New member, relatively new diver - wanting own equipment

[diversteve]

I read your post but still have a question.

You live on Roatan? If so, I might consider Mares gear as you can get/service it at the factory store in the West End.

I admit I'm not a Hydros fan. Besides the tearing out of various components reported here - since fixed - it's the price...you could get two different BC configurations in some of the other brands you mentioned for the same money.

If you are traveling and considering Zeagle - also look at the Covert XL. It's actually a streamlined Ranger Jacket with a soft backplate. About the same$$ as an Express Tech but the Covert rolls up. It's just not as modular.

I'll politely disagree with Stuart, I can thread a Ripcord just by looking at it for a minute or two. - even if I haven't done it for a couple years. IMO opinion the best feature of the Ripcord is that the weights - in the yellow weight bags with solid handles - come out the top zipper when hanging on the ladder and handing weights up.

Or if you don't mind dropping two different pockets, their other weight system also plugs into the Express Tech - it's all velcro. Ziptouch?

 

[Colliam7]

[QUOTE="Coztick, post: 8475405, member: 462271What I don't agree with is hauling 5 exta pounds of plate in your luggage because you need it underwater.[/quote]And, that's a reasonable point. If the majority of your diving is done with (air) travel involved, it makes sense to not carry the 6lbs. Having said that, I travel to Bonaire for a week every year, and carry my BP in my backpack, as does my wife who also dives a SS BP. Not a problem. But, as I said, that is one of MY preferences. The majority of my diving involves driving to the site - an inland site or to coastal charter ports. In those cases the weight is even more of a non-issue.

Where I will disagree is with the idea that by 'adding a couple $10 trim pockets, the lead you add can be put exactly where you need it.' The beauty of a BP is that it distributes the weight over a broader area, that is also adjacent to the diver's center of lift. Trim pockets certainly help move to weight to closer to the center of lift. But, depending on the placement of the cam bands, it may not be as high as some diver's actually need. In reality, however, for the majority of divers, that point is relatively minor in the overall scheme of things.

 

[FezUSA]

I read your post but still have a question.

You live on Roatan? If so, I might consider Mares gear as you can get/service it at the factory store in the West End.

I admit I'm not a Hydros fan. Besides the tearing out of various components reported here - since fixed - it's the price...you could get two different BC configurations in some of the other brands you mentioned for the same money.

If you are traveling and considering Zeagle - also look at the Covert XL. It's actually a streamlined Ranger Jacket with a soft backplate. About the same$$ as an Express Tech but the Covert rolls up. It's just not as modular.

I'll politely disagree with Stuart, I can thread a Ripcord just by looking at it for a minute or two. - even if I haven't done it for a couple years. IMO opinion the best feature of the Ripcord is that the weights - in the yellow weight bags with solid handles - come out the top zipper when hanging on the ladder and handing weights up.

Or if you don't mind dropping two different pockets, their other weight system also plugs into the Express Tech - it's all velcro. Ziptouch?

We do NOT live on Roatan, but that may happen eventually. We are looking at property there, but for the foreseeable future it would be an own/rent-out place where we would use it for probably 4 weeks a year and rent it out the rest. And yes I hear you about the Mares shop, been in there quite a few times, especially as it's now opposite the dive shop we use. We have 5 kids, the youngest is almost 10, so it will be a while before we re-locate. In the meantime we fly down there and will also be flying to other locations and LOB's.

Trying to decide on a softplate with weight pockets or a SS plate knowing that it will have most of the weight I normally use 'built-in"!! Pro's and con's to both. If I have been diving wearing a Pilot with 6-8lb ditchable weight and now have a 6lb SS plate, that would potentially mean only 0-2lb ditchable, correct?

Thx for the feedback on the Zeagle.

 

[Coztick]

I'm not sure how positive the sp pilot is but if the op's new and only needing 6-8 lbs. chances are it will be less in a bp/w.
So with a 6 lb. plate, if his trim is off at all, any exta trim weight would be excessive.
For comparison, in a 3/2 mm full I need 3 lbs. with no bp. so already 3 lbs. overweight with just a plate and no trim adjustments with weight.
I can adjust trim by adjusting the profile of my wing but still unneeded weight for some.
Not arguing, just a different perspective.

Cheers, Kevin

 

[stuartv]

Deep Sea Supply is the company that offers the Kydex back plate. I have one of those, too. I only use it for diving double steels in a 3 or 5 mm wetsuit.

