Soft plate BP/W vs. hard plate vs. back inflate BCDs

[Dave616]

OxyCheq also makes a lot of stuff in the US. and Edd at Cave Adventures does screaming deals on Oxy and Dive Rite products.

I've never used any of the deluxe padded style harnesses but I may try one at some point. Just an expensive way to go if you don't need one.
I would rather put the money into sidemount at this point.

When I'm single-tank diving my BPW's, the Hog harnesses are not tight in the shoulders. I barely feel my plate on my back while I'm diving, but like tbone said, if you have to carry your gear for an extended period of time, the hog harness will not be comfortable.

 

[TSandM]

At your size, a standard DSS backplate setup should work great (I'm 5'2" and the short is a little too short for me.). DSS rigs are a little different, because the bend is shallower (the plate is optimized for single tank use), and because you can buy weight plates that bolt on, to reduce what you have to carry in pockets or a on a belt. Tobin also uses very high quality stainless (not all stainless is the same, which is something I didn't know before I started diving) which means you won't get any rusting. And DSS is local to you, which makes it easy if you ever need any customer service.

I second the recommendations for starting with the simple harness, and buying something else if you decide you're unhappy with that. I would also say that, if you are small, webbing your plate with the shoulder straps crossed can avoid the problem of straps that want to slide off, and the feeling that you need a chest strap. If you buy the setup and want information about rigging it that way, PM me and I'll try to take some pictures of mine.

I also heartily second the recommendation for the rubber free-diving weight belt. DumpsterDiver literally twisted my arm into trying one, and I now own two. They're GREAT! Mako makes a really nice one.

 

[Dave616]

I also heartily second the recommendation for the rubber free-diving weight belt. DumpsterDiver literally twisted my arm into trying one, and I now own two. They're GREAT! Mako makes a really nice one.

Also agree with the above. Mako has great customer service (Brad). I've ordered a belt and will soon order another one for the Tin Man weights. You might be able to find the same belt $7-10 cheaper, but Mako guarantees replacement if you have to ditch. It's a great incentive to spend $35 on Mako's belt.

 

[akivisuals]

Looks like I'm narrowing it down to the DSS with either the 30# LCD or the 35# Torus wing. Not sure if I'm going with a hogarthian with the slide adapter or something like the Transplate or Oxycheq Deluxe Adjustable harness. Does 30# or 35# sound like enough lift for cold water with a 7mm, 5/3 hooded vest, gloves, boots, etc? Sometimes I'm carrying stuff around like urchins, lobsters, light, camera, etc.

 

[tbone1004]

Call Tobin and talk to him or drive up the road and go in person if you can, you really need to get a proper weight check first though though, hop in a pool with your full exposure protection and get your real weight number. Add about 10lbs to that and that is your minimum lift size. I'd go to 35lb Torus though. I'd stick with the one piece harness as is with the slide adapter and dive it for 20 or so dives before you decide to go with another harness.

 

[geoff w]

I also dive with an HP80 in SoCal with a 7mm suit, 5/3 hooded vest (when it's winter), gloves, boots, etc. How much lift do you typically need for that kind of neoprene? I'm 5'4" and 145lbs. Would a 30# wing be too much, just enough, or too little?

---------- Post added February 16th, 2015 at 02:15 AM ----------

So after doing a lot of reading and research I think I'll be going down the BP/W road. As for my earlier thoughts about the soft backplate designs, I think I've heard enough pros about steel backplates to want to go that route over the soft designs. Are there specific brands that are better than others? The Halcyon looks nice and I like the idea of the cinch straps but it's a bit pricey. Can you put another brand wing like one from DiveRite, Hollis, or DSS on it? Also, what are the differences in steel plates? They all look fairly similar. Would a sub $100 Hollis or DiveRite plate be that much inferior to the DSS or the Halcyon?

I'm also trying to decide on whether to get a "backpack style" harness like the Hollis Elite or the DiveRite Transplate instead of the Halcyon cinch straps or a regular hogarthian harness. I like the idea of a backpack style but many here seem to recommend the plain hogarthian style harnesses. I don't have plans at the moment of doing serious tech diving. Most of my dives are rec dives at reasonably shallow depths. What are the drawbacks to a backpack style harness?

Thanks for all the replies btw! They've been very helpful!

I've got the DiveRite Transplate harness (2011 vintage) and started with a Voyager wing, which has 35 lbs of lift. I'm about 5'10" and 165 lbs. If I'm diving in a 7mm full suit, 5/3 hooded vest, gloves and HP80, I normally have 2 lbs of lead with me. With a HP80 and the steel backplate, a 35 lb wing will float your rig, but a 25 lb wing will struggle to keep it floating on the surface if you have other stuff attached, like heavier lights or game bags full of lobster. When I'm diving wet, I now usually dive with the DiveRite 25 lb lift wing (Travel wing), which is a little smaller. When I dive dry I need more weight, so use the Voyager wing then, or if I'm helping out with a rescue class or cleanup day and need more lift. If you hunt lobster or sprearfish, consider more lift. The DiveRite wings are nice because they're donut shape, so the air pocket can move freely all the way around. Also, if you get a puncture, the inner bladder is easy to replace or patch

I'm a recreational diver, so enjoy the comfort of the backpack style harness. Several of my dive buddies started with the continuous webbing, then switched over to the TransPlate harness. If I was ever going to get into technical diving, I can spend the $15 or so for webbing and relace the harness. In the meantime, I'm into comfort and enjoyment. If you switch between wet and dry, the TransPlate is nice because it's adjustable

