was only wearing a rash guard and trunks I'd probably take the aluminum plate so as to have a little weight ditchable. I don't see any purpose at all in a fabric "back plate", as it sacrifices the rigidity and stability of a metal one for no apparent advantage.

We traveled with SS plates for about a decade. The extra weight and hard corners were a concern.

Then bought soft plates (Zeagle Express Tech) for traveling and have not looked back. They are a polymer reinforced and are quite rigid. Just as stable as hard plate and much easier to travel with.

Even for colder diving a soft plate is fine, just add a few pounds via cam band pocket or wear a few pounds on a weight belt.

 

[MB NZ]

I've always travelled with a 3mm stainless steel backplate (minimum 5mm wetsuit regardless of temperature). I don't make my life easy. It normally comes at the cost of not taking any clothes!

 

[Altamira]

I have a HOG TBCS bp/w with a soft plate, and I love it. My decision on the soft plate vs hard was strictly based on my diving. Most of my diving is to warm water that usually involves flights and cruise ships. Although I have to use a few more pounds of weights when diving compared to an aluminum or SS plate and STA, I do not have to carry that extra hard plate weight everywhere I go, and use that saved luggage weight for other things that make my day to day life more comfortable. For me, the few extra pounds of weight walking from my seat on the dive boat and up the ladder is well worth not having to carry it everywhere. Also, I did a practice pack with a hard plate, and found it more cumbersome and inefficient for the stuff I usually carry. Obviously others like their hard plates, so you should buy what is best for you. One of the great things about a bp/w is whatever you buy, you can swap out if you don't like it without having to buy an entire new bcd.

 

[Matt B]

I’ve searched but haven’t found conversations on this, so I apologize if I’ve missed it. I’m close to buying my first BC system as an AOW diver with 70 dives - many in the Caribbean with some colder-water Pacific dives as well. I don’t plan to progress to tech diving, and I think warm-water travel diving up to 20 or so days a year is what’s in my future. I’m totally good with that, but I’m also tired of renting jacket BCDs and wondering when my rental regs were last serviced.

I know I’ll be buying a bpw setup. Setting aside brand considerations, I’d love to hear some opinions on the pros and cons of a soft back plate. I’m leaning that way, but I’m really interested in hearing about the advantages and disadvantages of that versus a metal (almost certainly aluminum for me) back plate. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the question. I too am looking at a new bcd and trying to decide BP/w or maybe the Hollis LTS which has a soft BP. We only dive warm water and travel so weight is a concern for me. Currently using a Zeagle Stilletto which I really like but it is showing its age. What brand are you looking at? The DGX set ups look nice and the Hollis LTS.

 

[jsarche]

Thanks for a good conversation here - it’s really helpful to hear about your experiences. I’m leaning more toward the soft plate option, mostly for the travel considerations.

Matt B, thanks, I’ll check out the LTS. I really like the looks of the DGX SoftPack package.

 

[Matt B]

Thanks for a good conversation here - it’s really helpful to hear about your experiences. I’m leaning more toward the soft plate option, mostly for the travel considerations.

Matt B, thanks, I’ll check out the LTS. I really like the looks of the DGX SoftPack package.

Good luck and let me know what you decide!