Travel weight reduction of ExpressTech or go new config?

[RJP]

Let's be honest, there's so much more crap beyond dive gear that you're probably travelling with that you can leave behind to ditch a pound or two. Ever come home with clean clothes you never wore? Hell, the amount of weight you can expect to save by spending a few hundred bucks on a new rig is around the same as a tube of toothpaste and a stick of deodorant.

PS - do you have Miflex hoses? Swapping rubber for braided nylon will save a fair bit of weight and pack far smaller as well.

 

[victorzamora]

Let's be honest, there's so much more crap beyond dive gear that you're probably travelling with that you can leave behind to ditch a pound or two. Ever come home with clean clothes you never wore? Hell, the amount of weight you can expect to save by spending a few hundred bucks on a new rig is around the same as a tube of toothpaste and a stick of deodorant.

To me, this is the most effective AND cost-effective way of reducing total travel weight. I've seen a buddy travel with a 3/2 shorty, mask/fins/reg/bcd/computer/weightbelt/spool/smb/lights....and one pair of shorts (on him), one pair of trunks, three pairs of boxers(plus 1 worn), 3 t-shirts(plus 1 worn), the sandals he wore through the airport, toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant. He said he'd be giving up toothpaste and deoderant and buying at his destination. Trunks dry overnight, boxers he only wore to dinner when trunks weren't worn. There I was flailing with like 15 pairs of everything for a week, and he packed in minutes. Oh, and he packed all of his clothes in a drybag and a mesh bag in his dive gear for destination-usage. Dude was prepped.

 

[steelwindmachine]

FYI, the weight of the DSS Single Tank Rig w/ Medium Hybrid Kydex plate, Hogarthian Harness, LCD 20 Single Tank Wing w/ 30 mil Bladder as per Tobin is ~6.6 lbs, but that also includes more webbing than you are likely to use.

They furnish enough webbing for very large people. You could also save a bit more by leaving off the “butt” d-ring and keeper, they are a bit under 1/10 th lbs. He doesn't recommend or sell pockets.

I weighed my Express Tech using a digital luggage scale. I hung it from the shoulder straps. The scale was accurate and in line with the scales at the airport. 6.5 lbs. Though I'll double check it and the webbing width tonight.

As far as our luggage weight, my wife and I travel with our snorkel gear (full size fins, masks, snorkels, mask boxes (so they don't get crushed in transit), Xrite mask bags (protects the masks in the wet bag on the boat), Wrist mounted computers, Aqualung yellow mesh wet duffel bag, two 3mil full suits, boots for each of us and my BCD - she rents her jacket BC at the destination. We rent the regs, tanks, weights and weight belts at the destination.

Our luggage for our last trip (15 days on STX in a villa) consisted of two full size suitcases containing a few days worth of clothes, dressy shoes, flip-flops, my BC, several pounds of household supplies (we were staying at a villa and is typically cheaper to bring staple goods with you than buy on island, like pasta, salt/pepper, etc.). We have one wheeled carry-on with our breakables, masks, 1 set of clothes each. Then we each have two personal bags containing travel blankets (it gets cold on them planes), travel pillows, a netbook PC, wallets, iPhone, phone and PC chargers...

In all the checked luggage weighed in at 47lbs and 48lbs on the way back once depleted of consumables, but added in some souvenirs. My wife heavily questioned my need to bring my BCD due to the amount of weight it takes up. Our suitcases are probably 10-15 years old - at least, so we're also considering whether or not looking into modern luggage that would hopefully cut the weight but not get destroyed.

My defense for bringing my BC was that since I was doing my AOW, I wanted to be comfortable and I don't like jacket BCs. I don't particularly like being crushed when inflated or the feeling of being restricted. I've made due with jacket BCs in the past, but I didn't enjoy them. I'm paying a crap ton of money to dive, I'd prefer to be as comfortable as possible.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Call me a contrarian, but for Caribbean vacation-diving trips, I have been bringing my steel DSS plate, because it works perfectly with a good ol' Aluminum 80 tank. I put at most 2 lbs. of lead in a trim pocket on the upper camband, just for improving trim, but really--and especially with a thin suit--I need no additional lead for weighting purposes. A steel plate is ideal for tropical vacation diving. It weighs (not including wing) something like 2 lbs. more than my old Express Tech (on which I replaced the plastic D-rings with metal but no other mods). I tried for the longest time to convince myself that I should be taking the Express Tech on these tropical vacation trips rather than the steel BP rig, but I finally decided saving a couple of pounds is not worth it. Indeed, the major airlines don't have a problem with a steel BP in a carry-on. Pack cleverly, and weight will not be the issue you thought it was.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Call me a contrarian, but for Caribbean vacation-diving trips, I have been bringing my steel DSS plate, because it works perfectly with a good ol' Aluminum 80 tank. I put at most 2 lbs. of lead in a trim pocket on the upper camband, just for improving trim, but really--and especially with a thin suit--I need no additional lead for weighting purposes. A steel plate is ideal for tropical vacation diving. It weighs (not including wing) something like 2 lbs. more than my old Express Tech (on which I replaced the plastic D-rings with metal but no other mods). I tried for the longest time to convince myself that I should be taking the Express Tech on these tropical vacation trips rather than the steel BP rig, but I finally decided saving a couple of pounds is not worth it. Indeed, the major airlines don't have a problem with a steel BP in a carry-on. Pack cleverly, and weight will not be the issue you thought it was.

Pretty much exactly what I routinely recommend…..

Tobin

 

[ronscuba]

For most, diving is a hobby done for fun. Sometimes you cannot really justify buying something other than you want to and can afford it. I can relate to wanting an ultra light BCD. I have a hardplate and 30 lb oxy wing. I travel for diving and wanted to go as light as possible.

Below is what I now dive. Under 4 lbs. I added a crotch strap. A real pleasure to dive. Some will say what is the big deal about a few pounds, but this is what I wanted and it works great. I sold my oxy wing and I use the hardplate when diving with big steel tanks.


[video=vimeo;72577747]https://vimeo.com/72577747[/video]

 

[steelwindmachine]

Ron, that is awesome!

I'd have no problem switching out the cam band latches, d-rings and waist belt latch to plastic and be just fine with your setup.

Wing:
The DSS Travel 17 wing was replaced by the Torus 17:
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=116

Back-plate:
OxyCheq - OxyCheq Ultra Lite Travel Plate - Black

 

[RJP]

Call me a contrarian, but for Caribbean vacation-diving trips, I have been bringing my steel DSS plate...

Add me to the list of those who will forego "essentials" in favor of my more essential dive gear!
- Travel BCD? Steel backplate with 6lb weighted tank adapter
- Travel regs? Full 7ft hose DIR rig, plus 1-2 stage/deco regs and sling kits
- Travel fins? SP jets with spring-straps
- Travel light? DR 10w or Salvo 20w canister light depending on locale, plus two backups
- Travel exposure protection? DUI 30/30 drysuit

You know you're a diver when you can get 14 days worth of clothing and toiletries into your carry-on... and still need two 50lb suitcases!

 

[halocline]

The biggest weight savings for travel can usually be had by switching from a 10-15 lb hard suitcase with wheels to a simple duffel bag that weighs 3 lbs. Of course you have to carry it, but with my duffel I can usually take all dive gear including regulators for doubles and single tank, 2 masks, 2 wings, sometimes 2 wetsuits, and clothes/personal items for a week in one bag under 50 lbs.

 

[Gill]

Call me a contrarian, but for Caribbean vacation-diving trips, I have been bringing my steel DSS plate, because it works perfectly with a good ol' Aluminum 80 tank. I put at most 2 lbs. of lead in a trim pocket on the upper camband, just for improving trim, but really--and especially with a thin suit--I need no additional lead for weighting purposes.

You're not the only one. I use my steel DSS plate also for tropical destinations.