Light(est??) BP/W combination

[scubasaif]

Hi,

First of all, I live in the middle of the desert, and there aren't any local dive stores. The nearest one is 400 KM away. So I can't bring a weighing scale and check the weight.

I am looking to buy a BP/W combination, and given where I live, I would have to fly to any dive location, which is why I am looking for the lightest possible combination.

I usually dive using a 3mm shortie, and about 5-6 kg weights depending on the equipment I carry, since I sometimes dive with a camera and strobe.

I would not need weight pouches, as I can rent a best and weights wherever I dive.

I figured I am OK with the about 20-30lb lift capacity. I know that higher lift capacity means more material, means heavier wing.

I would only want to have 2 D rings, one for the camera and another for the light. Are there strong aluminium D rings? Or Titanium ?

Aluminium back plates seems to be the way to go, but I am wondering if there any any other options, and would a Steel travel back plate be actually lighter ?

I am guessing the Hogartians or the single belt straps must be the lightest solution but I think I would need a chest strap and a crotch strap to make the BCD stable. Not sure if this can be done with the single belt strap.

I have been checking DRIS, DiveInn and DiveStock and am not sure what would actually make a light BP/W combination. So I am hoping someone had put together a light BP/W combo and would be willing to share their research.

Thanks

 

[rhwestfall]

DSS Kydex plate. Make your own Hogarthian harness using nylon buckles, and D-rings, sliders and cam band(s). Paired with a small DSS wing (like in the 18#-26# lift size), and I think you would be hard pressed to find something lighter...

---------- Post added August 19th, 2014 at 07:52 AM ----------

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[scubasaif]

Thanks for the info on DSS. I did a search and found a 2006 thread on this rig, and found that it weights about 4.7lb.

On another note, I just found out that the Zeagle Covert is only 3.9lb dry weight. That's significantly lower and now may be top of my considerations, as I think it would be one of the lightest around.

Any thoughts ?

 

[Colliam7]

I am looking to buy a BP/W combination, and given where I live, I would have to fly to any dive location, which is why I am looking for the lightest possible combination. I usually dive using a 3mm shortie, and about 5-6 kg weights depending on the equipment I carry, since I sometimes dive with a camera and strobe. . . . I would only want to have 2 D rings, one for the camera and another for the light. Are there strong aluminium D rings? Or Titanium ? . . . Aluminium back plates seems to be the way to go, but I am wondering if there any any other options, and would a Steel travel back plate be actually lighter ? . . . I am guessing the Hogartians or the single belt straps must be the lightest solution but I think I would need a chest strap and a crotch strap to make the BCD stable.

You actually have quite a broad set of choices for backplates at this point. For some time, the primary material was metal - stainless steel, or aluminum. The SS plates usually weighed ~ 6 lbs, while the AL plates usually weighed about 2 lbs. Divers who wanted to travel with a BP often selected AL, simply because of weight considerations. As an example, you can look at the Zeagle website (Metal Backplates) website, or the Dive Rite In Scuba website (Hollis Aluminum Backplate | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba), and get a rough idea of what is available and the prices. I don’t pick these two as the ‘only’, as the ‘best’, etc., I just use them as examples.

In the past few years, there has been a substantial expansion of offerings. For example, Deep Sea Supply offers a hybrid Kydex / SS plate (https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=5).

In addition, several manufacturers – e.g. Dive Rite: SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - Stainless Steel XT Lite Backplate, and OxyCheq: OxyCheq - OxyCheq Travel Stainless Steel Backplate - now offer very lightweight SS plates as an alternative to AL plates – both weighing 2lb. In fact, Dive Rite has, as I understand it, stopped offering an AL plate altogether - what's the point if you offer a 2lb SS plate?

And a growing number of manufacturers now offer non-metal / polymer back plates designed for travel, among them Zeagle: Express Tech Backplate, Apeks: Apeks Products, and OxyCheq: OxyCheq - OxyCheq Ultra Lite Travel Plate - Black, to name a few.

The 'bottom line' is, you are not by any means limited to simply a 6lb SS plate, or a 2lb AL plate. But, I would suggest that your choice should be guided as much by your inherent buoyancy characteristics as by the travel weight of the plate alone. My usual and customary plate is a ‘standard’ 6lb SS plate. It works for me in almost all environments and gear configurations, puts weight where I want it to be – on my torso next to my physiologic center of lift (chest / lungs), allows me to minimize added weight, AND I have no trouble traveling with it. In fact, I usually put my SS backplate in the computer slot on my backpack, and carry it on the plane, to avoid any overweight charges on checked luggage. But, that’s me – I have an ample amount of bioprene, so in salt water, in only a 1mm suit, even with a SS plate I still use 2 lbs of added weight (with AL cylinders). If I was more slender, if I was able to predictably use steel cylinders at Caribbean destinations, etc., I might travel with my AL plate, or one of my travel plates instead.

As for the harness, make your own, with 6-8 feet of 2 inch webbing, a stainless steel buckle, and put a couple of D-rings on the shoulder straps – personally, I also put one on the left hip, to which I clip my SPG, but that is up to you. Use SS D-rings - you really won't save a lot by trying to find AL or titanium rings. Diving single cylinder backmount in my BP, I never need a chest strap, but your experience may be different. Diving single cylinder sidemount (monkey diving) a chest strap is nice but not essential. Diving double cylinder sidemount, I definitely want a chest strap.

The choice of wing size also depends on you, and what gear you are carrying. For simple, warm salt water, single cylinder diving with minimal exposure suit (as you describe it), you can probably do just fine with an 18lb wing. But, you also mention having to add 5-6 kg of wight, so you may decide that a bit more lift (25-30lb) is more reasonable. Either way, the dry travel weight of the wing is relatively minor, and the u/w profile difference between a 30lb wing vs an 18lb wing is also relatively trivial.

Finally, as for the choice between a backplate and a light travel BCD like the Covert, that is as much a matter of personal style as anything else. I personally prefer the flexibility and modularity of the backplate / wing approach. But, I dive in a variety of environments (warm / cold, salt water / fresh water, local / travel destination, single cylinder / double cylinder, etc), so the backplate approach works for my needs. Your needs may be different.

 

[ronscuba]

My lightweight minimalist BC/wing. Oxycheq softplate with a DSS travel wing. Under 4 pounds. Heaviest item is the SS cam bands and SS hardware. If I used plastic cam bands and hardware, it would be under 3 pounds.

I really like it for water 80 degrees and above since I don't need a wetsuit and with an aluminum 80, don't need any weight.

[vimeo]72577747[/vimeo]

You say you need 5-6 kg of weight ? If so, then you don't want a super light minimalist BC. An aluminum or SS plate would be better.

 

[diversteve]

Another non-BP/W option is the Aqualung Zuma at 4.75lb. Zuma

 

[mth1993]

What about the Piranha Dive Manufacturing plastic plate it is 14 oz? I am not sure about how great it is but it is certainly light weight.

Plastic Heavy Duty Style Backplate

 

[NAM001]

If I remember the kydex palte weighs 9/10# teh al plate is about 2#.

 

[Agility]

have a look at the Hollis Ride

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

Not the cheapest, but a very solid DIR setup that's compact & light:

http://utdequipment.com/product_inf...ucts_id=471&osCsid=u81041crn597fgo5nmm2rrm553

There's no backplate in this configuration, it's just a harness and wing.

A benefit of this setup is it's very modular. You can get it with a backplate if you want, all harnesses are standard 3" webbing, etc.