Optimal Back-Plate and Wing

[D_Fresh]

Minimalist? Sure, if you want it to be! Want to add a few pockets, go ahead! Want padding, go ahead! Want continuous webbing harness, padded harness, H Harness, quick release harness, all are perfectly acceptable options.

In this post I'm just trying to point out that BP/W can be (almost) whatever you want it to be. It simply provides the platform from which the owner can customize to their heart's content. Jacket BCs do not allow such customization.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Agreed. If there’s something that adds function and is useful to you, have at it. Ex. I added a line cutter and a Dive Rite pocket to carry stuff in.

The main point that I wanted to get across is that more is not necessarily better.

 

[Major_rage]

I just started diving again and had to replace everything. I found ( after months of research) the oms iq lite harness with a 32lb mono wing. Seems to be a perfect mix of bp/w with a bcd feel. Any thoughts on this setup? I was considering going with the dgx setup but wasn't sure if I'd be comfortable with just the 2in webbing.

 

[NothingClever]

I just started diving again and had to replace everything. I found ( after months of research) the oms iq lite harness with a 32lb mono wing. Seems to he a perfect mix of bp/w with a bcd feel. Any thoughts on this setup?

I don’t mean to sound snobbish but I don’t need or want a “bcd feel”. I want the performance characteristics of a stripped down stainless steel BP and a durable wing. I only have one more D-ring (right waist for a reel) than what @kensuf described above. I don’t have any padding anywhere on my rig and I very comfortably dive a twinset and an AL80 deco tank every week. I find that simpler is better. Also, there’s a recurring down-current that to travel you must have an AL BP. That is simply rubbish...I’ve traveled a lot these past two years with a SS BP and have yet to bust my limit.

All this said, I don’t want you to lament your purchase. Get the most out of your OMS rig and resign yourself to the commonly-held belief that SCUBA equipment is somewhat temporary until you dive with such frequency that you really dial in what your needs and expectations are.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

I just started diving again and had to replace everything. I found ( after months of research) the oms iq lite harness with a 32lb mono wing. Seems to be a perfect mix of bp/w with a bcd feel. Any thoughts on this setup? I was considering going with the dgx setup but wasn't sure if I'd be comfortable with just the 2in webbing.

See my post at the bottom of page 4 regarding BP/W’s with a “bcd feel.”

I do mostly shore diving with a ~100’ walk to the water. I have no issue with the standard webbing (previously had a padded setup).

 

[Major_rage]

See my post at the bottom of page 4 regarding BP/W’s with a “bcd feel.”

I do mostly shore diving with a ~100’ walk to the water. I have no issue with the standard webbing (previously had a padded setup).

Yeah that setup looks great! I'm sure eventually I'll end up with a setup like that. Thanks for the info.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Yeah that setup looks great! I'm sure eventually I'll end up with a setup like that. Thanks for the info.

Thank you. There’s nothing wrong with going with a padded setup like you posted. Just want to make sure that people make an informed decision before going that route.

 

[Major_rage]

Thank you. There’s nothing wrong with going with a padded setup like you posted. Just want to make sure that people make an informed decision before going that route.

I appreciate it. Its been a while since I dove and my last bc was a jacket style. So every bit of info helps. I've been drowning in researching different bp/w setups lol.

 

[Swedinsidemount]

That’s the whole point of a BP/W. It’s a minimalist design that is focused on function.

Putting stuff that you don’t need on a BP/W takes away from or alters the function. ex. The HOG Total Buoyancy Control System. You have to add more weight than you would for a standard BP/W just to counter all of the buoyant padding that makes it look more palatable to someone that does not find a typical/minimalist BP/W appealing to look at.

This is coming from someone that started out with a HOG TBCS because he thought that it looked “better” than a standard BP/W.

I gradually started stripping padding off that thing, because...as I said above...it is completely unnecessary and adds no functional improvement/benefit over a standard BP/W. What was I eventually left with? A “minimalist” BP/W.

Just saying...if you want the functionality of a BP/W, take your time making a decision on which one to purchase. If you see one and it looks “nice,” keep in mind that means that you’ll have to stuff more weight in your pockets just to submerge the rig.

Recommendations? HOG, Dive Rite, DGX, Deep 6, or Halcyon, if you have money to burn.

Current setup below. HOG wing (the only thing left from my original TBCS), Dive Rite plate and webbing, and Apex 3lb trim pouches (I don’t need much weight).

View attachment 620137

I could get behind that! But why have you swapped the harness and plate? I guess just personal preference. I also use a ffm, don't think there will be any problem with that and a bp/w right?

 

[Marie13]

I also use a ffm, don't think there will be any problem with that and a bp/w right?

Why would there be?