"Travel" BCD appropriate for regular use?

[lxchin]

Greg,
consider the oxycheq travel backplate and wing. A touch heavier than the zeagle but alot more hardy for the wear and tear that you intend to put on your bcd. i got mine from cave adventurers. great price, like 357 usd...

As for the vibrams, great on land but i think for water they will wear out. as it isn't thick neoprene but that polyester stuff they use on shoes.

quite of afew of the guys teaching in the tropics use full foot fins. but if you are going to be in bali doing your DM, suggest you go full foot. the water can get cold!
alex

 

[Shark Bait!]

I wear Vibram Five Fingers exclusively, and very rarely wear traditional sneakers anymore. I have a set for the beach & water Parks, but never used them with fins. However I have been seeing more people on the dive boats here wearing them with open heel fins and praising them.

 

[fjpatrum]

Here's the URL for Vibram 5 Finger Sprint:
Vibram FiveFingers: Sprint-Male

I reckon they'd work well with fins... and means i can take them instead of may sandals, and instead of my booties. Bonus!

I saw several DMs using those in Hawaii instead of booties. They seemed to like them just fine.

Another thing to consider- most BCs and wings are made from the exact same materials as modern backpacks. They will survive just as well in the same conditions... it's all ballistic nylon or Cordura and similar materials. A BP/W will reduce bulk from a traditional BC, but any of the "travel" BCs will be completely sufficient for rugged travel over a couple of years. (I make a lot of my gear so I'm very familiar with materials being used and how rugged they are.) Inspect as necessary and rinse thoroughly when you use them in salt water... no problem. Plastic d-rings etc should hold up just fine for a couple of years unless you leave the kit in the sun 24/7. As someone else said, any backpack you buy for hiking/camping is going to have all plastic buckles and rings anyway.

Personally I'd use one of the "soft plate" travel BCs like the Express Tech or the Oxycheq and add a couple of external pockets or a "cover" pocket and then use the thing as my primary backpack. Remove the pockets for diving... Of course, I don't mind modifying my gear either, so your mileage may vary with respect to that. Better yet, get a freedom plate and harness then just make a pack that can attach to it easily. Best of both worlds with respect to diving and you have a very stable platform for your backpack. Roll a 20# wing up and stuff in a pocket or the bottom of your pack for traveling and pull out and connect to the plate for diving. Win win.

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

My first choice is always BP&W, but another option for a soft pack that has been going over very well at our shop is the DiveRite Travel Pac!

Dive Rite Travel Pac T4000 *Buy Dive Rite at DIVESEEKERS.com 888-SCUBA-47

* Weighs under 6lbs
* 27lbs Wing
* Adjustable SS D-Rings
* Crotch Strap
* Free Safety Sausage
* Free Whistle
* 2 Free Clipper Pockets - Can be used for weight pockets

 

[Gregorius]

Thanks for the advice everybody.... I decided to go with the Zeagle Express Tech option.

I used it on my rescue dive course on the weekend, and found the standard 24lb bladder was a bit small for the 15" tank and 7" full wetsuit i was using, so i'm trading it in for the bigger 35lb bladder.

Also added a pocket to hold a face mask, and went for the deluxe paddings (which actually makes it quite comfortable)..

I did a whole lot of messing around with gear in the rescue course (would have taken it off and put it back on, both in and out of water, maybe 20 times)... and it held up really well. the way the waste straps retract and feed the shoulder straps takes some getting used to (finding the waste straps particularly) but i think i can fix that problem by adding some d-rings to prevent the waste straps from retracting completely.

All in all, its light, its tough, its customisable, it feels good in the water. Perfect for my needs.

If you're in Australia, i highly recommend DiveTub/ Scuba Imports (DiveTub Home page @ the Dive Tub)... Chris was incredibly helpful in assisting me, even sent it out fully setup and ready to dive, and has been excellent with advice and suggestions. He also let me try it out before paying, which is just brilliant - what a legend!

 

[drbill]

I've used my SP X-Tek and Trav_tek wing for regular daily diving and travel. It is essentially the same as the original DR Transpac. I'm not a big fan of BP/W unless I'm diving doubles but I do have a DR Al plate. I rarely travel with it though.