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

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akivisuals

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So, the Aqualung Dimension i3 that I started off with has apparently sprung some unrepairable leaks as well as having some of the rods or linkages bent that connect the dump lever to the valves. Since I bought it secondhand, I don't have any warranty to speak of so I'm faced with replacing it from scratch. Most of the recommendations that I've been getting have been to go with a traditional backplate and harness rather than all the fancy bells and whistles that tend to clutter and break. I'm facing this now with my Dimension i3. I can't just pull the bladder off and get a new one. The whole shebang is now worthless....

My question is, should I go with a soft plate BP/W like the Dive Rite Transpac XT or the Hollis HTS 2 versus a hard plate and simple webbing? I'm leaning towards the soft plate and here's my thought process. I mostly shore dive in Southern California where there is a fairly significant amount of trudging up and down trails, hills, sometimes climbing down cliffs, and stairs. If I were diving off boats most of the time I wouldn't think that a hard plate would be such an issue, but with that amount of hiking involved with the heavy weight of the gear comfort is an issue. The padding in the shoulders and back and the way the weight is distributed to the hips is a big plus for me. The Transpac XT and HTS 2 both have padded back, lumbar, waist belts, and shoulder straps. I'm thinking that I'd really appreciate the comfort of those BCs without being stuck in a rec only BC like the Dimension that I had. If I wanted to at some point dive doubles or even switch out the wing for a lower capacity, warm water solution then it would be rather easy compared to an all in one where I'd have to get another rig for those types of things.

If you did have to choose between the Dive Rite Transpac XT and the Hollis HTS 2 which would you pick and why?

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?

Also, would a back inflate BC like the Zeagle Ranger offer enough versatility to get vs a more tec oriented BP/W setup?

Thanks!
 
I dive both, have XT DR and DSS plate both with 30 lb wings. XT without plate. Honestly, I like them both equally, just feels like which one I want for the day. Both the plate and harness weigh 13 lbs rigged like I need to dive. Using steel tanks, I need no weights for up to a 5mm suit. The plate with Hog harness is easier to get into with the stiff harness. Because I’m tall, I found the long plates from DSS make the waist strap fit better and lower above my hips. The XT is adjustable, but make sure the waist strap is where you want it. I add and subtract things on these systems with no problems. BTW, not always needed, but I use a light STA from Oxycheq to help with steel tanks. You can enjoy either one without any regrets.
 
Zeagle Ranger is in the same genre as the Transpac and Hollis HTS btw, but I would go Transpac every time. It is made in USA, Hollis is not, it is cheaper than the Ranger by quite a bit, $600 vs. $750, nothing about the Ranger makes it worth more money, and Hollis has nothing going for it to make it worth more than the Transpac so there's that.

You live in SoCal, not sure how far south that means, but if you are close to LA that means you can pay Tobin a visit at DSS. If you are particularly tall, short, wide, or just like supporting local businesses, his BP/W's are made in Pasadena and are very high quality. They also allow you to bolt on weight plates so you can ditch the weight belt altogether. If you are less than 3 hours from Pasadena it is worth the trip.

My recommendation is to buy one of his rigs, you are supporting local business and conveniently getting one of the best bangs for your buck in the process, and dive that a few times. In that water you're wearing some serious exposure protection so you have quite a bit of padding on. Bring your wetsuit if you go to Tobin, he will make sure it is fit properly for you, this is key. IF that doesn't work, doesn't work for everyone, doesn't work for me, then I would recommend investing in either a Dive Rite Deluxe Harness, or the Transplate. This will get the weight distribution transferred more similar to the Transpac, but you still get the advantages of no weight belt.

FWIW my three rigs are DR Nomad *transpac*, DR Transpac, and SS backplate with DR Deluxe harness. I go to the Deluxe harness for most backmount diving, but the others are no slouch, just nice not to have to add lead. This is also no bash against Hollis, but if I can buy the same type of gear for less or equal money that is made in the US I do.
 
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Are you buying your BC to go diving in or hiking in? Get a regular steel backlplate and one piece webbing harness. If the harness causes some type of problem, it will be no big loss to replace it.

(I've done shore dives in mine in a T-shirt without issue.)
 
I have both the Transpac and the Halcyon Infinity with steel backplate. You simply can't beat the stability afforded by a steel backplate. Also the way your center of gravity is shifted to the proper position by a steel backplate enables you to maintain the ideal trim which greatly improves your buoyancy.
 
