What is the best Single BP/W setup for the money?

[ams511]

Looking into buying a single setup for a steel 80 or 100.
I am attracted to the stuff DGX sells because of price.
Is there anything lacking due to the price point?
What are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

The DGX setup is $300 but you may want to add a single tank adaptor for an extra $25 or the OMS soft STA for $15.

DGX contracts with manufacturers and sells direct so they can "cut out the middle man". Also because it is their brand they can sell it for what they want and do not need to follow some arbitrary MAP policy.

 

[RayfromTX]

I bought my wing setup from them I am very happy with it and with the 25 pound wing it is good for a hp100. As far as lacking their setup comes with an aluminum plate and not stainless steel and they won't swap it out but otherwise I am very happy with it.

I dive a DSS Kydex plate with a 20 lb wing. With a HP100 I am about 2-4 lbs overweighted with no additional lead when wearing a newish 5 mil wetsuit.

My wife is properly weighted with a HP80, a kydex plate and no additional lead in a 5 mil. I am long and lean while she is sporting a healthy amount of bioprene.

These are the new galvy tanks from faber and I think they are 2-3 lbs heavier than the painted steelys. It is a balanced rig but swapping the plate out to SS would be a cause for concern. At depth, the wing is pretty full.

Edit to add: I just had a thought pop into my head. I forgot to mention that this is in fresh water which would make a big difference.

 

[ffdiver]

I have been very happy using the Sub-Gravity Paragon system for all of my backplate/wing needs and as rentals/student gear.

The HOG stuff is ok but there is huge difference between the quality of webbing, stainless steel and some subtle touches on the wing.

When you price everything out the Sub-gravity stuff isn't that much more expensive than comparable brands and they include a few extra things that add a tremendous amount of value.

 

[Sevenrider860]

Like many have said...I don’t think you can go wrong with DGX for a functional BP/W kit. I personally prefer Deep Sea Supply products. Quality finish (I love the thermoplastic elastomer grommets that are used), different sizes ( I have Long and Large), and the ability to easily add weight plates if needed all contribute to why I like the DSS products. I also like supporting a Made in America business.

I think the analogy to cars was made and I think that is accurate. All are functional and some have features or materials ( or branding) that make them more expensive.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Looking into buying a single setup for a steel 80 or 100.
I am attracted to the stuff DGX sells because of price.
Is there anything lacking due to the price point?
What are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

When I first switched from years of diving a traditional jacket BC to a BP/W for single-tank diving, I decided to buy a DSS package, because I wanted to get everything together as a single package--plate, wing, webbing, and harness hardware--from a company known for solid engineering and manufacturing practices and great customer service. Also, some have (rightly or wrongly) said that the bend of a DSS plate is slightly more shallow than average and therefore perhaps more optimized for single-tank diving.

A couple of years down the road, and I now own a second BP/W from a different manufacturer that I use for drysuit-and-doubles diving. I could see myself buying yet a third plate at some point, maybe the DSS kydex model. To me, frequently adjusting the harness between drysuit and wetsuit fits is more annoying than bearing the one-time cost of a separate BP and harness. I wouldn't hesitate to swap wings between plates. And keep in mind that these things come up used on eBay and SB all the time--often a GREAT deal. In summary, what I have learned is: (1) a package deal is not as important to me now as it was when I was unfamiliar with this stuff, and (2) I'm eventually going to end up with two or more of everything anyway, probably from a different manufacturer, so mixing and matching is inevitable.

 

[USMC CPL.]

The DGX setup is $300 but you may want to add a single tank adaptor for an extra $25 or the OMS soft STA for $15.

DGX contracts with manufacturers and sells direct so they can "cut out the middle man". Also because it is their brand they can sell it for what they want and do not need to follow some arbitrary MAP policy.

True about the STA. I have not used one on my setup and have had no issues with the tank shifting or moving during the dive.

 

[USMC CPL.]

I dive a DSS Kydex plate with a 20 lb wing. With a HP100 I am about 2-4 lbs overweighted with no additional lead when wearing a newish 5 mil wetsuit.

My wife is properly weighted with a HP80, a kydex plate and no additional lead in a 5 mil. I am long and lean while she is sporting a healthy amount of bioprene.

These are the new galvy tanks from faber and I think they are 2-3 lbs heavier than the painted steelys. It is a balanced rig but swapping the plate out to SS would be a cause for concern. At depth, the wing is pretty full.

Edit to add: I just had a thought pop into my head. I forgot to mention that this is in fresh water which would make a big difference.

I dive mostly freshwater also in landlocked Arizona. I am debating on swapping out to a stainless steel backplate so I can lose the rest of my weight.

 

[USMC CPL.]

I dive a DSS Kydex plate with a 20 lb wing. With a HP100 I am about 2-4 lbs overweighted with no additional lead when wearing a newish 5 mil wetsuit.

My wife is properly weighted with a HP80, a kydex plate and no additional lead in a 5 mil. I am long and lean while she is sporting a healthy amount of bioprene.

These are the new galvy tanks from faber and I think they are 2-3 lbs heavier than the painted steelys. It is a balanced rig but swapping the plate out to SS would be a cause for concern. At depth, the wing is pretty full.

Edit to add: I just had a thought pop into my head. I forgot to mention that this is in fresh water which would make a big difference.

I was looking into the galvy tanks from Faber how are they to dive with.

 

[Marie13]

I've recommended to several folks that they look for a used plate and wing. It's pretty easy to piece together a rig if you have a bit of patience.

 

[RayfromTX]

They will take weight off of you. When one tipped over in the parking lot, I could not find a mark on it. They still look new.

Mine weigh in like this. These are average weights across the three each that we have.

HP80 31.1 lbs empty 37.6 lbs full
HP100 37.2 lbs empty 45.3 lbs full