Dorian
Registered
Take a look at the Halcyon travel BC. Its a great backplate.
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Items | Weight (grams) |
OxyCheq Composite Cam Strap ( 2 x 172 grams) | 344 |
OxyCheq Ultra Lite Travel Plate | 255 |
OxyCheq Hogarthian Harness | 600 |
OxyCheq 18# MACH V Signature Series Single Tank Wing | 918 |
Stainless Steel Sex Bolt ( 2 * 42 grams ) | 84 |
Total | 2201 |
This is what I have so far.
Items Weight (grams) OxyCheq Composite Cam Strap ( 2 x 172 grams) 344 OxyCheq Ultra Lite Travel Plate 255 OxyCheq Hogarthian Harness 600 OxyCheq 18# MACH V Signature Series Single Tank Wing 918 Stainless Steel Sex Bolt ( 2 * 42 grams ) 84 Total 2201
Or about 4.85lbs
I saw references to OxyCheq "Speed harness with Composite Buckle" but could not find details of it. I think that would save about 150 grams.
Really tough to beat the Zeagle Covert at 3.9 lbs!
Not the cheapest, but a very solid DIR setup that's compact & light:
UTD Online Store - +1 855 DIVEUTD (348-3883) or +1 760 585-9676 - sales@utdequipment.com
There's no backplate in this configuration, it's just a harness and wing.
A benefit of this setup is it's very modular. You can get it with a backplate if you want, all harnesses are standard 3" webbing, etc.
+1 for the Zeagle Covert. It is a nice piece of gear and the weight is great. I added a couple of pockets on the belt and it is still slightly over 4# including the integrated weight pockets. Very stable in the water.
I am currently using the vdh singles mini-plate. I had been using true Oxy fabric plate and compared to the vdh mini plate, the fabric plate is a little bit lighter but much more unstable in that anything other than the aluminum 63/80 tanks it was designed for, in terms of being negative in buoyancy, the cylinder will roll/flop side to side. The vdh aluminum mini-plate very small and light but can support modern high pressure and negative cylinders without compromising stability.
A significant contributor to weight, once you have gone to a fabric plate or something very small and tiny like the vdh plate remains the metal buckles, cam bands and D rings and wing itself. I really hate plastic for these things though for some it might be acceptable. what I really want is a titanium buckle and titanium D rings. I am okay with plastic cam bands since there are two with most plate, a failure of one does not leave you strangled by the regulator hose.
Currently there are no fabric bladder, self bladder wings on the market I have been able to find. For a travel wing, this remains a limitation in reducing weight. Again a compromise in durability but one some, including me, would consider.
The lightest thing I can come up with is a commercial diving harness paired with an Oxycheq 18lb wing. These were not made to be used together so you would need to customize both to connect them. I opted for the Dive Rite Travel EXP 26lb wing instead of the Oxychen only because the Dive Rite packed flatter in my suitcase. You can usually find commercial diving harnesses on ebay starting at $25 but the weight of each will vary depending on how many D rings are built into it. The first pic is a bail out harness and will be lighter then the bell harness in the second pic. Some of these harnesses are adjustable but most can not be adjusted so if you buy one make sure the size is right.