Plastic snap bolts for travel kit

[DevonDiver]

Just get smaller bolt-snaps - no probs if warm water diving.

You can cut more weight with a smaller wing...and a fabric backplate. I use an Oxycheq 18lb wing and their 'Ultralite' backplate.

Buy yourself some 4th Element 'Thermocline' and ditch the heavy wetsuit.

Take some lightweight full-foot fins.

I use a set of titanium Scubapro (Mk25/S600) for travelling, but they really aren't that much lighter (for the price).

Miflex/nylon LP hoses, rather than rubber.

Choose optimum length hoses.

Use a 2" bare SPG, rather than a rubber-encased/console/larger one. Dual BAR/PSI display is useful when travelling.

Simply get rid of metal d-rings that you won't use when single-tank recreational diving.

If obsessive - replace the regular d-rings with low profile ones.

 

[Griffo]

I do pretty much exactly what kathydee described. Haven't had a problem so far, but I take it right to the limit. Next step is to find some super light tank/cam straps, and some lighter fins which should give me an extra couple of kg's to play with.

 

[kathydee]

Just thought of a couple more things:

The lightweight DSS strap system/wing works pretty well with my Halcyon regular sized AL Plate.

The small 10 watt LED Light Monkey makes for a nice compact travel primary light.

I'd love to try the new Halcyon travel system

 

[lamont]

Yes I thought of the miflex hoses, I will admit I havent been on the scuba boards very much lately but back when I was a regular there were too many failure reports... maybe they have gotten better?

failures were all HP miflex, not LP.

phantoms are a different manufacturer which so far haven't had any issues with either HP or LP.

 

[buddhasummer]

I do pretty much exactly what kathydee described. Haven't had a problem so far, but I take it right to the limit. Next step is to find some super light tank/cam straps, and some lighter fins which should give me an extra couple of kg's to play with.

Of course plastic/glass filled cam bands are lighter, the DSS ones are nice. I recently bought some AGIR aluminium cam bands lighter than my SS ones but stronger than plastic/glass filled. I also like using STAs so also bought an AGIR aluminium STA, then decided what the heck so went and bought an AGIR aluminium plate. The whole rig is pretty light, my whole travel kit including clothes and bag comes in under 20kgs.

 

[Danseur]

For me, AL plate, any small wing (DR Travel or Venture), and Miflex hoses on a DR Hurricane RG3500 (VERY light and reliable, great breather and parts kits are easy). Light Monkey/Salvo Rat Jr lights save weight. Scouts with no batteries work too. Also will bring my Armadillo and three RG3500s if being adventuresome. It all ends up being under 25# with a change of lightweight clothes and toiletries.

I haven't tried, but if for some reason I was needing to do backmount doubles and Sidemount I'd bring the Nomad with Stabilizer plates. Actually works from singles to 108/112s with 2 bottles (for ME. YMMV). I wouldn't go bigger with a soft plate and in reality AL80s are ideal anyhow for anywhere I'd fly to.

Honestly, if I don't know what situation I'm walking into, the Nomad gets packed.

 

[Nemrod]

I have already done this. I replaced, on one of my several dive rigs, all of the stainless with the best quality "plastic" bits. I replaced D rings with plastic and in some cases heavy duty (very tough) O-rings, all snaps, buckles, cam bands, keepers went to plastic. I replaced the metal plate with a fabric mini plate and dispensed with the weight belt for DR pockets. I even ditched my giant knife for a little line cutter. (which came in handy getting monofiliment from a badly entangled turtle).

I replaced heavy Jet fins with lighter Mares Avanti, bought Intova mini lights to replace heavier bulb lights. No snorkel, minimum tools, installed the Miflex hoses (still working on and evaluating that) on my Titan XL regulator. Oxy 18 Mach V.

Went to a 1mm Body Glove top and ScubaPro 1 mm shorts for exposure (unless I know it will be cold).

The result is that I easily stay under the 50 pound limit. I had and have had no issues with the plastic components. I would not do penetration/cave/deco/overhead which I hardly do anymore anyways and I even depth limit myself (post broken leg and resulting stroke).

Also, count on your gear increasing in weight due to water/dampness, as much as five pounds I have seen. Still, the AL Zuma is noticeably lighter.

 

[ams511]

Where did you purchase the plastic hardware? Especially the snaps.

 

[chrpai]

I packed up my suitcase the other day. DRIS steel BP/W with Highland STA and tank straps. Hog D1 longhose. Hollis F1's. 5/3 hooded vest and 3/2 full suit. DRIS 1000 for my primary and Trustfire TR-J1 for my secondary. 100+ finger spool and 6' DSMB.

All of this including the suitcase came in at 41lbs without even trying.

 

[Nemrod]

I packed up my suitcase the other day. DRIS steel BP/W with Highland STA and tank straps. Hog D1 longhose. Hollis F1's. 5/3 hooded vest and 3/2 full suit. DRIS 1000 for my primary and Trustfire TR-J1 for my secondary. 100+ finger spool and 6' DSMB.

All of this including the suitcase came in at 41lbs without even trying.

Thats very good. I am much lighter than that leaving the extra 20 plus pounds for finger spool, sausage, rescue pack (signal mirror, dye pack, etc), extra mask, extra towels, boat bag and boat dry bag, sun lotion and all of that kind of stuff and even if I know I will be doing shore diving where a flag is needed, an inflatable float and still be under 50 pounds plus room for the inevitable weight gain. Every pound counts.

If I dive my PRAM regulator then I carry it on generally, one it is a bit heavy and two, I would hate for it to be stolen since it is numbered and initialed for me and therefore, not replaceable.

The point of making all of the other stuff light is so I can carry more OR pack my wife and my gear in one bag and still stay under 50 pounds, which is entirely possible.

Things are evolving, I am still compacting my wife's gear. Recently, I put one of the tiny button SPGs on a HP hose for use as a primary and I find it entirely adequate for open water diving.

I like carrying an extra mask because I find that while I have never needed it, it seems to get loaned out a bunch to those who somehow seem mask challenged. It has saved many a dive for OTHER people.

N