BP/W for me and my son?

[Mark Lem]

Diving Ohio quarries with limited vis, going to Belize end of December. Currently we rent wetsuits and BC's. Every time we rent we get different age wetsuit (different compression factors etc) and different BC's but all are vest style and we have sinking legs with those, so wrestling with buoyancy and trim at times. Son is tall but skinny so can't get a good fit with rentals, in between sizes it seems. Are taking advanced buoyancy (SDI) in early September. We want back inflate for trim issues but no rentals for those. Frustrated with renting BC's. Im old and body no longer growing, but son is 14 1/2 and growing a lot. For me, local shop sells Apeks harness/padded kits as well as vest style BC's, but I've looked at DRISS and DSS online sited for examples of alternative Hog style BP/W kits as well as Dive Rite XT which seems similar to Apeks. I'm former top swimmer (not that those skills translate into diving skills but does give us comfort in water) so spent many hours in water and like open feel that Hog type rig provides. For son also competitive swimmer, want to get him a kit that will handle growing for at least a year or two.

Any recommendations for the two of us? We are hooked and at this point want to progress in the sport

 

[dmaziuk]

Any recommendations for the two of us? We are hooked and at this point want to progress in the sport

DRiS trianta is probably the best value for money BP/W at this point, unfortunately their last shipment is taking forever to arrive from the supplier. So you can't buy them right this second, you have to wait a week or two.

 

[bryanmc57]

A call to Tobin at DSS would be time well spent.

 

[runsongas]

the dgx bp/w is also another option if the lift isn't too small

https://www.divegearexpress.com/dgx-custom-singles-harness-backplate-wing-package

if your budget can stretch for it, a lot of people seem to like their DSS setups. i think the new apeks wings are pretty nice too, if a bit pricey.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I sent BPW set ups to a father and son in British Columbia last year. They love them. I have an article that gives you a lot of info if you'll send me an email address. On top of that I am more or less local to you and can get you set up quickly. Shoot me a PM or call me for a price on rigs for you and your son. I sell HOG and Manta set ups. Assembly is free if you'd rather not do it yourselves.

 

[tbone1004]

Seconded on the call to Tobin at Deep Sea Supply. He will be able to guide you best on wing sizes as well as backplate sizes as he produces the largest selection of sizes available commercially.

 

[Herb-alaska]

Seconded on the call to Tobin at Deep Sea Supply. He will be able to guide you best on wing sizes as well as backplate sizes as he produces the largest selection of sizes available commercially.

Tobin will verbally slay you. Yes he is a wealth of information and is a great resource however my experience is that he does not suffer fools lightly not that you are a fool but you are not informed and Tobin will tell you what to buy and if you question it you may not appreciate the reaction that you will receive (check sb for threads on that ).

I can tell you that Hog BPWs are nicely priced and nicely built. You can get great service at a lot of shops but I believe you would be happy with Jim Lapenta or Dive Right In scuba both would happily answer your questions give you great deals and make sure that you were pleased with your purchase. I would recommend a aluminum Plate with a single tank adapter and highland bands unless you dive dry in which case you want the steel plate to add the weight. I like the single tank adapter not that it is required for the hog plate but it allows you to remove the bands without un-threading them. The highland bands give you a very solid lock on the tank and yet it is easy to remove for tank changes

I would go with a standard webbing there is no need for any of the extras that the harness sets include, but you do want D rings. ( pads, buckles etc) The webbing allows you to build the harness to fit your son today and be able to afford to replace it (15.00) when necessary as the only thing that will change is the length of the webbing.

Now this is just my 2 psi
Herb in Alaska

 

[jzipfel]

Jim sold me HOG BP/Ws for my son and I. At the time he was 14 and growing. I was 47 and shrinking. Either way the HOG has been a fantastic investment in our diving. I fully expect to keep diving them for years.

Jim was great at answering my questions. He assembled everything then called him when we got them. Great person to deal with.

We purchased the 32# wing and steel plate. We dive locally in Puget Sound so we dive dry. Then when we go warm water diving the steel plate with an aluminum tank is fantastic. Only 4-6 lbs of lead needed. So comfortable and easy to dive.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Diving Ohio quarries with limited vis, going to Belize end of December. Currently we rent wetsuits and BC's. Every time we rent we get different age wetsuit (different compression factors etc) and different BC's but all are vest style and we have sinking legs with those, so wrestling with buoyancy and trim at times. Son is tall but skinny so can't get a good fit with rentals, in between sizes it seems. Are taking advanced buoyancy (SDI) in early September. We want back inflate for trim issues but no rentals for those. Frustrated with renting BC's. Im old and body no longer growing, but son is 14 1/2 and growing a lot. For me, local shop sells Apeks harness/padded kits as well as vest style BC's, but I've looked at DRISS and DSS online sited for examples of alternative Hog style BP/W kits as well as Dive Rite XT which seems similar to Apeks. I'm former top swimmer (not that those skills translate into diving skills but does give us comfort in water) so spent many hours in water and like open feel that Hog type rig provides. For son also competitive swimmer, want to get him a kit that will handle growing for at least a year or two.

Any recommendations for the two of us? We are hooked and at this point want to progress in the sport

I'd be happy to walk you through my process for selecting a BP&W. The range of plates / wings / harnesses / accessories available today can be a bit bewildering. My goal is to arm you with the information required to make a sound choice based on your unique application. Best if you can call.

626-799-5078

Tobin George

 

[tbone1004]

Tobin might be blunt, but while we may have some differences of opinion on certain matters, the fact is that he is considered one of the leading experts on plate and wing design and if you come with information that you "heard from some guy" or "read somewhere online" that is wrong, he isn't afraid to tell you. It's old school, it hurts some peoples feelings, but I don't believe I have heard or seen anything where someone said he led them down the wrong path.... May not have been the one they wanted when they picked up the phone, but by picking up the phone you are asking for his advice. If you don't want that advice, but want his products, you can just order online and he'll send you whatever you put in the cart.... I believe his advice is well worth it, especially for new divers if you are on the fence about something....