As far as backplates, technically one is as good as another. In reality, they are different shapes and bend angles, which definitely affects your comfort. Some are way more expensive than others. Before you buy one, I suggest you try a few shops and try the plates against your back to see what is most comfortable. Personally, I like the bend angle on the DiveRite, find the DSS a bit too flat and less comfortable, and generally am less impressed with the Hollis quality. Halcyon is outside my price range. I suggest you try some of the shops that stock different brands (Hollywood Divers has Halcyon and DiveRite), try them on and see what is comfortable to you. Buying the "best" brand if it's not as comfortable is not going to be as enjoyable as something that feels better to you. In general, DiveRite and Hollis backpack style harnesses should work on any backplate, but the brand-specific adjustable harnesses like Halcyon or DSS only work with their matching backplates. Also, same manufacturer wings and backplates will always work together, whereas mixing and matching might not work together as well

Serious tech divers scoff at my TransPlate setup, because I also have an Atomic SS-1 (like a Scubapro Air-2) for the combination inflator/octopus, but again, I'm a recreational diver.

---------- Post added February 17th, 2015 at 10:49 PM ----------

If you can wait until June, you can check out all the brands at the Long Beach Scuba show

 

[ams511]

Call Tobin and talk to him or drive up the road and go in person if you can, you really need to get a proper weight check first though though, hop in a pool with your full exposure protection and get your real weight number. Add about 10lbs to that and that is your minimum lift size. I'd go to 35lb Torus though. I'd stick with the one piece harness as is with the slide adapter and dive it for 20 or so dives before you decide to go with another harness.

One thing to remember is the Torus wing is sealed so if you puncture it, you need to send it back to DSS for repair. The LCD does have a zipper so can be patched if necessary.

 

[KevinNM]

I understand many newer bladders are virtually impossible to patch, the material they are made of doesn't take glue.

 

[akivisuals]

Call Tobin and talk to him or drive up the road and go in person if you can, you really need to get a proper weight check first though though, hop in a pool with your full exposure protection and get your real weight number. Add about 10lbs to that and that is your minimum lift size. I'd go to 35lb Torus though. I'd stick with the one piece harness as is with the slide adapter and dive it for 20 or so dives before you decide to go with another harness.

I called and spoke with Tobin for 40 minutes on the phone today. Very interesting! Based on my height, weight, exposure compensation, and tank he figured that I could probably dive the SS backplate with the LCD20! That's a LOT less lift than I thought I needed for cold water diving. That isn't taking into account my pony bottle or extra stuff like a speargun or lobster bag though. He did mention that I should sink my exposure suit and other items in my pool to see exactly how much lead I need. Since I dive a short HP80, he recommended the LCD since it's a horseshoe design and wouldn't get pinched on the bottom from the tank.

 

[eelnoraa]

I also dive with an HP80 in SoCal with a 7mm suit, 5/3 hooded vest (when it's winter), gloves, boots, etc. How much lift do you typically need for that kind of neoprene? I'm 5'4" and 145lbs. Would a 30# wing be too much, just enough, or too little?

---------- Post added February 16th, 2015 at 02:15 AM ----------

So after doing a lot of reading and research I think I'll be going down the BP/W road. As for my earlier thoughts about the soft backplate designs, I think I've heard enough pros about steel backplates to want to go that route over the soft designs. Are there specific brands that are better than others? The Halcyon looks nice and I like the idea of the cinch straps but it's a bit pricey. Can you put another brand wing like one from DiveRite, Hollis, or DSS on it? Also, what are the differences in steel plates? They all look fairly similar. Would a sub $100 Hollis or DiveRite plate be that much inferior to the DSS or the Halcyon?

I'm also trying to decide on whether to get a "backpack style" harness like the Hollis Elite or the DiveRite Transplate instead of the Halcyon cinch straps or a regular hogarthian harness. I like the idea of a backpack style but many here seem to recommend the plain hogarthian style harnesses. I don't have plans at the moment of doing serious tech diving. Most of my dives are rec dives at reasonably shallow depths. What are the drawbacks to a backpack style harness?

Thanks for all the replies btw! They've been very helpful!

Here is my take. Since you are 5'4", I recommend against standard size plates. You definitely want a short pattern plate. I only know DSS, Halcyon, and DiveRite if they still make one. Most of other only make regular size plate. It is not like the regular size won't work, but I am pretty sure you will find short plate more comfortable.

The practical difference between backplate is main the band angle. DSS and DiveRite plate is quite flat while Halcyon has a deeper band. Each has its advantage. It is a personal preference. I prefer deeper band plate, so I ended up with Halcyon small plate.

If you plan to NOT use a STA, DSS has a significant better implementation than other. It is one aspect worth paying attentionto. If you plan to use STA, the the difference is a wash. Again, it is persoanl preference. I prefer STA

As for harness, basic vs comfort, it is mostly a personal preference. I would recommend you first go with hogarthian once piece harness. It can be make by 15ft of webbing at $0.75/ft and some hardware (about $15) from DGX. After a few dives, if you still think you need a comfort harness, then you can buy a set. You can reuse the hardware and you waste only the webbing. If you go the other direction (like myself), you will waste the fancy harness ($100). This is me. I started with DiveRite transplate harness, switch to one piece basic and never miss the padding or the adjustment.