First BCD, want integrated weights, mostly for travel

[Soloist]

I dive a BP/W so I am biased, but if you want a lightweight, flexible and economical solution I recommend an aluminum backplate. The difference in weight between a soft backplate and aluminum is negligible, but the advantages are significant. Setting up a BP/W for the first time may be intimidating and a bit of work, but you have plenty of expertise on SB at your disposal. I wish I had started with a BP/W. Take a look at Edge/HOG (Highly Optimized Gear) as another option. I bought a new HOG aluminum backplate on sale for $60 in Florida a few years ago. With some raw webbing and a bit of stainless steel hardware I put together a very inexpensive and customized assembly. I already had 23# and 32# HOG wings, so it was a no brainer.

BCD
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[happy-diver]

Here you go

DGX Custom - DGX Singles Harness / Backplate / Wing Package

no pockets and cabletie weight to the plate at your destInation

I never understood the 'ditch weights in an emergency' feature of belts or weight pockets. I am not sure what sort of emergency warrants unsafely rapid uncontrolled ascent. But I don't feel experienced enough to challenge conventional wisdom, so I am not sure I want to move away from this.

and for some the world isn't flat any more despite much regressive internet behaviour
I will never understand how many have a varied confusing convoluted understanding




Ditching at depth is a no no and when correctly weighted at the surface unnecessary


You don't like your DGX setup there will be plenty takers if selling unlike a jacket bcd

 

[MrVegas]

For what it's worth, I've been pretty happy with my cheap Divers Supply Sea Elite jacket BCD. It has trim pockets, integrated weights, side pockets, and --so far -- has worked just fine. Sometimes I have to move a little bit (roll) to get all of the air out of the BC, but I've had that in other rental jacket BCs also. I may try a backplate\wing someday, but honestly, every time I look at it, the jacket seems to make more sense in terms of what you get for your money. Maybe someday someone will remind of this post after I wind up diving a backplate and wing, but, for now, I don't feel like I'm missing out because I'm diving the jacket BC.

 

[bvbellomo]

Just to make things even more confusing - how does all this work with regs, octo, and/or other hoses? I started under the assumption that everything more or less worked the same, but now I see most people with BP/W's talk about longer hoses and different setups.

 

[purbeast]

This is an interesting thread to me.

I too am new to diving and only have 1 dive (well 2 dives in one morning) after my OW certification. I've only used rental gear thus far and both have been jacket style. I too am like you @bvbellomo that I am a sinker. During my OW/AOW dives I started with 14lbs. When we were doing AOW dives the instructor noticed I was putting way too much air in my BCD so I then tried 8lbs. Still he said it was too much so I tried 6lbs and it was PERFECT. Then on my 1 dive 2 weeks ago I used 6lbs again, and once again, it was perfect. I'm 200lbs too.

I'm in the market myself for my own gear now and pretty much EVERYONE has recommended not to get jacket style. I luckily found a LDS that has some back inflate BCD's that they are going to let me try out in a pool next weekend. One is the Hydros Pro and one is a BP/W setup, so it will be good, regardless of which direction I do end up going, to have some actual hands on experience with difference types other than jacket style.

I was VERY close to purchasing a Cressi Travelight myself but I won't be diving until either July or September again, so I'm in no rush and thankfully I held off the itch to just purchase something.

The main benefit I see of the back inflate ones is just less bulk. I definitely feel like there is a lot of bulk in front of me when diving thus far, but I have adjusted to it. I know another benefit people say is that when using BCD since it's on your back, it puts your horizontal versus vertical, but with how little I air I used in my BCD on my recent dives, I don't really know how much that will benefit me.

I'll be curious to hear what you do end up going with though.

 

[bvbellomo]

You are very lucky that you can rent and try a BP/W. My options to even see something without buying it - let alone dive with it, are very limited.

My mind keeps going back to my first dive instructor, who did technical diving, talking about how easy we have it with everything nice and simple and integrated into a jacket.

 

[purbeast]

Yeah I was just visiting a local shop to pick their brain about regs and BCD's and I asked how can people spend so much money without trying these things, and that is when she said they have a rental fleet that they can let me try out a bunch of stuff. So I'm going to try out a bunch of different regs as well as 2 BCD's.

 

[MichaelMc]

Easy trim is just aided by having your center of mass near the center of volume of the water you displace, with you horizontal. You're just a 3D playground seesaw underwater. Solid steel BP/W plates put a good bit of ballast in a convenient spot to help that happen. Avoiding the heavy padding of some integrated BCs helps as well by removing that extra lift from the shoulder area. If your weight situation does not suggest a solid plate, such as if you are dense, then the trim benefit of the BP/W is more that it is often a more convenient structure for attaching lead higher up. You can zip tie or tape lead high on the plate generally easier than the slick nylon surfaces of jackets or integrated back inflates. The 2" webbing shoulders are more convenient for attaching weights than the wide nylon shoulder fabric typical of jackets. There is nothing magical trim wise about BP/W. They just are a bit more erector set easy to tweak than most integrated BCs. I have dive buddies that started in jackets and are still in them, finding ways to store lead in the spot they need to help their trim is a challenge for them. With my BP/W I have more options.

If you need no ballast (steel or lead) the benefit is the modularity and durability, over an integrated back inflate.

On reg setups, you can use the octo donate setup if you want, you just need to attach the octo to a D ring on the right. Yet, independent of BC type, primary donate and necklaced secondary has some benefits. BP/W users likely got there from looking critically at their gear choices, a look that might prompt a reg setup shift as well. Neither is always the right choice, but they do tend to appear together. And are usually required for advanced technical diving. Also the primary donate need not use a *long* primary reg hose. The 'streamlined open water' setup is a primary donate with shorter hoses. Streamlined OW | Dive Gear Express®

 

[eelnoraa]

With a normal, relaxed lungs and no equipment, I am positively buoyant in a pool. I can go negatively buoyant easily by exhaling.

You are not anymore.dense than average people. Almost everyone I know, including myself, do that. So don't worry about yourself.

As for new divers, SS card AL plate is not big deal. Most regular size SS plate, which is advertised as 5lb actually is more like a bit more.than 4lb. AL plate is advertised more accurate at 2lb. You are talking about 2lb of weight difference, hardly the reason for over weight. SS and AL makes more different in double setup IMO for weight distribution reason. My rule is dumb here is when I doubt, get AL. It is so easier to pack 2lb somewhere. With SS, you can't lose that 2lb.

My taken in the whole BC vs BPW thing for new divers is that since you are not familiar with anything anyway, to adapt to anything is about the same. The difference what you feel comfortable with now and enjoy it until what you choose doesn't work for your anymore. Just make sure not to spend too much on useless features. A lot of the advertised festures only get in your ways.

 

[happy-diver]

Why on earth someone would want to travel with a stinking lump of steel BPW in their bag
and have it pressing through your t shirt on vacationary single tank dives it's just madness

having your weight COG located by which ever method available is the easiest way to dive