Dive Rite

Dive Rite TransPac XT BC System w/ Travel Wing (25 lb)

A modular backplate-and-harness system paired with Dive Rite's 25 lb Travel Wing, built around a mountaineering-style harness with an integrated hip belt.

Wing / backplate

Modular harness and wing, the standard technical-diving setup. Expect to configure backplate, wing, and harness separately rather than buying a fixed jacket.

Dive Rite TransPac XT BC System w/ Travel Wing (25 lb)
3.4Comparison Score
$839
Released2013
Stylewing backplate
Weight-integratedNo
Lift capacity25 lbs
Backplatestainless-steel
D-rings—
Trim pocketsNo
Material1000-denier ballistic nylon
Travel-friendlyYes
Dry weight—
Fitunisex
SizesXS-XXL

"Lift capacity" is the manufacturer-rated buoyancy the wing/bladder can provide at the surface. Match it to your exposure suit, tank, and weighting, not the biggest number available.

Pros
  • Mountaineer backpack-style harness with a molded foam lumbar pad and integrated hip belt shifts load off the shoulders
  • Modular design lets divers swap in a heavier Voyager (35 lb) or Arctic (45 lb) wing later without replacing the harness
  • The 25 lb Travel Wing keeps the whole system light and packable for warm-water and travel diving
Cons
  • No integrated weight system on the base harness; weight pockets are a separate add-on
  • 25 lb lift is on the low end, suited to warm water and lighter exposure suits rather than drysuits or doubles
Diver community sentiment
Mostly positive

Divers consistently praise the TransPac XT for surface comfort, effective hip-based weight distribution, and its modular versatility across single tank, doubles, or sidemount configurations. Long-term owners report strong durability, with one noting roughly 200 problem-free dives over several years of boat diving. Recurring complaints center on needing extra lead versus a rigid backplate setup, reduced stability with heavier steel doubles, a thin crotch-strap clip some replace for durability, and one diver finding the "soft plate" unexpectedly buoyant rather than neutral. Consensus favors it for single-tank/travel use, with a hard backplate often preferred for heavier doubles.

Scubaboard: TransPac XT owner impressionsScubaboard: TransPac vs TransPac XT for doublesScubaboard: TransPac XT vs HOG Deluxe Flex

Summarized from public forum discussion (Scubaboard, Reddit, and similar), not a survey we ran ourselves. See the linked threads for the original conversations.

The TransPac XT is Dive Rite’s modular backplate-and-harness system, built on a mountaineering-style harness rather than simple webbing, and configured here with the 25 lb Travel Wing for single-tank recreational and travel diving. The same harness accepts heavier Voyager or Arctic wings, so divers can start light and scale up lift capacity without buying a new rig. It’s aimed at divers moving from a jacket-style BCD into a backplate-and-wing setup who want a more padded, load-bearing harness than a minimalist webbing harness offers.