I regularly carry double steel HP120s from my truck to where I get in my local quarry. That is using a steel back plate with a plain Hogarthian harness. I have never "noticed" the straps and thought that I wished I had some padding there. Maybe that's because of my ample "personal" padding. LOL

To those of you who knock or are dismissive of the Hydros, have you actually dived one? And if so, how much? Are you aware that with the travel waist belt you can add D-rings and position them wherever you want? And I think you can also put 1" D-rings anywhere you like on the shoulder straps, too. It just requires a bit of disassembly and reassembly.

Though the Hydros only has 1 tank band, the design of that tank band combined with the design of the "cradle" that the tank rests in has been highly secure, for me. I have no qualms whatsoever about it only having the one tank strap.

For warm water diving a Hydros with an AL80, I would not take or use the waist belt with the huge QR weight pockets. I would put the 6-8 # of required weight in the trim weight pockets that are on the back. If I needed more weight, I would add trim weight pockets to the tank strap. I would not feel like I needed ditchable weight for that kind of diving.

My only knock on the Hydros is the price. Which could possibly be remedied by finding a used one for sale...

 

[FezUSA]

If the Hydros was 200-300 less it would probably be close to a 1st pick, especially given the travel waist belt option!

At recommendations above I've been looking through the classifieds and will continue to keep an eye on them. There's 2 that I might be interested in - 1 is a complete Oxycheq set up with an SS dogbone looking-shaped BP and a 30lb wing, plus a DR deluxe harness and some other accessories. Wing might be on the larger size for what I need, I'm now thinking a 20-23lb might be big enough, but not too much bigger. The other option is a 32lb HOG wing, so a little bigger still, and has a DR plastic BP.

I also sent a message to Deep 6 to see when their wings will be back in stock. Their complete kits look pretty decent, the AL with 20lb or SS with 30lb wing. Still going back and forth in my head over what is preferable. A heavier plate that will spread the weight out and mean I need less additional weights and will also be a 'better' plate in the long run for salt water? But will be heavier to carry. Or an AL plate that doesn't do much for me once in the water so I'll need more weight pockets, but will save me 3-4lb carting it around while traveling. If I consider the lighter AL option, then I also have to consider the DSS Kydex as that appears to offer the same weight savings.

In both instances the Freedom plate can be had in both SS and AL. And looking at the VHD Argonaut 23lb wing this seems like a much cheaper alternative to a Oxycheq, but they're also not showing as in stock.

So many options that I have analysis paralysis!! Well at least I don't need to order anything right now. But if I'm going the FP path I should probably get on that list sooner rather than later!!

Thx for all the responses, keep them coming!

 

[happy-diver]

and a thanks required once again to those of the Good Ship Scubaboard

for getting my cockles cockeling, about my EX much loved Zeagle Ranger

Project New as a soft harness to hang a chestmount CCR

which I used last weekend for the first time in 15 yrs giving me perfect trim
and buoyancy for point and dart around the ocean aquability with however
the feeling that despite my fun, I was fighting the placement of the weights
system and having read this thread putting things in my head, I awoke and
began de-Zeagling

but if you don't want to descend into madness like me I like the Hogpack
or the already dismantled Zeagle from Zeagle but no way known the scubapro
having owned half, dived the other, and know from looking how the other half dive.

A quick cabletie weight test and then switch on BCBUILDER to whip up a permanent non dumpable rear attachment system.


On your back where all good weight systems be

 

[FezUSA]

Follow on question. If I'm looking at buying a used plate, harness and wing from the classifieds on this forum, what do you do to test the wing upon receipt if you don't have a pool or any way to submerse it other than the bathtub? I gather the plate and harness gear you visually check for any issues (wear/tear on the webbing etc.), but the wing is a bladder inside of a bag essentially. I could test in a manner similar to looking for a leak in a bicycle tyre, inflate and run it through a tub of water looking for bubbles; as well as check the outer cover for potential damage. Any other recommendations?

My concern stems from being a relative new diver (80-100 dives), all on rental jackets. This is essentially life support equipment and while I wouldn't put it quite on the same level as the regulator and the rest of the air equipment, it is still obviously important! I will buy a new reg set, but $400 for a complete BP/W set up seems like a good option. I can still put my name down for a Freedom plate too.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

...But if I'm going the FP path I should probably get on that list sooner rather than later!!!

I already put you on.

 

[FezUSA]

I already put you on.

Thx, that's awesome!! Any insight on using an Oxycheq Signature Mach V #30lbs Wing with your plate?