Travel BCD - HOG Travel Pro

[waxyourboard]

Does anyone have experience with travel BCDs like the HOG Travel Pro? I am always traveling when I dive, so something that isn't too heavy would be nice but not absolutely crucial. I have been looking at BP/W setups but then I stumbled on this: Best HOG Travel Pro BCD for Sale | Divers Supply . Right now it's on sale for only $262, which seems like a crazy good deal. To me, this looks similar to a BP/W setup but it has a soft back instead of rigid aluminum or stainless.

Pros:
+ 17 lb wing (size Medium) - perfect for the warm water diving I do
+ Bungees on wing
+ Total weight of only ~5 lbs (size M)
+ Scubadiving.com reviews it as "very good for comfort, attitude and stability" - which matches the HOG TBC BPW rating
+ Low price for a low lift back inflate, since a stand alone wing below 20lbs costs around $400 for the wing alone. Still only about half to 2/3 the cost of a HOG 23lb BP/W

Neutral:
~ Integrated weight pockets. I will likely use trim weight pockets on the cam band for my lead and only use these as pockets for storage.

Negatives:
- Non-removable weight pockets make for more drag than a BP/W without - this is negated if hip pockets are added
- Less customizable than a BP/W - But I'm not entirely sure what else I would want to customize (other than waist band pockets mentioned above)
- Not modular - can't swap pieces out if needed

Am I missing something? Is there any reason to need a hard backplate if I do not plan on any technical diving?

 

[VikingDives]

Does anyone have experience with travel BCDs like the HOG Travel Pro? I am always traveling when I dive, so something that isn't too heavy would be nice but not absolutely crucial. I have been looking at BP/W setups but then I stumbled on this: Best HOG Travel Pro BCD for Sale | Divers Supply . Right now it's on sale for only $262, which seems like a crazy good deal. To me, this looks similar to a BP/W setup but it has a soft back instead of rigid aluminum or stainless.

Pros:
+ 17 lb wing (size Medium) - perfect for the warm water diving I do
+ Bungees on wing
+ Total weight of only ~5 lbs (size M)
+ Scubadiving.com reviews it as "very good for comfort, attitude and stability" - which matches the HOG TBC BPW rating
+ Low price for a low lift back inflate, since a stand alone wing below 20lbs costs around $400 for the wing alone. Still only about half to 2/3 the cost of a HOG 23lb BP/W

Neutral:
~ Integrated weight pockets. I will likely use trim weight pockets on the cam band for my lead and only use these as pockets for storage.

Negatives:
- Non-removable weight pockets make for more drag than a BP/W without - this is negated if hip pockets are added
- Less customizable than a BP/W - But I'm not entirely sure what else I would want to customize (other than waist band pockets mentioned above)
- Not modular - can't swap pieces out if needed

Am I missing something? Is there any reason to need a hard backplate if I do not plan on any technical diving?

You could probably throw a stone and hit a HOG dealer around here.

As far as travel BCDs go, it's great. I've sold them, and I've used them with really small students that wouldn't fit into a PB/W.

You might want to look at the Total Buoyancy Control System with a soft plate and a 23 pound wing (more like 18 really)... It hits almost all your pros, and has none of your cons. It would run you about 400, but it's modular so you can swap to a hard plate if you want, or replace things as you go. It's a better deal IMO.

As far as your last question, you'll probably like a backplate more than a back inflate especially if you are going to do anything in a drysuit. You can dive just fine in a back inflate, but the lifetime cost is going to be higher because you'll be replacing everything when something fails. I have 10 year old backplates that will outlive me...

 

[VikingDives]

If you're looking on Diver's supply, there's also an option that they don't have for a single piece of webbing in the TBCs that they don't seem to offer...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

One note on the non removable weight pockets and frankly other items that people seem to think contribute to drag, unless you are diving in a wind tunnel it's not an issue. In a horizontal position most divers shoulders and some people's hips will cause more drag.
And it's also not a race. I am known amongst my buddies as one of the slowest swimmers they dive with. I am also known as the one who sees more stuff that others have missed. It's like the one less hose thing that some people use to justify things like AI and AIR II type devices. Supposedly being more streamlined with less drag. In reality it's a non issue unless you are in very high current and again, other things will cause more drag than a little hose and weight pockets that snugged up against your body.
I've been in 4-5 knots in the St Lawrence River. It doesn't matter, everything is gonna be affected.
The weight pockets also, if you're like me and prefer a belt ( I use only MAKO free diving belts), can be used for small accessories. They don't have to be used for lead.