New to diving. BPW suggestions??

[K930]

Newly minted OW diver here. Starting to put some gear together. Looking at BCD options right now.

After reading countless threads, and changing my mind several times (jacket -> back inflation -> BPW) on what to order, it looks like I've decided to go with a BP/W setup.

Not quite sure what exact items to put together though....

Diving will be primarily cold water (Ontario) with a 7mm wetsuit, gloves, boots, etc. and single tank. I'm 6'1", 210 lbs.

- How much lift will I need?
- How much weight to carry?
- Steel or AL tank?
- SS or AL BP? Seems like SS would be a better option

Keeping in mind that I'm a newbie!

Thanks!

 

[tbone1004]

DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba

Wait until Black Friday, Nov 28th this year, they will run that down around $300.

For cold water diving, stainless steel and steel tanks are best. HP100's are qutie good if you can find them, though any steel tank is better than aluminum. With that system you'll take 12lbs off of your belt, and with a steel tank you can take off another 5-6lbs

 

[TSandM]

In cold water, the biggest problem is thick exposure protection, which requires a lot of weight to sink it. Therefore, a stainless plate makes sense, as does a steel tank. The two together minimize the total amount of lead you will have to wear. A wing in the 30 to 35 lb range will handle the weight.

I don't know what duty issues are to Ontario, but consider a Deep Sea Supply single tank setup. If you call, Tobin will walk you through what you need -- but be prepared that he may want information you don't have, and he won't sell you a setup until he knows what will suit you!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I regularly ship to Canada. Just sent two BPW's with long hose reg sets to British Columbia last Friday. That's about a dozen in the last eight months to bc and Alberta. I also have a free article on BPW's for new divers I'll send to anyone who shoots me an email address. No obligation to buy but requesting it does get you special consideration if you do. The ones I just sent went with custom harnesses. One pink and one blue.

 

[Pyro_]

Depending on where you are in Ontario if you are ordering out of the US look at using a receiving service on the US side of the boarder and going to pick it up over there. I use CBI in Niagara Falls and have saved a ton on shipping over the last couple of years, more than enough to justify making a trip over from Toronto and hat is which out taking into account the lower prices available on a lot of items in the US

As for going with a back plate, I love the freedom contour plate I picked up when I started to put my equipment together last year

 

[mouthbreather1]

Newly minted OW diver here. Starting to put some gear together. Looking at BCD options right now.

After reading countless threads, and changing my mind several times (jacket -> back inflation -> BPW) on what to order, it looks like I've decided to go with a BP/W setup.

Not quite sure what exact items to put together though....

Diving will be primarily cold water (Ontario) with a 7mm wetsuit, gloves, boots, etc. and single tank. I'm 6'1", 210 lbs.

- How much lift will I need?
- How much weight to carry?
- Steel or AL tank?
- SS or AL BP? Seems like SS would be a better option

Keeping in mind that I'm a newbie!

Thanks!

if you dive a singles wing with and al80 a ss back plate is the way to go no extra weight will be necessary
if you go with a steel tank again you won't need extra lead
in my opinion get ss b/p and an al80 they are cheaper and easier to find used
and as stated earlier 28 lbs of lift is all you should need for an al 80
where in ontario are you? there are many good lds around

 

[K930]

Thanks all for your input. I've got a good idea what to go with now.

I'm in Burlington. Several good dive shops around, but prices are significantly higher than online and selection is somewhat limited.

 

[Pyro_]

FYI dans dive shop in st Catherine's has a decent selection of wings and backplates. Also they sometimes have some decent deals for Black Friday

One more shop I can recommend is the dive academy in oakville. I use them for getting my regs serviced and they have been very good and helpful

 

[Oldbear]

+1 for calling Tobin with Deep Sea Supply. He walked me thru the sizing with my dry suit over the phone. https://www.deepseasupply.com

 

[bradells]

Diving will be primarily cold water (Ontario) with a 7mm wetsuit, gloves, boots, etc. and single tank. I'm 6'1", 210 lbs.

- How much lift will I need?
- How much weight to carry?
- Steel or AL tank?
- SS or AL BP? Seems like SS would be a better option

Keeping in mind that I'm a newbie!

Thanks!

If your diving in a wetsuit, aluminum tanks. Unless your diving in a dry suit, steel tanks will be too heavy at depth.

Steel plate, it will help with the amount of lead you'll need to sink your 7mm suit.

Get a Single Tank Adapter (STA). Some wing/plates don't require one, as they will have matching slots for your tank cam bands.

But, it is easier to put a tank on your rig with a STA, and you can add more lead in it to keep your lead on a weight belt/pocket down.

As for wing size, large enough to offset the loss of lift from your wetsuit at depth (and then roughly double it to help out a non-responsive diver in a wetsuit at depth).

Make sure if your diving a single tank, it is a single tank wing, similarly if you move to doubles, you get the right sized wing for 7.25 or 8" tanks.

Weight, enough to keep you neutrally buoyant at your 15ft/5m stop with a nearly empty tank (30bar/500 psi) and very little gas in your wing.


I dive a dry suit with a very thick undergarments. On an AL80, I would need 36-38 lbs to keep me happy at my stops. The same rig, but with double HP130, I just need 8lbs. If I were to dive that rig in a thick wetsuit, I'd be screwed, 30+lbs negatively screwed if my wing failed at depth!

This is all salt water, fresh water will have slightly less lead requirements.


BRad