Diverite vs SPro Hydro vs AL Outlaw vs Helios ?

[AquaBreath]

3 stone is 42 pounds, way to much.

What do you call that stone-alike thingy we attach to belt ?
1 stone here is about 0.8kg only
In my case my camera could be about 5-6kg on land.
And I have SMB, pointer, and a little light (fish-light v10) attached to bcd.
would that be considered too much ?

 

[LandonL]

@AquaBreath

It is called a weight... they can either be 'hard weights' or 'soft weights', where hard weights are solid pieces of lead, and soft weights are usually bags filled with small pellets.

 

[lexvil]

As Landon said it’s called weights, this is starting to make more sense, you use 3 two pound weights and have added a camera and lights for another 4 pounds??

At this point I don’t get why whatever b/c you are using can’t keep your head out of water, most jacket types will have inherent boyancy that will almost meet your needs without air in it.

Assuming you are Thai and going by many of the Thai girls I’ve dove with in Thailand you are probably wearing a lot thicker wetsuit than I do, a little more info about the rest of the gear will help.

I can put you in touch with a Thai instructor which could make this easier for you.

 

[Dogbowl]

@AquaBreath, if you look on Dive Rite’s website, this is what it says for the TravelPac:

With its compact and streamlined design, the TravelPac’s 25 lbs. (11.3kg) of lift will support one 80ft3 (12L) aluminum tank with up to an additional 10 lbs. of weight.

And for the Transpac XT, I would choose one of the Travel Wings (EXP or XT), and this is what it says about the wing:

At 25lbs/11.3 kg of lift, the Travel can accommodate one 80ft3/12 L tank with no more than 16lbs. of additional weight.

I don’t know why both wings have 25lbs of lift but the Travel Wing can accommodate 16 lbs of additional weight whereas the TravelPac can accommodate only 10lbs. I guess the Travelpac is probably less buoyant. However, if that is the case, 10lbs seems a bit close for me since I currently require 12 lbs with a 5mm wetsuit. I’m very floaty at the moment so need a lot of weight to hold a safety stop at the end of a dive.

In addition, I don’t believe the TravelPac is modular, meaning that the wing is permanently attached to the harness, whereas you can take the wing off the Transpac XT and replace it with a different wing if you need more or less lift. The Transpac XT can also be used for double tanks or sidemount just by changing the wings and adding some accessories.

In addition, since the Travelpac is a “travel bc” the materials used are lighter, which usually means not as rugged or durable than a regular BC.

I haven’t decided which to buy yet, but I think I have eliminated the Travelpac due to its lift being not enough if I switch to a thicker wetsuit. And I think Transpac XT is more flexible in that way. My current choice is between the Transpac XT (soft back) vs. Transplate (hard back).

That stone thingy is simply called “a weight” here in North America. So we would say, “I put a 2-lbs weight in my left weight pocket and a 2-lbs weight in my right weight pocket for a total of 4-lbs.” Something like that.

 

[AquaBreath]

As Landon said it’s called weights, this is starting to make more sense, you use 3 two pound weights and have added a camera and lights for another 4 pounds??

At this point I don’t get why whatever b/c you are using can’t keep your head out of water, most jacket types will have inherent boyancy that will almost meet your needs without air in it.

Assuming you are Thai and going by many of the Thai girls I’ve dove with in Thailand you are probably wearing a lot thicker wetsuit than I do, a little more info about the rest of the gear will help.

I can put you in touch with a Thai instructor which could make this easier for you.

I wear 3mm wetsuit or thiner like brand "Eth" wetsuit.
My camera is TG4+housing+Inon arm system with inon s-2000 on each side + float arm ML + wide angle len & dome.
I have smb & pointer & light (fish light v10) attach to my bcd as usual.
Using Supermew fin from Gull.
I also wonder why bcd can't life my chin out of water if I use a size that fit me perfectly :/

 

[AquaBreath]

@AquaBreath, if you look on Dive Rite’s website, this is what it says for the TravelPac:

With its compact and streamlined design, the TravelPac’s 25 lbs. (11.3kg) of lift will support one 80ft3 (12L) aluminum tank with up to an additional 10 lbs. of weight.

