New BP/W convert

[DevonDiver]

Unless they have deburred and beveled the latest batch of aluminum plates from either Dive Rite or Halcyon, I would not recommend purchasing one from any dealers current stock. Easiest test is to simply run your fingers along the edges and feel for yourself. Better yet, compare it with a DSS Plate which has four sizes to fit, instead of the one size fits all approach of Halcyon/Dive Rite . . .(if DSS had products out eight years ago, I would've bought their BP/W combo instead the Halcyon SS & Aluminum I currently have).

LOL Are you on commission from DSS?

I have two Halcyon backplates (one Ali and one steel), both are wonderfully finished and have performed excellently over the last 4 years.

 

[Anti-Hero]

Who cares if the plate chafes the webbing, it takes all of 5 min. and 10 bucks to replace, what, once every 3-4 years? Hell I've replaced mine probably 3 times in the last year just because I found a color I liked better.

I really want the camo webbing from scubatoys, so I may be changing it again.

 

[b1gcountry]

Five minutes my tuccus! The best selling point for the Halcyon plates is that they come pre-threaded with the webbing. There's a special level in he.. where divers who kick up silt have to rethread backplates for eternity!

Tom

 

[Nemrod]

I started with no BC, because they simply weren't available then (neither were SPGs). The first one I bought was a back inflate on a pack with bare harness. After about 20 years it wore flat and I got a jacket. When that wore out 15 years later I started building back plates, which is as close to a 1973 BCP as I can get.

If I get a chance there is a Hawaiian rigged plate in my near future so shoulder straps become a thing of the past...

I have been playing around with shoulder strapless concepts myself. Of course, you could dump the wing, you didn't need it in the beginning, you still don't now. It is just extra. The next best is a Oxy Ultra Light plate with Oxy 18 Mach V.

But with this rig I swam for more than three hours ranging more than half a mile from shore, bucked some current and then returned, no wing, no BC, just extra.

N

 

[RJP]

Now don't scare him. You know you can get a perfectly decent primary light for only $700!

Blasphemer!

Next you'll be saying you can get a perfectly decent backup light for $150!

 

[gtto]

I think we should get stickers that have a "bp/w" on them to put on our cars. Like the stickers in Europe that tell what country the car is from. No normal human would have a clue what it stood for. Gary

 

[RJP]

I think we should get stickers that have a "bp/w" on them to put on our cars. Like the stickers in Europe that tell what country the car is from. No normal human would have a clue what it stood for. Gary

I like it!

 

[fnfalman]

Yes!!! A discreet BPW sticker would be very sweet.

 

[Anti-Hero]

Five minutes my tuccus! The best selling point for the Halcyon plates is that they come pre-threaded with the webbing. There's a special level in he.. where divers who kick up silt have to rethread backplates for eternity!

Tom

Haha - that would indeed be a special place in hell. But c'mon, all you do is thread each end evenly through the shoulder slots, add two shoulder D-rings, burn a hole, thread through the waist band slots, add two weight keepers, add left side D-ring and buckle.

I'm willing to take bets on a sub 10 min. start to finish job. (doesn't include fitting)

 

[b1gcountry]

Haha - that would indeed be a special place in hell. But c'mon, all you do is thread each end evenly through the shoulder slots, add two shoulder D-rings, burn a hole, thread through the waist band slots, add two weight keepers, add left side D-ring and buckle.

I'm willing to take bets on a sub 10 min. start to finish job. (doesn't include fitting)

The worst part is sliding the inner tube up each side, and if you have some stiff webbing, getting the buckle on alone is going to take me 10-15 minutes. Of course I also put two pieces of inner tube on to hold the excess webbing, and to slide the tail end of the waist strap into when I'm wearing it.

No, it takes me about 30 minutes to get it all together, and I usually forget to put something on in the right place, or have the shoulder straps twisted the wrong way, or a D Ring on inside out, and have to redo half of the dang thing from scratch!

Maybe I just suck at it, but it really is my least favorite part of being a BP/W owner.

Tom