Back plate material considerations

[Rickk]

I am considering switching to a BP/w set up.



Currently I have a traditional jacket style BC with integrated weight pockets. I carry 10 lbs. weight without my shorty and 12 lbs. with it on. This is about as close to optimal weight as I can get. I mostly dive warm tropical salt waters.



Now I have 4 options for the back plate.



Get a steel one, it will be just about heavy enough and will only require slight additional weight, positioned for trim but will be difficult to carry and travel with. I might not need enough weight to0 have trim adjustment room.



Get an aluminum one.. Less weight so some more lead required; this will allow me to have dump weight if necessary but be easy to carry. Lots more options for trim adjustments.



Carbon fibre, perhaps the lightest and strongest out there. I would need more weight and these are very expensive.



Plastic, cheap, I could buy and have two in case of breakage, easy to carry but would need lots of lead.



I generally drive to the dive sights but will on occasion fly with my gear. I seldom carry it far except when rigged to dive so carry weight is not the major consideration.



Anyone want to comment on the pros and cons of th3ese different materials for a back plate?

 

[saxman242]

I wouldn't bother with plastic or carbon. Carbon is pretty, but the weight difference between it and an Al plate isn't that much and it's really not a material well suited to a backplate anyway. If you want to light some money on fire, get a Ti plate.

Plastic is fine, but you might as well take some advantage of offsetting your lead requirements.

As long as you don't get one of the extra thick steel plates, you're not going to offset 12 lbs of current lead requirements, leaving a bit of room for trim adjustments.

Aluminum plates are good if you travel more or are diving steel doubles and don't need the extra weight.


Given the kind of diving you're doing, I'd get a normal steel plate and plan for 4 lbs or so of trim weights.

 

[Ripley]

Get a steel one, it will be just about heavy enough and will only require slight additional weight, positioned for trim but will be difficult to carry and travel with. I might not need enough weight to0 have trim adjustment room.

For myself I opted for a steel one.
I only have to take 2 extra kilos additional weight as bp weighs around 2,7kg.
Carrying it around: all my gear, bp/w included goes in a mobile box
Travel with: here we have to declare diving equipment. It makes an additional cost of about €30 per flight but it allows you to take 20kg of equipment along.
Last year I had 15kg of gear - with BCD (no weights, no tank), including towels, changing mat, changing poncho, bikinis (ok, those weigh peanuts). Guess the 2,7kg of bp can be stuffed with that since BCD will stay at home.

 

[dmaziuk]

How much carrying do you do? My steel plate goes into checked bag, I don't have to carry it though airports. Bags with wheels is the other obvious option. I find the in-water weight difference isn't all that much, despite Al's much lower density: it's only a couple of pounds this way or that, so.. meh.

(But mine's a Freedom Plate, it has other pluses.)