You backplate guys have got me.

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Now you have really done it. I can configure what I want for LESS than a conventional BC? Guess I can skip the LDS's "warehouse sale" where Scubapro rep will be tomorrow and Saturday.

If you dive lakes at home and warm ocen on trips, do you buy a steel or aluminum plate?

Can the regular BC guys weigh in and say why not do this? Keep in mind that I deliver anesthesia for a living, brew beer, and plumbed my own house-so I can certainly figure out how to do things and work with life support gear every day of my working life.

This is AWESOME!

Don
 
I dive both a steel BP/W and a Seaquest Passport BC. I use the Steel BP/W up here in Chicago and also in the Caribbean. The passport BC will be used for teaching in hopefully near future.

Before both of these, I dove with a Aeris Atmos XT BC, so I do have experience with both kinds.

BCD's are usually easier to adjust initially and can be done quick quickly with little guess work. BP/W take a little more fiddling, atleast my Halcyon did anyway. Took about 15 dives for me to get it just right...but once its set, its set. I was new to it back then, now it wouldn't be a big deal, but as a new user this could be a turn off to some.

Which do I like better? The BP/W, no doubt. All I need in the Caribbean is that 6lb backplate and up here in a 7mm, about 4-6lbs extra. With a BC I need a tad more weight for each kind of diving.

If you are not easily frustrated with fiddling with gear and have patience, I say go with the BP/W. You may only take a couple dives to get it just right, who knows, but it sure is great once its set.

Jason

DivingCRNA:
Now you have really done it. I can configure what I want for LESS than a conventional BC? Guess I can skip the LDS's "warehouse sale" where Scubapro rep will be tomorrow and Saturday.

If you dive lakes at home and warm ocen on trips, do you buy a steel or aluminum plate?

Can the regular BC guys weigh in and say why not do this? Keep in mind that I deliver anesthesia for a living, brew beer, and plumbed my own house-so I can certainly figure out how to do things and work with life support gear every day of my working life.

This is AWESOME!

Don
Click to expand...
 
DivingCRNA:
If you dive lakes at home and warm ocen on trips, do you buy a steel or aluminum plate?
Click to expand...
Depending on how handy you are (or if you have handy friends). I would buy the SS plate because I made my own Alum plate for ~$20 Can. Alum is easy for the DIY'er to deal with...SS isn't.
 
Doc Intrepid:
Of all the stuff out there, I like Tobin's plates right now (coolhardware52 on this board). FredT (also on this board) also makes real sweet plates, especially if you need a heavier plate.

Tobin's site:
http://www.deepseasupply.com
Click to expand...

I dove one of these last summer and found the build quality of the backplate and wing to be exceptional. I still dive with my soft backpack and wing, but may add a backplate to the collection this year.

Dr. Bill
 
Doc Intrepid:
Of all the stuff out there, I like Tobin's plates right now (coolhardware52 on this board). FredT (also on this board) also makes real sweet plates, especially if you need a heavier plate.

Tobin's site:
http://www.deepseasupply.com

You can't go wrong with either plate. Plus, as some of these guys have mentioned, ebay is your friend for wings. I prefer Halcyon or Oxycheq, as I've more experience with these.

Also, suggest you start off with a simple harness, hogarthian one piece...you don't need all the rest of it that many manufacturers seem to want to sell.

FWIW. YMMV.
Click to expand...

Ditto ... I own both a DSS and FredT plate ... as well as an Oxycheq plate and two Dive Rite plates (SS and AL). Both the FredT and DSS plates are a cut above the rest in terms of quality, but the DSS plate is the one I prefer to dive with. There are several reasons ...

- Rubber grommets in the strap slots reduce harness wear to just about zero. Tobin's plate is the only one with this feature.

- Plate weights that integrate seamlessly into the back of the plate let you add 5 lbs or 8 lbs to your backplate, which can be easily removed for those warm water vacations.

- The shape of the plate is flatter than most others, which puts the cylinder just a bit closer to my body ... a matter of personal preference, but it just feels more natural to me.

DSS also makes a very nice 30-lb singles wing that doesn't require an STA. I've found this wing to be quite adequate for my hefty 250-lb body and cylinders as large as an E8-119.

I agree with those who recommend the simple, Hogarthian style harness. Although it takes a bit of getting used to when switching from a BCD, after a few dives and proper adjustment it's pretty easy to use, and by far the simplest, cheapest harness to replace once wear-n-tear take their toll ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
I'm a strictly recreational diver that uses a steel backplate everywhere I go.

I went with the Eclipse, because that's what the LDS in town that helped me out so much sold. They went above and beyond in my opinion, and I didn't feel right taking the learning and going to the Internet.

If I replace/upgrade/add on to my collection though, I'm very interested in checking out some of the lesser known suppliers like FredT or COVCI.

For the record, Halcyon hasn't let me down in the least. Great wing. Not counting that steel inflator debacle, of course. ;)
 
NWGratefulDiver:
DSS also makes a very nice 30-lb singles wing that doesn't require an STA. I've found this wing to be quite adequate for my hefty 250-lb body and cylinders as large as an E8-119.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Click to expand...

Hey Bob, I'm seriously considering getting the single tank rig from DSS after a careful review of the various products on the market. One thing I don't really understand is how the plate holds the tank in place. Without an STA, doesn't it move a bit from side to side? Seems like an STA would lock the cylinder in place, but just having the bands would cause some shifting. I can see it being more secure if the bladder is fully inflated since that would expand around the cylinder and hold it in place, however when I dive I completely empty my BCD and just use my drysuit for buoyancy. In this case, with an empty bladder, doesn't the tank shift?

I like the idea of the extra weight plates as well, seems like it would distribute the weight well. One thing I'm not quite sure about is trim. Currently I have a hefty 25 pound weight belt and almost 20 pounds in the BCD. I'm a bit worried that if I shift the weight more towards my head I'll have a tendency for a head down trim.

Any comments you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom