Are backplates and wings not for noobs?

[irishsquid]

If someone at Scubatoys indeed said this, I am very disappointed with them. I thought they knew what they were talking about. Sigh.

Yeah, doesn't sound like Joe or Larry at all.

 

[bigtim6656]

I am not one of those guys that sit around on the butts watching tv playing video games. i hunt infact i lost 30 pounds from aug 28th till oct 30. I had no proplem hiking 2 or even 3 miles to a hunting spot.
I have hiked 5 miles up mountains from ky to Nc to new mexico. A few years ago i did a 5 mile hike with my dad up 3000 feet a mountain in spring creek north carolina.
I will discuss this all with my doctor next month when i have my check up though.
And i did not take it the wroung way. I am fat i know it. i hope diving is just another way for me to continue to drop the weight.
Thanks for looking out though.

Don't want to go off-topic here, and please don't take this the wrong way, but have you gotten medical clearance to dive? You should know that in the DAN Report on Decompression and Diving Fatalities obesity was a factor in 55% of dive fatalities. While obesity is not a strict contraindication to diving, it does raise significant concerns. "Morbidly obese individuals with no exercise tolerance can dive in a tranquil sea: it's when things go wrong or when circumstances change that they have to call upon their reserves. Beyond physical fitness, consider an individual's ability to perform self-rescue and/or assist a buddy."



Diving a doubles rig is not quite as simple as "getting two tanks." If you do go that route you will want to have a BP/W setup, but know that diving doubles requires some specific training and you won't be ready for that type of training/diving until you have OW, AOW, and a fair number of dives under your belt. However, you can certainly get relatively large SINGLE tanks. There are 119cf and 130cf high-pressure tanks that certainly hold a lot more gas that a standard AL80. However this will require a significant investment, and won't help you out on vacation or any other situation where you need to rent tanks as AL80s are essentially the standard.

 

[bigtim6656]

I could have misunderstood him. HE told me he started diving at 435 pounds just under what i am. He told me he has tried the bp\w he just said he did not like them and would not recommend it for me starting out. HE also said he dives the ranger and loves it .

If someone at Scubatoys indeed said this, I am very disappointed with them. I thought they knew what they were talking about. Sigh.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I could have misunderstood him. HE told me he started diving at 435 pounds just under what i am. He told me he has tried the bp\w he just said he did not like them and would not recommend it for me starting out. HE also said he dives the ranger and loves it .

I have three BP/W setups that I use for different diving. Single tanks and diving doubles.

Tobin was right on the mark. I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I'm 6' 175 lbs and sink quite easily. Two of my rigs have plastic ABS plates simply because I do not need additional weight.

Consider getting a single 120 cu. ft. steel tank. The initial cost is a little more but you get 50 percent more air than a standard AL 80 and the extra weight will help.

Learning to dive doubles takes some more training and right now you need to keep it simple. Teaching in a BP/W is easy for me and when adjusted properly is extremely easy to get in and out of.

 

[Hank658]

Hey bigtim,

Welcome to the board and to diving! I am an Instructor and 95% of my students end up in traditional jacket BCs for class. From reading I think you would fall into that 5%. I do encourage trying different gear before buying to ensure that both the fit and function are right for the diver.
I dive both BP/W and a back inflate BC so I am familiar with BP/W and would certainly discuss the pros and cons with students. In your particular case a BP/W would allow you almost unlimited flexibility in fit. If you continue to lose weight (nice job BTW!!) it is easy to adjust the harness to fit your smaller size.
YOU will be the ultimate determination for what is both comfortable and right for you. As others have said, try as much as possible. Jacket BCs are 'convenient', but you may end up finding a BP/W better. Or you may hate it. Better either way before you invest a ton in gear and then up putting it on eBay.

Good luck with your search and your OW class!!

Hank

 

[mselenaous]

i hope diving is just another way for me to continue to drop the weight. Thanks for looking out though.

Another good reason for starting in a bp/w set up that you can adjust to accomodate weight changes and changes in exposure protection.
I love my Diverite transpac which i originally got for warm water/3mm suit diving. Now I'm +30# heavier and in colder water with 2 layers of 7mm, I was able to let it out a bit and maybe able to use it with a drysuit.

I do recommend that if your hip-waist ratio is reversed (larger waist/smaller hips) then you should add weight pockets or weight harness system rather than dealing with a sliding weight belt. My waist-hips are merged into one so I have issues keeping a coldwater heavy weightbelt in place easily.

