Why Backplate and Wing? - BP/Wing vs Jacket BC

[Jafo19D]

Even with the crotch strap I don't feel that I can easily maintain vertical or lean back. "If" surface conditions are moving me around. (and not compensating with snorkel). Worst case scenario I would keep my primary handy at the surface and put my face down using air(not practical however).

With my comfort level with my swimming. I feel expert underwater but not a great swimmer at the surface with any rough water conditions.

I have a back inflate BCD (Hydros Pro) and one o my concerns was face planting on the surface. Those worried were complete garbage. I have no issues on the surface. I inflate just a bit and slightly lean back and it’s like sitting on a LazyBoy.

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

Yeah, I dive a BP/W and don't have any difficulty maintaining vertical on the surface. If you lean back just a little initially, then the BP/W mostly maintains that position.

 

[David Novo]

Yeah, I dive a BP/W and don't have any difficulty maintaining vertical on the surface. If you lean back just a little initially, then the BP/W mostly maintains that position.

I have the same experience.

 

[Blueringocto_73]

Those who enjoy BP/W. Are you expert swimmers in good condition physically? I can be tired after a deep dive. So waiting for the boat if I'm hit in the face with strong swell is where I can become uncomfortable.

It's not a real risk but just being uncomfortable for about 5 minutes before getting on the boat. I'm sure I could overcome the feeling after awhile with crotch strap and more experience.

 

[David Novo]

Those who enjoy BP/W. Are you expert swimmers in good condition physically? I can be tired after a deep dive. So waiting for the boat if I'm hit in the face with strong swell is where I can become uncomfortable.

It's not a real risk but just being uncomfortable for about 5 minutes before getting on the boat. I'm sure I could overcome the feeling after awhile with crotch strap and more experience.

I used to swim twice a week (until COVID started). Currently not, but I still keep a daily fitness program.

 

[fisheater]

I'm a BP/W devotee and I don't like being at the surface in rough conditions. I'm also often well out of shape. Nonetheless, I don't have a problem staying upright in rough conditions in either my cold water or tropical BP/W setups. This might be because I use a steel BP for tropical and a steel BP with extra weight plates for cold water, thus I have a lot of my balast behind me, where the inflation is.

 

[jagfish]

I'm guessing he meant jacket-style (traditional) BCD, which would act like a life jacket. As stated by @jagfish that the back inflate would tend to push yourself into horizontal position, which is good if you want that way all the time underwater. For me if I'm in trim position all the time, after 45-min in that position, my neck hurts. It's like walking on a road and looking up to the sky for 45 minutes. I like to go vertical once in a while.

On the surface, with big waves, and waiting for a boat to come to pick you up, I like to just float vertically, motionless, which I could do with the jacket-style BCD. With back inflate, you have to lean back or finning backward all the time to keep yourself vertical. That could be tiring after a few minutes waiting for the boat to pick you up in a big wave situation.

I'm actually with you, Dan. Some neck degradation has made it a chore for me to be in perfect horizontal trim for the whole dive...

 

[Roberto Inzerillo]

Yeah, I dive a BP/W and don't have any difficulty maintaining vertical on the surface. If you lean back just a little initially, then the BP/W mostly maintains that position.

Totally agree. Currently diving BP/W (DIR setup). Cannot really understand who complains about the issue; I don't experience any of that. No need to lean back at all

 

[Sevenrider860]

I imagine that from a buoyancy and trim perspective the hydros and a BP/W are very similar, which is why I said the increasing number of back inflate BCD’s is probably a good thing.

one minor difference would be the lack of a crotch strap. In a traditional BP/W the system is kept snug with the waist belt and crotch strap, the shoulder harnesses are kept loose. I would imagine the tendency of someone wearing a hydros would be to tighten the shoulders more, that will likely have a subtle difference on trim but not a huge one.

Tightening the shoulders on the Hydros Pro will tend to lift the weight pockets off your hip which can affect trim. The Hydros Pro easily allows a crotch strap to be added. I don't like the BCD to ride up and though it tends to be "sticky" with the material used, I like having the crotch strap. Scubapro sells one, but any crotch strap works. I think I have one from Zeagle that I am using.

 

[Luca Brasi]

I have no issues w my b/p w but my old zeagle stilleto was more comfortable