Really warm water where you don't wear exposure protection and a lack of bioprene. It isn't about saving weight during your travel. For a wimp like me, there are few places I wouldn't wear exposure protection.
Suggestion for a BP/W setup that can carry me for the future
- Thread starter Dazee
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Really warm water where you don't wear exposure protection and a lack of bioprene. It isn't about saving weight during your travel. For a wimp like me, there are few places I wouldn't wear exposure protection.
elan
Contributor
go with two different setups , there are too many things you need to adjust each time switching from doubles to singles. STAs are nice but they weight too and can make you overweight. Doubles diving most likely mean different exposure protection (dry vs wet) and as such you likely need to adjust the webbing and the d rings. Too much hassle. The wings are the most expensive part of this so adding another BP is jot that more expensive.
It is twice for me because I have a wife who likes to dive (and she is a little bitty thing and I am not huge). I have to carry all the gear and heavy steel plates toted around, not just in the terminals and customs but each day to the dive boat gets old real fast. And, I have camera equipment, not just a little GoPro either. It all adds up. They have lead on the boats, I do not have to carry it and in tropical weight (3mm) neoprene or swimsuit and rash guard, for me that is about four to eight pounds. Both my wife and my tropical/warm water BP/wings are weight integrated, so again, for me, two pounds in each cam band pocket, two pounds in each waist pocket, that is eight pounds, perfect. And I do not have to carry it except when diving.
I am not trying to convince anyone of anything, the OP asked for set ups and I gave my suggestions. And they remain. We all different and for you carrying a steel plate is acceptable, for me, it is not. For the OP, he will need to decide and whatever he does now, his needs may change. That is why I have an entire SCUBA shop downstairs. My needs have changed over 50 plus years of diving. And I like to buy new stuff.
For big people, like one of my regular buddies, he is 250 pounds, 6-5. A steel plate for him to carry, it is a small percentage of his body weight. But for little people, for me at 5-10 and 156 pounds, it is a lot to carry over and over again when there is free lead on the boat. I used to carry Pb with us because we both had these blue (or for her pink) bullet weights. It was ridiculous and for me, a steel plate for travel to warm water destinations is about like carrying my own Pb! No thanks.
And one more thing, I am a believer in jettisonable weight to establish positive or at least neutral buoyancy at any point in a dive. With a 12 pound steel plate and me or my wife in a rash guard and swimsuit, that might not be possible. Most could swim 12 pounds up, I can, my wife maybe, but to remain on the surface waiting for pickup, again, no thanks on having most of my weight in a plate I cannot jettison. And there is a comfort factor, steel against my back, again, I pass on that, like a heat sink as well.
James
I am guessing there are very few people who are fans of the BP/W configuration for "really warm water" and who dive in board shorts and a rashguard. The carbon fiber BP linked to above is Halcyon. Not that Halcyon=GUE/DIR, but I'm thinking most people of the BP/W mindset are also of the mindset that at least a thin wetsuit is advisable for protection against abrasion if nothing else. So who is Halcyon's target market for this product? I asked about it once at Extreme Exposure, and Kyle said some people actually use it with steel doubles, just as they would use an aluminum plate. My conclusion was that it's sort of a novelty item.
I'm a big fan of my aluminum BP and wing for warm water (continuous webbing, no extra padding) and only dive in boardshorts and a top rash guard (when I remember to not leave the rashguard at the resort) For me the rashguard is there only for sunburn protection, if I forget to bring it I'll dive with a T-shirt or nothing on the top.
I just don't understand the concern about abrasion. A complete non-issue for me
Does the plate really make that much difference in weight? Take Halcyon for example. According to Halcyon's web site, the steel plate in the standard size is 4.9 lbs. and 4 lbs. in the small size, the carbon fiber plate is 1.1. lbs. (although Extreme Exposure's web site says "just over 1/2 pound"), and the aluminum plate in the standard size is 1.7 lbs and 1.35 lbs. in the small size. The old rule of thumb is steel plate with aluminum tanks, and aluminum (or carbon fiber?) plate with steel tanks unless your exposure protection requires some monster weighting, but I don't think it really matters that much.
PfcAJ
Contributor
There is exposure protection for tropical environments that doesn't require extra lead. Rash guards if you don't need any warmth. If you need some warmth you have Fourth Element Thermocline, Sharkskin, Lavacore, and probably a few other brands that I don't know about.
CF plate with harness, tank bands, 18lb wing, and a couple of trim pockets to put some small amount of weight, and you are good to go. At least that was the plan until I saw that the Chinese make a knock off version of the XDeep ghost, but with standard webbing slots that is about $60. The weight I saw on that was less than a pound.
CF plate with harness, tank bands, 18lb wing, and a couple of trim pockets to put some small amount of weight, and you are good to go. At least that was the plan until I saw that the Chinese make a knock off version of the XDeep ghost, but with standard webbing slots that is about $60. The weight I saw on that was less than a pound.
I am not sure, I do not have the VDH aluminum plate not rigged but I recall well under a pound. The Oxy Ultra Lite plate is about 7 ounces. My wife's complete and ready to dive BP/wing is right at 6 pounds, mine complete is right at 7 pounds with VDH plates (and .5 or so pounds less with the Oxy). If it is very warm, a long sleeve rash guard and those "bicycle short" length Speedo or TYR jammers which extend to just above the knee provide plenty of stingy and bitey protection. And I only need four pounds of lead in saltwater and none in fresh or maybe one. Scubapro makes a 1.5mm neoprene short, one with pockets and one without that fits much like the aforementioned jammers and they make or made a long sleeve 1.5mm neoprene top, love them. and add a 1.5mm hooded and sleeveless top under and I am quite warm with very little lead needed to offset. One thing, textile plates were meant for aluminum 80s, anything much more negative in the water will roll side to side.
James
James
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