How do you breathe under water? Any Advice?

[lord.harshil]

I have had a chance to look at the wing type backplate. To be honest I don't even know what one is. Do you have any links that explain what there are or how they work?

I do work out almost everyday. I'm pretty much a lean guy. If you only use 6lbs with a 3mm then I must be using way to much weight. Is the 6lbs the backplate you speak of?

I took half an hour to type out a decent reply and I closed the effing window. ^%@^&@*!!!!!!

Well here goes again. ARGH!

You and I are about the same then. You shouldnt need much more than 6lbs of weight with a 3mm wetsuit, but you'll learn to finetune this by yourself soon enough. Just because I think you need 6lbs may not mean you need 6. You might need 8 or even 4, depends on your diving and nobody over an internet forum can give you that accurate a figure without diving with you. but 12lbs can definitely be cut down on! when I started I was using 12-16 lbs too. what a waste haha

and yes my 6lbs in on my backplate and i use a 3mm suit too. my fins add to my weight too since they're insanely heavy and neg buoyant (scubapro jetfins) which means I am slightly overweighted but I have no weight to cut down on, so I live with it. Its quite alright.

BP/W is like your normal BC as far as function is concerned. It inflates and deflates and helps you adjust your buoyancy and holds your rig together.

Its simply a metal plate with 2inch nylon straps. Straps go on your body, the air bladder (the thing which fills with air from your tank) is attached on to it whereas in a jacket BC it is built in. And finally behind your bladder you can bolt on your tank using a tank adaptor which is like the tank bands on your jacket BC.

Here. Look at some pictures and you'll get some idea as to what it is.

http://dir-diver.com/pics/backplate/overview2_large.jpg

dude with uncluttered chest area

http://www.gue.com/files/page_images/expeditions/WKPP/equipment/backplate_back_r.jpg

2 shoulder straps (the ones with the lights. lights not included) 1 crotch strap that goes between your legs (the thin one with 2 rings) and the waist strap with the metal buckle

http://www.underwaterexplorers.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/gue.primer.jpg

what it looks like without the bladder and tank.

http://hollywoodivers.com/miva/graphics/00000001/Eclipse_Harness_021.2.jpg

what it looks like with the bladder

if you choose to get into technical diving, you'll need to use a BP/W. You'll be able to use your existing setup and just add a larger lift capacity air bladder and you're good to go. most recreational BCs give you between 20-30 lbs of lift.

 

[SkimFisher]

Some information on backplates (and other equipment stuff) is HERE.

To skimfisher -- the symptoms you're describing usually mean that either you are significantly overweighted, and having to blow the BC up to its capacity to float, or the BC doesn't fit very well or isn't adjusted properly, and is riding up your body on the surface. The former problem is easy to fix with a formal weight check. The latter can be fixed either by adjusting the BC correctly, or by adding a crotch strap to keep the air bladder from riding up.

That makes sense. I appreciate the info.

 

[lespaulsf]

Wow the back plate wing looks crazy. There is not much there compared to a jacket style BC. It would seem unsecure at the surface. I can defiantly see that it would be nice to have less to mess with but then again I would have to use one before I was to purchase one.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Wow the back plate wing looks crazy. There is not much there compared to a jacket style BC. It would seem unsecure at the surface.

It's quite secure ... providing you use a crotch strap.

I can defiantly see that it would be nice to have less to mess with but then again I would have to use one before I was to purchase one.

Most people who try one for the first time are surprised at how comfortable they are.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[lespaulsf]

If dive shops only usually have jacket style to rent how would I be able to try one out?

 

[ligersandtions]

If dive shops only usually have jacket style to rent how would I be able to try one out?

See if you can find a local diver who dives a bp/w set-up and would be willing to let you try it out for a dive or two. Or, if you're like me, just bite the bullet and buy it without trying it first (I wasn't disappointed!)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

If dive shops only usually have jacket style to rent how would I be able to try one out?

In OK, I'm afraid I can't help you out. For divers local to me, there are several shops here that carry them ... also many divers such as myself who own more than one and are willing to take a new diver out and let them try it.

I've probably "sold" more backplates that way than most dive shops ... it's almost always the case that once someone tries one, they end up owning one ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[lespaulsf]

See if you can find a local diver who dives a bp/w set-up and would be willing to let you try it out for a dive or two. Or, if you're like me, just bite the bullet and buy it without trying it first (I wasn't disappointed!)

Wow you are brave. What did you get and what all do you need to setup the rig? How much did it cost?

 

[ligersandtions]

Wow you are brave. What did you get and what all do you need to setup the rig? How much did it cost?

I bought a DSS rig and couldn't be happier. After reading all the bp/w convert stories I could find, and only coming across one or two people who were not happy with theirs, I was convinced that it was the right thing for me (FWIW, I had a back-inflate BC that I used on ~10 dives that I sold to fund the bp/w....I was that sure about it!).

If you PM Tobin (cool_hardware52 on here), he can get you totally set up, from the correct back-plate to the perfect wing to the webbing and everything you need for a fully functional rig.

The entire rig was comparable (maybe a bit less) than the back-inflate BC I bought the first time around. Unless you get a hell of a discount or are buying used gear, a bp/w is generally a bit cheaper than many BC's (for example, it's definitely cheaper than a current model Scubapro).

 

[Matt S.]

I tried a bp/w setup and instantly loved it. YMMV... but if it works for you, it is so great that it is really worth investigating.