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

[Cyborg Pirate]

All good comments and brands mentioned. I personally have 2 aluminum and 1 SS BP. Mostly freshwater diving but also travel to saltwater dives too. I use the SS the most with 7mm and or my drysuit for singles. Have the Al for traveling as it's 3 lbs lighter then the SS. The other Al I am setting up now for doubles. All three of my set ups are the Mares XR. I have done some customizing for myself.... that's what makes BP/wing set ups so appealing.

 

[USMC CPL.]

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

Hey thanks for the info on the tanks. May look into getting a hp100. So with the 100 I could ditch a little more weight and stay with my aluminum backplate.

 

[Sevenrider860]

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

The important information is the weight in the water. I believe the FaberHDG HP100 is about 1/2 pound negative when empty. That should allow you to take 4 to 5 pounds of weight off what would be worn with an AL80.

 

[USMC CPL.]

The important information is the weight in the water. I believe the FaberHDG HP100 is about 1/2 pound negative when empty. That should allow you to take 4 to 5 pounds of weight off what would be worn with an AL80.

That would be great as I use 6 pounds of weight right now. Thanks for the info.

 

[ams511]

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.

Some divers do have a problem with alignment and shifting. However, another advantage is the ability to easily separate the wing from the plate for storage and transportation. The wing can become damaged from the plate striking it. Given the way the DGX (and Dive Rite) wings are designed I would probably replace the tank straps with the quick release kind in order to separate the wing from the plate easily.

 

[ams511]

Hey thanks for the info on the tanks. May look into getting a hp100. So with the 100 I could ditch a little more weight and stay with my aluminum backplate.

You need to look into the individual buoyancy characteristics of the tank you are looking to purchase. Here is a chart with this information. A Faber HP-100 Is almost 15 lbs negative compared to a FX-100 which is around 8 lbs. A standard aluminum 80 is around 2 lbs.

 

[RayfromTX]

The important information is the weight in the water. I believe the FaberHDG HP100 is about 1/2 pound negative when empty. That should allow you to take 4 to 5 pounds of weight off what would be worn with an AL80.

I haven't been able to weigh them in the water but I think they are heavier in the water than advertised. If I get around to testing I will post here.

 

[RayfromTX]

You need to look into the individual buoyancy characteristics of the tank you are looking to purchase. Here is a chart with this information. A Faber HP-100 Is almost 15 lbs negative compared to a FX-100 which is around 8 lbs. A standard aluminum 80 is around 2 lbs.

That is an old chart that doesn't show the hp100galvy. Also the hp100 that it does show is 3442 only with a plus rating. Mine are 3442 but carry no plus stamp to get there. That tells me that the chart refers to a different tank than the ones we are referencing. They don't seem to be 15 lb negative. Based on a rough calculation of it's size and the weight of the water that it would displace (35 lb) it would be about 2 lbs negative empty or 10 lb negative full. I doubt I'm off by 5 lbs but it is possible I suppose. It will definitely get the weight off your belt though.

 

[ams511]

That is an old chart that doesn't show the hp100galvy. Also the hp100 that it does show is 3442 only with a plus rating. Mine are 3442 but carry no plus stamp to get there. That tells me that the chart refers to a different tank than the ones we are referencing. They don't seem to be 15 lb negative. Based on a rough calculation of it's size and the weight of the water that it would displace (35 lb) it would be about 2 lbs negative empty or 10 lb negative full. I doubt I'm off by 5 lbs but it is possible I suppose. It will definitely get the weight off your belt though.

That is the problem when people talk about tanks and just say it is a HP-100, as there are several high pressure 100 cubic foot tanks on the market. I am not sure what tank you are talking about. I think you are talking about the X-series Worthingtons which would be about 10 lbs negative.

According to DGX the older low-pressure tanks with a plus rating are being discontinued and replaced by tanks of a higher rating. I think these charts are more current:

Blue Steel Scuba - Cylinder Specs

Worthington Steel Tank Specs Chart

 

[gopbroek]

When I recently swapped over from a BCD to a DGX wing with SS plate I was a little surprised at the weight shift. Prior to the swap I was using about 9-10 lbs. (I always dive with an AL80) so I figured a 6 lb. SS plate plus 3-4 Lbs. With the SS plate I added my standard 4 lbs. and was way too heavy, so I stripped all the weights and I was trimmed out with an empty bottle. I figure most of the mystery weight was trapped air / inherent buoyancy in my old BCD. The point of this is that the weight calculations are not as straightforward as they look and if they are close on paper you may wish to try for a lighter plate. For myself, with way to many donuts hanging on my mid-section, a SS plate works, but there is little wiggle room and if I were to go with a more negative tank I would need to acquire a lighter aluminum or composite plate or be over weighted.