And for the Transpac XT, I would choose one of the Travel Wings (EXP or XT), and this is what it says about the wing:

At 25lbs/11.3 kg of lift, the Travel can accommodate one 80ft3/12 L tank with no more than 16lbs. of additional weight.

I don’t know why both wings have 25lbs of lift but the Travel Wing can accommodate 16 lbs of additional weight whereas the TravelPac can accommodate only 10lbs. I guess the Travelpac is probably less buoyant. However, if that is the case, 10lbs seems a bit close for me since I currently require 12 lbs with a 5mm wetsuit. I’m very floaty at the moment so need a lot of weight to hold a safety stop at the end of a dive.

In addition, I don’t believe the TravelPac is modular, meaning that the wing is permanently attached to the harness, whereas you can take the wing off the Transpac XT and replace it with a different wing if you need more or less lift. The Transpac XT can also be used for double tanks or sidemount just by changing the wings and adding some accessories.

In addition, since the Travelpac is a “travel bc” the materials used are lighter, which usually means not as rugged or durable than a regular BC.

I haven’t decided which to buy yet, but I think I have eliminated the Travelpac due to its lift being not enough if I switch to a thicker wetsuit. And I think Transpac XT is more flexible in that way. My current choice is between the Transpac XT (soft back) vs. Transplate (hard back).

That stone thingy is simply called “a weight” here in North America. So we would say, “I put a 2-lbs weight in my left weight pocket and a 2-lbs weight in my right weight pocket for a total of 4-lbs.” Something like that.

Ohhh that helps me figure out things I don't understand from reading through its website. Thank you.
Travelpac seem to fall out of my way too if I still can't figure out why xs bcd can't lift me. :/ but it does save a lot money compare to transpac+wing.

Have you have other choices in mind ?
Once I start looking for light weight&flat bcd for travelling, I had Outlaw in my first list. But then diverite travelpac. But some also suggested for hydros and helios. I don't see people talking about Helios here but it seems nice with choices of color as well. Just not so sure with quality. Since they are quiet pricey, I want something that last longer than 5 years or even more. If I can keep my body weight like this, not planning to buy new one in few years.

 

[Dogbowl]

Ohhh that helps me figure out things I don't understand from reading through its website. Thank you.
Travelpac seem to fall out of my way too if I still can't figure out why xs bcd can't lift me. :/ but it does save a lot money compare to transpac+wing.

Have you have other choices in mind ?
Once I start looking for light weight&flat bcd for travelling, I had Outlaw in my first list. But then diverite travelpac. But some also suggested for hydros and helios. I don't see people talking about Helios here but it seems nice with choices of color as well. Just not so sure with quality. Since they are quiet pricey, I want something that last longer than 5 years or even more. If I can keep my body weight like this, not planning to buy new one in few years.

Haha, it took me reading through the website many times, and asking questions here as well to figure out exactly what is the difference between all the bcd's out there. I did consider the Scubapro Hydros Pro because it is new and fancy, so I went into the store to try it. It is quite HEAVY! But I was comparing it with the super light Oceanic Biolite (approx. 5.5 lbs), so it was a big difference. And the monoprene material makes it very difficult to pack because it cannot pack flat like a BP/W. It is very bulky. It's probably not a fair comparison since they are really apples and oranges. The Oceanic Biolite was very nice and the material seemed very nice for weighing so little. And the XS has a 32 lbs lift so that seems substantial. The Biolite is still on my shortlist.

So the ones that are on my shortlist currently are: Transpac XT, Transplate, Oceanic Biolite, and just recently the xDeep Ghost.

I also considered the Outlaw but eliminated it but I don't remember why (sorry - I think it might have been the cost with the added weight pockets). I have not considered the Helios because I am not familiar with it. What brand makes it?

 

[diversteve]

One thing to consider with the Hydros is that the original generation is experiencing some issue with the attachment points on the shell ripping out - there's a fix from Scubapro in the 2nd generation models. There's more than one post about it here on SB also.

I personally think a Hydros is overkill for warm water recreational diving. Unless you just use the harness part - in which case a bp/w is a better option.I don't know what they sell for there but here the complete Hydros system runs over $800 US.

