A plain aluminum or steel plate packs flatter than a padded BC. One of the advantages for travel. I remove the cambands, and the plate/harness sits nearly flat on the bottom of my checked bag.
HOG BP/W
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A plain aluminum or steel plate packs flatter than a padded BC. One of the advantages for travel. I remove the cambands, and the plate/harness sits nearly flat on the bottom of my checked bag.
I chose the softpack over the hard plate primarily for packability. I normally pack my regs, computers and gauge sets nestled in my bcd, and feel the soft pack gives them better protection than being anywhere near a hard plate in my suitcase. I try to carry on my dive gear, but sometimes have to gate check it. I also do not want to carry the extra weight of a plate in my suitcase, either checked baggage or carry on. I am one who would rather carry the extra weight just while on the dive boat rather than carrying it in my luggage throughout my trip. This works best for me because I mostly fly to where I depart for my trips, and normally use cruise lines to get me to my dive destinations. As as result, I am in a position where I have to carry my gear to and from the ship, and don't have the luxury of lugging it once to the dive shop, and leaving it there as I did during a week long trip to Bonaire. What works for me may not be best for other divers.
"Yeow we need the funk
Gotta have that funk
Yeow we need the funk
Gotta have that funk
Yeow..........................."
I use a bag that's soft sided on one side and rigid on the other for my carry on, so I pack my plate on the very "top" of the bag, opposite of the rigid side. Basically it becomes the hard outer shell for the soft side of the carry on. Works great.
My BP/w us SIGNIFICANTLY easier to pack and travel with than my wife's zeagle stilleto, as a comparison point.
This ^. Used basically the same for years and even with a steel backplate, it travels great. I made my own harness, but a pre-made basic harness works just as well. No need for a bunch of extras.
scrane
Contributor
As Lorenzoid said, all the padding is useless underwater. A simple BP/W will pack much smaller.
Ah yes, you mentioned that in another thread. I can see the same principle being useful for a checked bag. Using the plate as a layer of "armor" is a great idea for a checked bag, especially if you've got a wing nestled somewhere inside. It also occurs to me that if a TSA x-ray flags what appears to be a weird solid piece of metal, the agent won't have to dig around in your bag to take a look at it if it's right on top.
I just took a trip with one of these:
IST Diving System :: TECHNICAL :: BACK PLATE BCD :: BASIC SOFT BACK PLATE
It's very light and comfortable. I just use a piece of webbing for a harness, but you could attach a fancy padded one to it.
IST Diving System :: TECHNICAL :: BACK PLATE BCD :: BASIC SOFT BACK PLATE
It's very light and comfortable. I just use a piece of webbing for a harness, but you could attach a fancy padded one to it.
DeepSeaExplorer
Contributor
Of course there's also the option of a carbon fiber plate which has the advantage of not being metal or bulky,
I'm yet to see a carbon plate that isn't pulled from a mold modeled off a traditional backplate. They may be slightly lighter by being carbon, but they aren't any different dimensionally, so are equally as bulky.
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