Backplate and Wing Round Table

[neevo]

How much lead do you typically need in Syd and how much lead do you need in warm water?

I used to dive a 7mm full semidry in Egypt with 7kg of lead. To be honest I haven't dived in Sydney (or Australia yet) in the 13 years I've lived here but the setup would be the same I assume. That's with dive boat Alu tanks.

I dropped down to 4kg with a very light (3mm) shorty suit this recent trip as I didn't take my wetsuit but I had all my other gear.

I'm picking up a drysuit today so I'll have to revisit my buoyancy anyway (4mm compressed neoprene).

 

[neevo]

One of the key benefits of a Stainless Steel BP&W is the ballast it provides up over your buoyant lungs. Of course this assumes you need the ballast.

Can a light weight plate be used for cold water diving by adapting various weight pockets and ankle weights and camband weights etc.? Sure. And you can use a 3mm wetsuit too by adding "skin" under it and a 12 mm hood and 5mm Jacket and ......

In the vast majority of cases divers trying to use the same BP&W for warm and cold are best served with a Stainless Plate, and a wing carefully selected based on the buoyancy of their cold water exposure suit.

BP&W is a modular BC. That means the components can be optimized for a given application. The broader that application the greater the compromises required.

For anybody considering a BP&W; Be realistic about your actual application. Buying one BP&W for use with exposure suits ranging from dive skins to dry suits and cylinders from buoyant al 80's to MP Faber Steel 120's will effectively defeat many of the advantages of the system.

Divers seem to understand that they need an exposure suit based on the conditions, but expect one BC to be ideal worldwide......

Tobin

That's great info, thanks Tobin. I'm looking for a setup to use in Sydney mainly with a drysuit so I'll explore the options around that as a priority.

I do like the idea of a setup I could take on holiday too though as my current BC is huge in the suitcase (AP Diving Buddy Commando).

 

[ams511]

I do not understand why regs are so expensive in the US, many other things are lot cheaper in th US.

This is a sore spot with many U.S. divers. In the good ole days we used to be able to purchase from Europe. Scubastore in Spain used to have great deals. When Leisurepro was not an authorized dealer we also used to get great deals. Alas all that is gone now.

 

[dmaziuk]

I dropped down to 4kg with a very light (3mm) shorty suit this recent trip as I didn't take my wetsuit but I had all my other gear.

About the same here and I use an Alu plate with 2x 4lb weights on shoulder straps. With a steel plate I could dive without or maybe with 2 pounds on the camband in salt water... and could be a bit too heavy in fresh water. But I don't dive in 7mm, or in fresh water, so I choose based on luggage weight and the fact that Alu is much easier to cut: I bought mismatched plate and wing and the slots did not align.

 

[EireDiver606]

The Halcyon is a good wing, you can get a blem here for a discount. I personally like the bladder and the way it packs neatly. The only drawback is that it requires a single tank adapter, which I don't like. A less expensive alternative to the Halcyon is the DRIS wing sold by the OP for $200 (sometimes $150 on sale). The shape of the wing is very similar to the Halcyon but the bladder is not as strong. It is a thinner urethane material, although mine is an older version so it may have been changed.

The Apeks 30lb seems similar to the Oxycheq wing that I have. I like that wing but the only drawback to it is that it is bulky for packing. However, others do disagree with me on that so it is best to make up your own mind on that issue.

Personally, I think all the wings you listed are quality wings. I don't think any of them is a bad decision if the lift capacity meets your needs. It says you are a DIR practitioner, I would look to see what divers in your area use. Maybe someone will loan you their wing to try out.

The Halcyon is a good wing, you can get a blem here for a discount. I personally like the bladder and the way it packs neatly. The only drawback is that it requires a single tank adapter, which I don't like. A less expensive alternative to the Halcyon is the DRIS wing sold by the OP for $200 (sometimes $150 on sale). The shape of the wing is very similar to the Halcyon but the bladder is not as strong. It is a thinner urethane material, although mine is an older version so it may have been changed.

The Apeks 30lb seems similar to the Oxycheq wing that I have. I like that wing but the only drawback to it is that it is bulky for packing. However, others do disagree with me on that so it is best to make up your own mind on that issue.

Personally, I think all the wings you listed are quality wings. I don't think any of them is a bad decision if the lift capacity meets your needs. It says you are a DIR practitioner, I would look to see what divers in your area use. Maybe someone will loan you their wing to try out.

The Halcyon is a good wing, you can get a blem here for a discount.

I would be highly interested in this blem, but the link isnt working.

 

[ams511]

The Halcyon is a good wing, you can get a blem here for a discount.

I would be highly interested in this blem, but the link isnt working.

The blems were sold out. I would watch that site to see if they come back.

 

[Dan G]

I now have a little over a dozen dives in warm salt water on my first BPW set up and I could use some feedback.

I have an aluminum plate and single wing (Dive Rite Travel EXP). After some tweaking, I found that 2 lbs in a trim pocket on the lower cam band worked well. I may need more when I wear a hooded vest along with my 3mm full suit, but I hope not, especially if I get the two things I describe below resolved.

I need feedback on two things:
1) On most dives, but not all dives, I noticed some drag on my 5' hose when I turn my head (to the right especially). It seems to be getting caught up on something and I think it may be the wing. When I had the wing mounted in the top hole of the plate, the wing was on the back of my head (which I did not like) but the drag was not there. The lowest hole felt best for positioning of the plate, wing, and tank but there was that occasional drag on the hose I've described. The middle hole worked OK, but the drag was there and the position of the tank was not as good as when using the bottom hole. The ports on my first stage are positioned below the tank valve (Atomic) and does not swivel and this may have something to do with the hose routing.

2) Venting my wing is not easy. I found that I had to be in a very specific position to get air our of my inflator hose. Just rolling slightly onto my back did not do the trick. Often I had to move the hose around in the water column while rolled onto my side, changing the angle constantly until air would come out. The dump valve located on the bottom left of the wing was not always a reliable way to get air our either.

Feedback welcome. Thanks.

 

[rongoodman]

You should be able to go a little head down and feel the bubbl of air around the OPV.

 

[ronscuba]

......
2) Venting my wing is not easy. I found that I had to be in a very specific position to get air our of my inflator hose. Just rolling slightly onto my back did not do the trick. Often I had to move the hose around in the water column while rolled onto my side, changing the angle constantly until air would come out. The dump valve located on the bottom left of the wing was not always a reliable way to get air our either.

Feedback welcome. Thanks.

This is a weak point with that wing. Not a big problem when filled to more than 50%, but when there is less air in the wing, it can be annoying to vent.

 

[Dan G]

You should be able to go a little head down and feel the bubbl of air around the OPV.

Yes, that's always been my experience with any BCD I have used and expected the wing to function the same way. It did not vent easily out of the OPV, however. Seems like the positioning of both of the vents is not ideal.

This is a weak point with that wing. Not a big problem when filled to more than 50%, but when there is less air in the wing, it can be annoying to vent.

Thank you for the info about the wing. That's rather disappointing to learn of a design flaw, however. I do not feel as if I need to put much air in the wing at the outset of the dive with an AL80, so perhaps that's why the venting is consistently an issue.

While I don't really want to spend the money right now on a new wing, what single wings would you recommend?

Any thoughts on the hose drag and tank positioning would also be welcome, too. Thanks.