To SS or Aluminum BP/Wing?

Cold_Under_Here · Oct 7, 2005

So what are your suggestions?

I dive a minimum of 7mm (yup,lol), both in Fresh and Salty waters. Would it be safer to go with the unditchable SS plate of ~6lb or the neutral AL plates? (I don't care about comfort, I don't mind weight belts)... I dive AL tanks aswell. I PLAN to go dry one day, when a nice DUI falls from the sky...hehehe...ow!!! :luxhello:

thanks! :bandsmlz:

onfloat · Oct 7, 2005

How much weight are you wearing now?

Dive-aholic · Oct 7, 2005

It all depends on the type of diving and how much weight you will use. I dive an AL BP, but I don't use any weight in a 3mm in fresh water. I also don't use any weight in my doubles. I just add a P-weight or weight belt when needed.

Cold_Under_Here · Oct 7, 2005

I use a little over 20lb in fresh and a little over 30lb in salty.

GreenDiverDown · Oct 7, 2005

Cold_Under_Here:
So what are your suggestions?

I dive a minimum of 7mm (yup,lol), both in Fresh and Salty waters. Would it be safer to go with the unditchable SS plate of ~6lb or the neutral AL plates? (I don't care about comfort, I don't mind weight belts)... I dive AL tanks aswell. I PLAN to go dry one day, when a nice DUI falls from the sky...hehehe...ow!!! :luxhello:

thanks! :bandsmlz:

Safer...hmm...what exactly are you asking? I'm not sure that I follow.

Mark Vlahos · Oct 7, 2005

Cold_Under_Here:
I use a little over 20lb in fresh and a little over 30lb in salty.

Since you are using a fair amount of lead I would encourage you to get a Stainless Steel plate. The 6 pounds or so of weight that the plate has will be placed over your lungs and not down around your waist, this will have a net effect of helping to keep you more horizontal when in the water. Your lungs are a large air space and having the weight on your back will help you with good horizontal trim. You might even be a good candidate for the DSS backplate with the aditional weight plates. You would still need a larger total amount of weight so the rest could be on a weight belt and that weight would be ditchable.

The only disadvanteges of the steel plates are the cost and additional weight in your suitcase when traveling.

To me it looks like a total no brainer.

Mark Vlahos

Rick Murchison · Oct 7, 2005

Backplates ain't bank-breakers... get one of each.
I use my Fred-T heavy steel for all AL and for steels up to Faber 85s, Aluminum for larger steels.
Rick

Rec Diver · Oct 7, 2005

Cold_Under_Here:
So what are your suggestions?

I dive a minimum of 7mm (yup,lol), both in Fresh and Salty waters. Would it be safer to go with the unditchable SS plate of ~6lb or the neutral AL plates? (I don't care about comfort, I don't mind weight belts)... I dive AL tanks aswell. I PLAN to go dry one day, when a nice DUI falls from the sky...hehehe...ow!!! :luxhello:

thanks! :bandsmlz:

Stainless Steel

pants! · Oct 7, 2005

Get the steel, no question.

Tom Winters · Oct 7, 2005

Cold_Under_Here:
I use a little over 20lb in fresh and a little over 30lb in salty.

Wow...that's a nice chunk of lead on you in salt water. The question isn't steel vs. aluminum but how many steel plates you need stacked.
FredT can make you a 15-pound steel plate or you could stack a couple of standard 6-pounders from the same manufacturer and cut some of the lead off your belt.

To SS or Aluminum BP/Wing?

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Cold_Under_Here

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onfloat

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Cold_Under_Here

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GreenDiverDown

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Mark Vlahos

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Rick Murchison

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pants!

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Tom Winters

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