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

[tbone1004]

That's the harness I use on my plates, it obviously adjusts a bit differently than the one piece harness in the shoulders, but you can undo the chest strap, pull the slack out of the waist and it will lay down like a one piece harness, just takes a bit more time to adjust. I'm actually putting on one a hard plate today and can take a picture with it adjusted as a one piece harness if needed. This is how my buddy dives his in cave country all the time. It at least allows someone to see if they like the concept and feel of a one piece harness and if they decide to switch to it, then they can buy the webbing to get a one piece, very different than a transplate where you have the side plates going on and can't really do much with it

 

[Rich Keller]

For those of you who dive cold California shores and have to do a fair bit of hiking to get to your dive spot, would you dive a traditional hard backplate and unpadded harness? What are your experiences with hard vs soft backplates?

I do some shore diving that requires a long walk but no climbing down cliffs. I use a commercial diving harness that is similar to the soft plates you are looking at but manufactured to a much higher standard then sport diving equipment needs to be. They are also cheaper, I have seen them in near new condition on ebay for $25 to as much as $125. With a 7mm suit on I would not bother with additional padding for the harness and the low profile of the harness will keep the tank about 1/2" from your back so the weight of the tank is closer to your center of gravity. Atlantic Diving makes a harness that goes for about $250 new that a wing and weight pockets can be added to. You can get them from Amron International or most commercial dive shops.