Check out websites and read up on available BP/W options from Dive Rite, Halcyon, Deep Sea Supply, & OMS. Though some of these are geared more toward technical divers (doubles tanks folks, etc.), don't hesistate to get your questions clarified here on Scubaboard. You can also use the search feature here to find previous threads on the topics of your questions (something I find informative when researching new gear).

Good luck with your class. You are making a great investment starting out in your own gear and will be much more comfortable in the water from the start.

 

[SparticleBrane]

I hate to be the one to say it: if you weigh 440lbs, you shouldn't be diving. Go lose some more weight and come back to the sport (congrats on the weight you've already lost). Understand, I'm not hatin' on fat people (I'm carrying an extra 30-40lbs myself). But diving is a bit more physically strenuous than you might expect.

 

[rstofer]

Scuba doesn't have to be strenuous, particularly if you can do boat dives. For PADI you will be required to do a 200 yard (meter?) swim using any stroke with no time limit. You will also have to tread water for 10 minutes. That is all the fitness testing PADI requires. Beach entries are often much more strenuous, just take them slow.

Considering everything, try the DSS BP/W as suggested by Tobin. This is a high end piece of equipment and if you ultimately decide to use something else, it should retain its' resale value quite well. The backplate size is determined by height, not body size or weight. As such, it is useful to any 6'4" diver.

Call Tobin and discuss the options. My guess is that if you intend to start diving in Indiana, you will be using a 7mm wetsuit. Ask around your dive shop and see what they have to say. See if they have rental wetsuits that will fit. Custom wetsuits tend to get pretty expensive.

By all means, check with your doctor. In fact, the LDS will probably require a doctor's release before allowing you to take the training. There is a form that needs to be filled out (by you) and if you answer 'yes' to any questions or you are over 45 there is a requirement for a doctor's release. Get the form and take it with you when you go for your checkup.

Aluminum 80 tanks weigh anywhere from 31 to 36 pounds. A Worthington X7-120 steel tank weighs 38 pounds but you can take about 4# off the weight harness (steel versus aluminum). In the end, you carry about 3# more across the beach when the tank is full but about the same when it is nearly empty. The tank is expensive ($380) compared to an Al 80 ($150) but it carries a lot more air. If you can, go for the larger steel tank.

Richard

 

[WaterWolf]

Don't be discouraged by other's negative comments. I am also a big diver at 6 foot, 330 lbs. A person can still be big and be in decent shape. It sounds like you are. I dive with a Halcyon BP/W and love it. I started with a jacket style BCD and got rid of it once I got serious about diving. I'll be doing dive # 200 in a few weeks and can't wait. Just know your limitations and don't ever be afraid or embarrassed to bail out on a dive if you're not comfortable with something. I've had to do it before in strong currents – they seem to affect us big divers more because we have more surface area. (another reason to stay away from split fins but thats another discussion)


About air consumption... oddly enough, my air consumption is better than most of my 'skinny' buddies. It hasn't always been like this but your consumption will get better as you become more confident and more comfortable.


Suggestions: For cold water go with a stainless BP and use a weighted single tank adapter (STA) and a high pressure steel tank to keep weight off your belt. You'll find yourself making many adjustments depending on the dives you are making and which exposure protection you'll be using. I also keep an unweighted STA on hand which I use when I travel to warm climates. This also allows me to have some ditchable weight. Just to elaborate on my comment above about split fins – as a big diver, when I do find myself in current, I can't get enough propulsion from split fins. I love my Jetfins. When I kick, I move. I think this holds true for most big divers.


One big benefit about being a large diver, we stay warmer longer.


Dive safe,
WW

 

[seaducer]

Scuba doesn't have to be strenuous, particularly if you can do boat dives. For PADI you will be required to do a 200 yard (meter?) swim using any stroke with no time limit. You will also have to tread water for 10 minutes. That is all the fitness testing PADI requires. Beach entries are often much more strenuous, just take them slow.

it isn't so much that type of strenuous, but the effects of pressure and nitrogen uptake on the body. Also the problems of overall cardio vascular health and how it may impact ones health, both above and below the surface. We can bring up scenarios all day, but in truth health and weight are a topic that is worthy of consideration.

Whether or not anyone is fit to dive is between them and their doctor.