Purchasing Gear for the First Time

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Don’t buy an aluminum backplace. You want a stainless steel backplate so as much of the weight you need is evenly distributed across your back. Then any other weight will go in your weight pockets.

 

[Bowers]

Don’t buy an aluminum backplace. You want a stainless steel backplate so as much of the weight you need is evenly distributed across your back. Then any other weight will go in your weight pockets.

you are right. i dive with steel tanks and would be well overweighted in a 3mm while using a ss backplate. but when diving aluminum rentals a steel backplate would be helpful.

 

[Altamira]

I think the backplate material you need is somewhat dependent on your travel requirements, baggage limits, and how close you usually are to airline baggage weight restrictions if you have to fly to your dive destinations. Had I gone the bp/w route instead of a Zeagle Covert, I would have probably gone with Kydex or AL backplate because of the luggage restrictions, and the type of traveling I do. Also, I would rather have to deal with the extra weight only on the boat rather than in my luggage or carrying the bcd to/from the dive boat. If I drove to my destinations, it would be a different choice.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Travel restrictions are for us flying Canada - Mexico and Caribbean are 50 lbs. I have a large air line approved hard plastic case. Could buy the case from Walmart for about 25.00. Leaving me with about 42 lbs for scuba gear. BCD, wet suit, fins,boots. Regs and all the expensive stuff going as carry on. I don’t have 50 lbs of gear if I bring only my back mount single tank Halcyon Eclipse with the Ss back plate. Things change when I bring my XDeep Sidemount gear. But I’m not concerned with the weight that it take to bring it all. I care about the quality of gear and not haveing to adapt to something else.