Oxycheq Sausage Weight Pouch?

[ratown]

What is the difference between an aluminum plate with 2 lbs of shot lead down the spine and a stainless steel plate other than the corrosion factor? It seems like having an aluminum plate with the oxycheq weight pouch allows you to switch between bigger steel tanks and smaller aluminum tanks without buying both an AL and SS plate...

[CompuDude]

Off the top of my head:

(a) the weight is distributed more evenly with the SS plate, although this may or may not be so a significant degree
(b) the SS plate is less complicated... no extra parts to break/lose
(c) the average Al. plate is -2 lbs buoyant, the average SS plate is 5-6 lbs, so you actually need 3-4 lbs in that sausage, not 2, to make the buoyancy equal
(d) most divers end up owning more than one plate anyway
(e) most dive gear is SS, not Al., so you actually more corrosion concerns with an Al. plate due to galvanic corrosion, compared to a well-made SS plate
(f) depending on your diving conditions (cold/warm.etc), body type and exposure protection, you may find SS is more versatile than Al. I own Al., but solely for travel weight concerns. Otherwise, there is no circumstance where an Al. plate would be the proper one for me to use. Your may be different, but you should determine this before you buy, not after, if possible.

[ratown]

I dive warm water now, and I don't plan on ever diving cold water in my life. How resistant are the anodized ALs to corrosion?

[mm2002]

Originally Posted by ratown

I don't plan on ever diving cold water in my life.

Never say never!

[Rainer]

Originally Posted by ratown

I dive warm water now, and I don't plan on ever diving cold water in my life. How resistant are the anodized ALs to corrosion?

They'll last longer than your dive career.

In any case, why don't you want SS? Are the 4# difference a killer for you travel-wise? If not, I know I MUCH prefer having my SS plate in warm water (3mm, AL singles).

[ratown]

I just wanted to examine all options before paying the most. I'm a poor college student. lol

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by ratown

I just wanted to examine all options before paying the most. I'm a poor college student. lol

Just buy the plate used. You'll do fine.

[ratown]

Alright I guess I will buy a stainless steel plate because seriously everyone likes them. If I do end up wanting an aluminum for some reason it will look really cheap compared to the SS and perhaps not feel as bad. Thanks for the help.

[mm2002]

Originally Posted by ratown

Alright I guess I will buy a stainless steel plate because seriously everyone likes them. If I do end up wanting an aluminum for some reason it will look really cheap compared to the SS and perhaps not feel as bad. Thanks for the help.

If a little advice from a newb is welcomed here, don't ever buy ANYTHING just because people on an internet forum like it. Also, don't rule out an aluminum plate because YOU think it looks cheap. Neither of those are solid reasons for choosing a particular piece of gear. Until you have personally tried various types of gear, and found out (by experience) what works best for YOU, then you just need to keep trying stuff out until you find what YOU like. I'm in the same boat, and I DO read opinions of others, but in the end, I'm narrowing down the field to what will work best for ME. It's a long (and sometimes costly) process, but in the end you will know what YOU like.

[ratown]

Originally Posted by mm2002

If a little advice from a newb is welcomed here, don't ever buy ANYTHING just because people on an internet forum like it. Also, don't rule out an aluminum plate because YOU think it looks cheap. Neither of those are solid reasons for choosing a particular piece of gear. Until you have personally tried various types of gear, and found out (by experience) what works best for YOU, then you just need to keep trying stuff out until you find what YOU like. I'm in the same boat, and I DO read opinions of others, but in the end, I'm narrowing down the field to what will work best for ME. It's a long (and sometimes costly) process, but in the end you will know what YOU like.

Thanks for the advice man. That's a good point.