Travel BCs and BP/Ws

I am debating two setups and would like your take on this. I have read a lot about the BP/W setups here and know there is a bias toward them here. Here are my choices:

1. Buy an inexpensive travel BI BC (I have chosen Genesis Tropic) AND a BP/W setup for local Lake Michigan diving with a SS plate. My bias is that the BC would be easier to use than a harness setup with no shoulder releases etc... The issue is two kinds of setups. The XL Tropic actually has over 40lbs lift so I could use it for some local diving before I get the BP/W.

2. Go BP/W only. The issue is I would like aluminum for travel with a warm water wing and a heavy (SS) plate for local with a larger wing. So I end up with two setups anyway and the price is actually higher. Seems like it shouldn't be though. It's those pesky wing prices. A local shop carries DiveRite and I can get good support there so I am biased toward them.

Please let me know what you think. I need the travel setup for a trip in November so I have time. I am planning on doing Lake diving next year.

You can easily use the same wing for both warm water and cold water diving. There's no difference in external size between an Oxycheq 30 and 40, for example. And it's almost irrelevant - you don't need 40 lbs of lift with a single tank setup.

An Aluminum plate will cost you less than $100. I bought mine for $50, I think. Voila - you're done - that and some webbing and you've got yourself a warm water travel setup that will pack smaller and lighter than just about any BC on the market today.

If you get a BP/wing and an inexpensive BC it is very likely that your BC will gather dust in the closet.

Pioneer 27# would be perfect for what you are looking for. It is thinner than the wings with inner bladders and will take up the least amount of room in your gear bag. It's not too small for cold water and not too big for warm water diving.

A steel plate might also work for BOTH purposes...diving cold and warm water. In fact, it is very possible that it would work even better than an aluminum plate when diving with light exposure protection. It's only 3# heavier than the aluminum, so unless you are really counting pounds, it travels just about as well.

Of course, you could use an aluminum plate for traveling/warm water diving and a heavy FredT 9# or 12# steel plate for cold water use foregoing the standard 6# plate. (Depending on your weighting requirements, a heavy plate might serve you much better than a standard steel plate.) This is sorta how I'm setting up a friend of mine with similar requirements except I put a little 'Tobin twist' to it. He already has an aluminum plate. So I gave him one of Tobin's Deep Sea Supply steel 6# plates with attachable 8# weight plates. So now he has a 3# Al, 6# SS, and a 14# SS plate. That combo covers him from shorty to drysuit.

your just starting out. don't spend a lot of money on duplicate sets of gear. A 30# wing will work in both your locations as will a steel or aluminum backplate.

and don't wait til next year to go lake diving - the water ain't hard yet.

rjchandler:

your just starting out. don't spend a lot of money on duplicate sets of gear. A 30# wing will work in both your locations as will a steel or aluminum backplate.

and don't wait til next year to go lake diving - the water ain't hard yet.

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Thanks everyone for the info. It sounds like I am making this more complicated than needed. I am diving at a nearby lake this weekend with my daughter (she is getting certified!) and will be renting the BC. I just want to stop renting. I found out I really like BI so much better after I rented one in Roatan during my first check out dives. Well, that led me to start paying much more attention to the BP/W stories here.

The dive shops talk BCs and even with a lot of info on BP/W here on SB I still get a lot of advice just to stick with a BC except for doubles. But I am being won over if I can get the BP/W cost down. A single plate and wing for singles whether warm or cold makes this possible. I just don't want to buy over again.

jmps:

I am debating two setups and would like your take on this. I have read a lot about the BP/W setups here and know there is a bias toward them here. Here are my choices:

1. Buy an inexpensive travel BI BC (I have chosen Genesis Tropic) AND a BP/W setup for local Lake Michigan diving with a SS plate. My bias is that the BC would be easier to use than a harness setup with no shoulder releases etc... The issue is two kinds of setups. The XL Tropic actually has over 40lbs lift so I could use it for some local diving before I get the BP/W.

2. Go BP/W only. The issue is I would like aluminum for travel with a warm water wing and a heavy (SS) plate for local with a larger wing. So I end up with two setups anyway and the price is actually higher. Seems like it shouldn't be though. It's those pesky wing prices. A local shop carries DiveRite and I can get good support there so I am biased toward them.

Please let me know what you think. I need the travel setup for a trip in November so I have time. I am planning on doing Lake diving next year.

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Why do you feel you need 2 wings (I hope I understood)? I would choose option #2 and ONLY change my BP (alum) - the wing would remain the same. Cost is one BP/W + 1 BP (or a differential of ~ $100). That's cheaper in my thinking (and experience).

If you can make it out to Haigh this weekend I'd be glad to let you try my BP/W. My wing is a bit larger (doubles wing) than you will want so I get a bit more "tank wrap" with a single than you will with an appropriatly sized singles wing. That can make venting it a little finicky but not a big deal. I have to do some Master Diver checkout dives in the morning but will be hanging out Sat. afternoon for some fun dives. Let me know.

Joe

One other thing. I's just get 1 plate for now and see if you even need the other plate. AL is about 3lbs and the SS is about 6lbs. If you don't mind the additional 3lbs in the suitcase then no need to bother with the AL yet.
Joe

Welcome to the BP brotherhood, after I switched, I wished I did it a couple of yrs before I did.

You can use any 30-45 # wing for singles, any bigger than 45# may end up tacoing the tank (some 45# bladders taco the tank too).

In the BP dept. the diference in weight is 4# between the 2# AL and standard 6# SS plates.

I've heard about some corrosion on the long run in the holes of the AL BP, but in fresh water the corrosion should be lower and last longer. Bottom line is that for traveling a lot, AL is best and good maintenance should keep the AL plate in tip top for many yrs.

I use a standard 6# SS BP leaving only 6# in my weight integration system and SS works better for my salt water dives, I use a 45# bladder by choice, but I could use a 18# bladder and be just fine (I'm in the tropics and only use a 3mm full body so old that may be 1mm by now)

The reason for the 45# bladder, is that in the future, I'll be using doubles and the 45# bladder is just fine for that aplication .

OMS and Dive Rite, I can recomend from personal experience, they both have high quality gear that when maintained properly should last for yrs without any troubles.

Oxycheq, DSS and Hammerhead seems to me that they have good products, I've seen some Halcyon gear and seems good but pricey for my taste (I got the Halcyon life raft 'cause no one else offers it).

Think what you want and buy what you like, do your homework and you'll be fine, good luck and tell us what you get.

O.K.

Here ya go...

$445 for a hog harness, SS BP, and 30# wing.
http://www.deepseasupply.com/page12.html

or...

$560 for a 36# Agir wing, Al BP, harness, knife/sheath, STA and bands.
http://salvodiving.com/inc/pdetail?v=1&pid=1315

or...

$555 for a 27# Pioneer, Al BP, harness, and storage pack.
http://www.extreme-exposure.com/halc/index.shtml

or...
$50 FredT Al BP, $40 FredT harness, $315 Pioneer 27# wing, $99 optional Halcyon STA with bands. Total: $405 to $505.