Travel BP/W Comfort?

[JCR]

I am a warm water travel diver that needs a new BC or BP/W. My most recent diving has been with a back inflate jacket style bc.

I have looked online at the Oxycheq Travel Lite, the Dive Rite Transpac with Travel Wing, and the DSS Tropical wing with Kydex Plate and profit harness. These all seem as if they would pack down well and provide the necessary buoyancy and be streamlined. The Dive Rite Transpac is probably the heaviest of the three, but it is the only one I have been able to put my hands on. It also has more padding and that is something that may have some value for me.

Sometimes I will use only a rash guard and other times either a 1.5 or 3mm wetsuit. When using the rash guard, I wonder about the comfort of the harnesses on the DSS or Oxycheq.

Any thoughts about the in and out of water comfort of the DSS and Oxycheq travel setups?

Thanks
JR

 

[tk trekers]

The Hog Harness is not uncomfortable even if you are wearing a rash guard, t-shirt or no shirt. You won't even feel it once you get in the water either. If you search here on the board, you will see that many people that went with a pro fit style harness first have replaced them with the one piece Hog Harness setup.

I have a DSS and wold highly recommend them for the quality and ease of setup, you don't need a single tank adapter as some setups require which would save you more weight when you travel. If you can, try to do some dives with one, for me the change was like night/day in the comfort level.

 

[Shark Bait!]

+1 on the DSS rig..
I have a Kydex plate and 20# wing, and do 100% S. FLorida and caribbean dives. You wont even notice it is on your back when in the water. We do alot of beach dives down here, and even the walk from the parking lot to the water is comfortable with the HOG harness in rashguard/t shirt/ or 3 mm. Also for traveling, i can pack all my gear into a carryone except the wetsuit and fins, and have never had a problem..

 

[TSandM]

I never dive in anything less than a 3 mil wetsuit, but I love my DSS Kydex plate and 17lb tropical wing for travel. I don't do a lot of long hikes with my gear on my back (Honolua Bay is the only one that comes to mind) but I think the Hog harness is as comfortable as something can be that's holding up 40 pounds or so of gear on my back. If I were going to do a lot of walking in a T-shirt or less, I'd probably put a neoprene sleeve on the shoulder part of the harness -- but I'm pretty bony, and have a big serrated plate in one collarbone, so I would get uncomfortable before most other people, I think.

 

[ZzzKing]

I have several Oxycheq plates and wings and like them a lot but I recently saw a DSS rig in real life and was very impressed by the quality. When the little girl gets old enough I'm going to have a tough decision to make.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

My fiance and I travel with 6lb DSS plates. He gave me his Dive Rite Venture wing (45 lb) when I bought him an Oxycheq Mach V (18lb) wing for Christmas. We can pack them very easily into our carry-on luggage (we've had too many lost-luggage experiences...I carry regs, masks, and fins in my carry-on, while he takes the plates/wings, plus a change of clothes each). My fiance loves his Oxycheq - it's very streamlined, but provides all the lift that's needed. For me, the Dive Rite wing is overkill for warm-water diving using a 3mm suit and an Al 80, but I'll buy an 18lb Mach V too, as soon as my budget allows.

 

[JCR]

After reading this post I did some searching on some of the manufactuer forums about the relationship of lighter weight plates vs. stainless plates in travel situations. I may have made the incorrect assumption that lighter plates from aluminum, kydex, or other material were INTENDED specifically for travel to reduce carry-along weight.

If I understand these other posts correctly, this may be the wrong assumption: the advantage of the stainless plates is keeping the weight over your lungs, plus the negative buoyancy that can reduce or eliminate the amount of weight to put elsewhere (all comments address warm water condtions with 3 mill or less wetsuit).

The advantage of the SS backplate -- the way I understand it -- is that it should improve in-the-water buoyancy control by keeping the weight on the back rather than on the waist. The trade-off is four pounds of so to add to carryon or checked luggage. In some cases that may be an issue and in others it may not be.

If the travel weight (carryon or checked) of the SS plate can be accommodated, then it would seem to be preferable to the lighter weight backplates unless there is an over-weighting issue ???

Thanks
JR

My fiance and I travel with 6lb DSS plates. He gave me his Dive Rite Venture wing (45 lb) when I bought him an Oxycheq Mach V (18lb) wing for Christmas. We can pack them very easily into our carry-on luggage (we've had too many lost-luggage experiences...I carry regs, masks, and fins in my carry-on, while he takes the plates/wings, plus a change of clothes each). My fiance loves his Oxycheq - it's very streamlined, but provides all the lift that's needed. For me, the Dive Rite wing is overkill for warm-water diving using a 3mm suit and an Al 80, but I'll buy an 18lb Mach V too, as soon as my budget allows.

 

[Bonairetrip]

<SNIP>
If the travel weight (carryon or checked) of the SS plate can be accommodated, then it would seem to be preferable to the lighter weight backplates unless there is an over-weighting issue ???

Thanks
JR

I would agree. I think a kydex, ABS or Al plate would be handy if:
a) You would be over weighted at the end of dive with a SS plate and no weight belt; or
b) You are just barely are able to meet baggage weight limits (i.e., with Kydex you are at 48 pounds and with SS you would be around 52 or 53); or
c) You are taking your stuff carry-on and the weight of SS is just too much for your bag.

Otherwise, SS. FWIW, I just bought a SS plate and plan to use it only for tropical travel...

 

[SCU5]

I have used an aluminum backplate w/ Oxycheq wing with just a swimsuit, no wetsuit or rashguard and was perfectly comfortable. If I was hiking it a ways I would likely put some neoprene covers over the hog harness shoulders but otherwise you'll be perfectly comfortable.

There is not really a need for padding and once you are in the water the rig weighs next to nothing and is hardly felt at all on your back.