Newby needs help.. BP/W - SS or AL??

[sea-glider]

peterbj7

I am and will be living on a tropical island for the next 3 years, so I will have a lot of time and opportunity to advance my skills as I dive more. I figured BP/W setup gives me the most versatility out of all the other BC's. Also, from the posts I have seen here and a few people I spoke with all have nothing but praises for the setup.
As for why not the transpac, As I mentioned i do wear about 4 kg of weight belts and if I can move this weight evenly on my back, isn't that a better option? I have tried the transpac and I must say I did like it esp having only shoulder straps compared to a vest style BC's.

About travel, yes I am thinking of travelling with it as well. I'm already trying to book my trip to Palau during the winter break. Maybe an AL Backplate would be a better option for me? to be honest, I'm not too worried about it.

 

[sea-glider]

steve_dives
apparently you were misinformed. the black harness is the fastest!!

 

[sea-glider]

mkutyna,

are you using the new venture wing with 45# lift? or the old 30#?
Also about the STA, I will try it first without one. like I said, I did try it with the rental transpac and it was rocking enough for my guide to try to tighten it up a few times during the dive. one buckle had a damaged/ broken part to it and was pretty used so maybe with the new one it should be fine..

 

[sea-glider]

here's an intereting information I just saw here on scubaboard forum relating to travelling with your gear..
here is a quote from "Lightest travel BC".

"ScubaDiving.com did a recent review of Travel-friendly BCDs in their May 2008 issue. According to their research, the average BCD has a dry weight of 8.5 lbs. All of the BCs that they reviewed for the article had a dry weight below that average.
The Mares Pegasus has a dry weight of 7 lbs. 7 oz. and an inherent buoyancy of 2 lbs.
The Mares Icon has a dry weight of 7 lbs. 15 oz. and an inherent buoyancy of 2.9 lbs."

now considering Dive Rite SS backplate is ~6# and if you add another 3-4# for the harness, wing and D-rings etc (is my calculation right?), I don't see how SS BP/W setup is a handicap IF you want to travel with your gear ( and its easier to pack and occupies less space in your bag!).. granted an AL backplate would make you loose a lot more and lighter.

 

[Steve_Dives]

I like how my BP/W packs for air travel. A bit less bulk than a standard BC. With a bag full of gear I don't have a problem getting the weight below 50lbs for the airlines.

 

[SCU5]

Not to throw another option into the mix, but an Aluminum backplate can easily be fitted w/ a weighted STA if you need extra weight, essentially making it similar to a steel backplate. You can also use XS Scuba weight pockets to move weight around to sort out trim. Quite a flexible setup in my opinion. This would also pack extremely light with a hog harness, a few d-rings, buckle and wing.

If I were doing things over again, I would go for a DSS hog kit as it is a great deal w/ great support from Tobin. That said I'm currently diving a Dive Rite Aluminum backplate w/ Oxycheq wing and am happy as a clam.

 

[sea-glider]

yeah that is another option,
AL backplate is nice and lite, and still a possibility if I drop the wetsuit..
I asked my LDS about STA and they had no idea what I was talking about. apparently no one in the shop uses them!
how much do w/ STA 's weigh? can they be custom ordered or in standards like 2lbs, 4lbs etc?
btw, I'm still waiting after a month to get my order and sort of getting ticked off by the wait. don't want to think about waiting another month or so for an STA.

 

[sea-glider]

hey all,

just like to say thanks to all of you for helping me out deciding!
to give you all an update, i picked up an SS transplate with venture wing yesterday and did my first dive with it this afternoon.
I tried diving with a Compact neutrally buoyant AL80cu with no wetsuit and weights. I was a bit overweight, though still being new couldnt tell by how much. after the dive I did a buoyancy check with 50bar of air with empty wing. Unless I take a huge breath and hold it I can sort of stay afloat on the surface (although not eye level, just a bit below). when I breath in and out I start sinking a little faster than a nice slow descent.
I will go diving tomorrow again, this time wearing my shorty 2.5mm wetsuit and see how my buoyancy is. if still heavy I will try the next dive in normal AL80.
So far very happy with the feel and slowly getting to adjust here and there for better trim!!
just another happy diver
PS. the extra lumbar pad is worth every penny!!

 

[jimorus]

Oxycheq makes a nice set of mini STA's tht were very reasonably priced at Scuba Toys.

I tried direct to the plate and didn't like it. It seemed less stable. Maybe because it was a borrowed plate and i wasn't as comfortable with it. I justt didn't want to machine mine and cut my wing just to test it. I replaced a 10 year old Halcyon STA, mainly to make things pack a little smaller. The Oxycheqs are tiny and weigh less than a pound and feel more secure than tank straps directly through the plate.

jim

 

[crank boy]

First of all, I am just now looking into a BP/W set up and have found this discussion extremely helpful. Thanks all! This site is a great resource.

Secondly, what the hell is an STA?

Thanks,
Crank boy.