I've done some fair hikes with gear on with a rigid plate, and the plate is not a problem. If I'm wearing anything more than a T-shirt, the harness is not a problem. The weight is mostly going to hang off your shoulders, no matter what you do; padding the straps will ease your shoulders, but that's really only an issue if you aren't wearing much clothing and you are skinny and have prominent collarbones. The plate itself simply isn't an issue.
 
I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the jacket. Now you know why us BP/W users constantly harp on them for being too gimmicky, bell & whistles, no way to repair them, ect. We're not trying to be mean about it, we're just trying to help save someone the hassle of dealing with a similar issue that you had. And of course to help people save money in the short and long term, and have a better, more stable BCD option.

With all that said, Look into getting a completre kit set up like a BP/W unit from DRIS or others have complete units. Hog and Diverite have complete units.
My preference is to have a 360 donut wing that you can unzip to clean out well once in a while and also DIY repair (patch the bladder) if you ever have to.
For Socal you'll want a 5- 6 lb plate and about a 30# wing. Get a single one piece harness with crotch strap.
That plate could also be used for doubles.
Unfortunately it's probably a little too heavy for travel to warm water. For that you might want a separate unit. We've been all over the subject before about a system that's both good for warm and cold water, and if it gets down to splitting hairs about it there no real unit that will do both well. For cold you need a heavy plate with a bigger wing, and for warm you need almost no weight on the plate and a small wing.
I like hard plates better than soft plates. Soft plates don't hold the tank stable enough IMO.

As far as the hiking issue.
Don't look at a unit necessarily just for it's topside comfort hiking tanks. That's part of the problem with jacket BC's, they feel real nice in the store but suck for diving.
Get a unit that works best for diving and suck up the issues with hiking. ANY scuba BC is not really designed as a hiking backpack, it's supposed to be used for diving. They all have their shortcomings when it comes to hiking. Just get the one that works best for diving and that would be a BP/W....IMO.
 
The case for something padded in SoCal -

Old MarineLand
Divebums - A San Diego Dive Website

There's also a remote site north in Malibu nicknamed Heart Attack Hill. I've also walked about 1/2 mile to dive LaJolla Cove. That includes two flights of stairs and parking in the 2nd lot because the close garage was full. People that own multimillion dollar homes in the area only grudgingly support public access beaches also so there's no street parking unless you have a community resident tag.

Although I own a Ranger, I think the optimal solution since you're already compensating for the 7Mil is one of the padded soft backplate models. Another factor is that it gets almost 100o in SoCal during the summer. So you'd pass out wearing a 7mil jacket during the trek.

The west side of Curacao is similar in spots. Anyone whose been to Playa Kalki or Lost Anchor knows what I mean. Or 1000 Steps on Bonaire. And those are the more accessible climbs with improved facilities - stairs/paths etc.
 
For Socal you'll want a 5- 6 lb plate and about a 30# wing. Get a single one piece harness with crotch strap.
That plate could also be used for doubles.
Unfortunately it's probably a little too heavy for travel to warm water.

Why is a 6 # SS plate too heavy for warm water? I used mine off Coz last month and still needed roughly 8 # of weight added (wearing a 3/2 full suit). If I were diving in board shorts, would the plate by itself be too heavy? The only way I can imagine the 6# plate being too heavy is in warm FRESH water. But, even then it seems like it would probably be just about right to compensate for a near-empty AL80. Maybe a pound or two heavy, in that scenario? I don't know about anyone else, but being a pound or two heavy would not be enough to make me buy a second plate just for that scenario.

Or am I just totally missing something?

If it's just the issue of carrying the weight when flying somewhere, well, to each his own, but I put mine in my carry-on bag and it's not a problem. I mean, it's only 4 or 5 pounds heavier than the lightest plate you could get anyway, right? Carrying a 4 or 5 pound heavier plate is worth it to me, for the buoyancy/trim benefits when I get where I'm going. In fact, next time, I think I'm going to bolt on the extra weights (my BPW is a DSS) that I got and take them, too, so I don't have to put any weights in the trim pockets.

@akivisuals: tbone knows his stuff! DSS gear is top quality and not that expensive. You can get a complete new single-tank rig for $470. And the DSS BP/W setup has some unique features that I have not seen on any other BP/W. Plus more sizes of back plate, for a more custom fit. It's definitely worth looking into, even if you ultimately decide to go with something different.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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