Especially since you sound pretty small. Look at/try on a Scubapro Lighthawk instead, it will have more lift than you need, can be purchased with an integrated weight system and is a pretty solid piece of gear. The new model also has no inherent buoyancy so the only weight (stones) you'll need is to compensate for your buoyancy - i.e. your body's natural buoyancy, the neoprene in your suit, if youi have floaty fins etc. The other dive accessories you mentioned don't even factor into the calculations.

If your camera/housing is set up correctly it should be pretty neutral in the water or maybe slightly negative so it shouldn't be a factor in deciding how much lift you need in a bc since the only compensation you would need to provide diving with the camera is if it's slightly positively buoyant - most aren't. But don't use that as a factor in determining proper lift and weighting for your diving system.

Likely the stock wing provided with any bc you like is all you need - or if you go with a bp/w - the weight of the metal plate should provide most, if not all of your weight requirements. A steel plate might even be too heavy - they also sell them in aluminum which is generally 1/2 the weight (approximately)

Other bcd's to look at are Aqualung's Zuma or Zeagle's Covert if you have those dealers nearby. Both have options for weight systems and pockets in addition to what they come with standard.

 

[AquaBreath]

I have not considered the Helios because I am not familiar with it. What brand makes it?

I tried to search for it and only found korean fb page, so I assumed it's korean brand
It looks pretty though but I need more comments about it, otherwise just go with what people recommended.

 

[AquaBreath]

One thing to consider with the Hydros is that the original generation is experiencing some issue with the attachment points on the shell ripping out - there's a fix from Scubapro in the 2nd generation models. There's more than one post about it here on SB also.

I personally think a Hydros is overkill for warm water recreational diving. Unless you just use the harness part - in which case a bp/w is a better option.I don't know what they sell for there but here the complete Hydros system runs over $800 US.

Especially since you sound pretty small. Look at/try on a Scubapro Lighthawk instead, it will have more lift than you need, can be purchased with an integrated weight system and is a pretty solid piece of gear. The new model also has no inherent buoyancy so the only weight (stones) you'll need is to compensate for your buoyancy - i.e. your body's natural buoyancy, the neoprene in your suit, if youi have floaty fins etc. The other dive accessories you mentioned don't even factor into the calculations.

If your camera/housing is set up correctly it should be pretty neutral in the water or maybe slightly negative so it shouldn't be a factor in deciding how much lift you need in a bc since the only compensation you would need to provide diving with the camera is if it's slightly positively buoyant - most aren't. But don't use that as a factor in determining proper lift and weighting for your diving system.

Likely the stock wing provided with any bc you like is all you need - or if you go with a bp/w - the weight of the metal plate should provide most, if not all of your weight requirements. A steel plate might even be too heavy - they also sell them in aluminum which is generally 1/2 the weight (approximately)

Other bcd's to look at are Aqualung's Zuma or Zeagle's Covert if you have those dealers nearby. Both have options for weight systems and pockets in addition to what they come with standard.

Thank you for your suggestions, I'll have a look if there're stock nearby.
But I still have some doubts in mind. You seem to understand much about weight system. Mind to answer some questions to newbie ?

1. When I look through website or sizing chart, most brands concern about body size rather than body weight. However, I doubt how can I know if that size fit perfectly and lifting would be enough? As for my issue, it may be just me that have problem with my thought that lifting wasn't enough. Since somebody that use xs size can be either heavier or lighter than me.
2. What are the capacity of 25lb or 35lb wing? How to measure it's lifting capacity though? I really confuse, how do people know their weight underwater, or they just concern the weight on ground ?
3. What are add-weight counted. Like you mentioned above, things I bring with me doesn't really matter. Does the "10lb extra weight" only count for weights belt? I'm just curious because my friend weights 54kg (which means her body is heavier than me) and she uses 4 weights on her waist belt. When my body weight is just 51kg and 2 weights on belt (which mean my weight on ground is a bit lightier than her). But then I carry camera when she doesn't but in water, the camera is a bit negative so our weight should be equal somehow? But her float is way too positive though. Or my thought just confused me :/

I don't really pump air in my bcd when underwater. And since jacket didn't really lift me that much, I tend to swim on surface rather than just float on my back and flutter to boat. If I continue to do so, lifting capacity shouldn't be my issue ?

Sorry for many stupid thoughts but I can't find answer elsewhere for those doubts in mind.