halocline
Contributor
I'm hoping for some advice regarding set ups. Obviously basic tips like recommended plates/wings. I need something a) fairly lightweight (I travel a LOT for work and take my gear with me) b) ......d) I'd like weights in pockets (quick release???) rather than on a weight belt.
Also, as well as these sort of tips, I was hoping for some advice, if anyone knows where I might go in the Tampa area that could help me out with my gear?
Deep sea supply makes excellent gear, and the customer service (Tobin has already started giving you good advice) is fantastic. So my first recommendation would be to look at DSS rigs. If you're super freaked about the travel weight, his kydex plate/tropical wing is one of the smallest and lightest set ups available, but I would urge you to stay with a steel plate; it's still very compact to carry, and the weight distribution will be better for you, especially with Al tanks that are the norm for rental. A steel plate/small wing/webbing harness still only weighs about as much as a full featured jacket BC and is much more compact to pack. Besides, it's not like you're dragging this stuff up a mountain. It always amuses me how people prioritize the packability of their dive gear over the actual performance.
If you don't see what you like at DSS, and you don;t mind a bit of a trip, take a drive to Marianna (I don't know how far that is from Tampa) to caveadventurers, and try out some oxycheq gear. Their mach V wings are terrific. Dive rite makes decent stuff as well; the steel plates are on sale at dive gear express, and I think the newer style travel wings are on sale at North East scuba supply. So you could piece together a set up at a very reasonable price. One issue with the dive rite set up is that you might want to use a single tank adapter because the wing does not have built in stabilizers like the DSS and oxycheq wings do. No big deal, but it is another thing to buy and does add a little weight.
The simple solution if you need clear advice and assistance putting together a well designed entire rig is to call Tobin and let him help you choose a DSS rig.
I would not get too hung up about quick release pockets; in fact I would not bother with anything like that in warm water. You can get these XS scuba camband pockets, put a couple right on the waist belt of your harness, and if you absolutely need to dump the weights just pull them out of the pockets.
You are absolutely on the right track getting into a backplate/wing right out of certification. Congratulations!!