Back Plate

[Snowbear]

...That helps while diving too.

Nah - gender is generic when diving. At least for most of us

 

[RiverRat]

Here is the rub, Snowbear.
With a backplate, that moves 6 pounds of stainless steel onto your back and off your belt. Fine for warm water.
For cold water, that leaves about 20 to 25 lbs you still need to wear on your belt. Unless you weave trim weights through your shoulder straps like some divers, that leaves way too much weight on a belt, in my opinion.
An integrated B/C still lets you trim down your weight belt even more.
With twin tanks and a backplate, you only have about 10 lbs at most to put onto your weight belt. The rest is already on your back.
Either way you look at it, a backplate with a single tank has major drawbacks.
.

I have to disagree that a backplate with a single tank has major drawbacks.
I have a 10# P-Weight (channel weight) that runs up the center of my FredT backplate. I have a 9# plate with 2# STA's that's 22# on my back without doubles. I would much prefer spreading the weight out over my back this way than in pockets on a jacket style BC. Depending on backplate style you may or may not be able to do this. I have a FredT plate that does allow this as it has a recessed channel. In addition, if you do dive doubles you can add a V-weight on the outside between your tank bands for even more weight. I just dove this rig in salt (no channel weight), 3mm wetsuit, AL 80 tank and 3# on a belt. Now if I went to a single steel tank in salt, the 9# SS plate would actually have me overweighted. This is not an issue for me as probably all of my Tropical dives will be with resort AL 80's. Now when I dive this up here in the Northeast in my 7mm wetsuit or someday a dry suit, I have MANY options using P or V weights, tanks and belt weights.

 

[IndigoBlue]

Nah - gender is generic when diving. At least for most of us

it is normally much easier to lift a woman back onto a boat or to carry her up a beach during a rescue.

 

[MikeS]

There are advantages to a backplate and wings but “better” buoyancy control and trim are not one of them. If you understand the concepts and practice you can achieve good buoyancy control with any BCD including garbage bags for a bladder with rocks duct tapped to your body. There is no magic bullet! You can’t buy good buoyancy control! It takes an understanding of the concepts and lots of practice.

These include the fact that a backplate holds the cylinder much more rigidly (and closer) to your body, providing a more natural feel when you're diving it ... and for the most part, since there's less movement between your body and the cylinder on your back you'll have an easier time with your buoyancy and trim... Bob (Grateful Diver)

This is not quite true. There are many BCs that hold a single cylinder in place just as well, and as close, if not closer to your body as a backplate. In fact the backplate does not hold a single cylinder in place on its own. Either a single tank adaptor or a wing such as Halcyon Pioneer with a built in single tank adaptor is needed to hold the tank. With a single tank adaptor the tank is actually moved farther from your body than with most BCs.

Now, don't get me wrong ... there are many people out there who prefer a BCD to a backplate.

This statement makes no sense. The wing or bladder of a backplate and wing is a BCD. I could be wrong but what I think you meant to say is the many people prefer a traditional BC that incorporate the backplate, wing, and harness into a single device. Functionally a traditional BC incorporates the same functionality as a backplate and wings. There is a harness to strap it to your body, a ridged structure to hold the tank to the harness, a bladder with an inflating/deflation device for buoyancy control, and some means such as d-rings or pockets to attach/carry things.

IMO the only advantages to a backplate and wing configuration over a traditional BC is flexibility through modularity. There are different sizes and weights of backplates, different wings for singles or doubles with different lift capacities, single tank adaptors, single piece web harnesses versus padded shoulder straps, etc., etc.. To change the configuration you don’t have to buy a complete new BC you can change a single component. For example, if you want to take more weight off your weight belt you can buy a thicker heavier backplate and use all the other parts.

Additionally many parts of a traditional BC such as d-rings are fixed. in quantity and location where as with a single piece web harness on a back plate it’s a simple matter to add another d-ring or move one.

This flexibility is a double edge sword; it requires additional setup and adjustment. For example with a single web strap harness you must re-adjust it if you change exposure protection. There is much to be said for the simplicity and comfort of a traditional BC. I have both and which I dive depends on the circumstances.

Mike

 

[Snowbear]

WHAT are you going to do when you travel to Hawaii or Taihiti to get away from that FREEZING COLD Washington State coastline? Pack your backplate and single tank adaptor with you?

Except I would be travelling from FC Alaska State - Yep! I would take it. Hey - It takes up less room than my BC and if I put it in the carry on I don't get penalized for the weight. Since most rental tanks are Aluminum 80's, that BP saves ~ 6# I would have to add for those.
Hmm - good idea about taking a utility knife to the foam of my BC.....

 

[Boogie711]

I don't change my straps between a 7mm and my drysuit. I just don't feel the need. If I did need to change, it takes about all of 15 seconds.

Secondly - have you ever done a BP and wing? It doesn't sound like it.

 

[IndigoBlue]

...IMO the only advantages to a backplate and wing configuration over a traditional BC is flexibility through modularity. ...Mike

I get great modularity with my Zeagle B/C and wing.

Next time the wing wears out, I am going to DYI a Halcyon oval wing to it.

Other advantages of the Zeagle B/C:

rolls up and fits into your carry-on luggage nicely (UN-like ScubaPro, DiveRite, OMS, or Halcyon)

works for single tanks or doubles (tech model)

fabric-back is very comfortable (no backplate needed)

wings are interchangable with Zeagle or with Halcyon

integrated (but for a tropical trip, bring your pouch weight belt anyway for freediving)

 

[RiverRat]

Hmm - good idea about taking a utility knife to the foam of my BC.....

Now I know where the "hidden" buoyancy came from when I was calculating weighting when I went from Jacket BC to BP/W......I'll stick with the BP/W

 

[MikeS]

I don't change my straps between a 7mm and my drysuit. I just don't feel the need. If I did need to change, it takes about all of 15 seconds.

Well, when going from my drysuit with heavy underwear to a 2.5 mm wetsuit for the tropics I not only adjust the straps but I change out the backplate and remove the weighted STA. For singles, I use a Pioneer 36 pound wing with a Fred-T heavy plate with a weighted STA with the drysuit and heavy underwear and a Halcyon SS backplate for the 2.5 mm.

If you’re not adjusting the configuration based on the dive, you’re missing out on the biggest advantage of a backplate and wings, modularity/adjustability.

Of course many times for the tropics when I’m not going to take a stage slung pony, reel, canister light or other paraphernalia, so have no need of the adjustable attachment points, I just take the Balance BC. Put it on pull the straps tight and I’m ready to go.

Mike

 

[MikeS]

No matter how you look at it, a backplate rig for single tank diving is only an advantage when you are also diving doubles.

How about if you want to clip off your SPG/computer, stage sling a pony, attach a canister light, a backup light or two? The adjustability/adaptability of a single piece web harness really comes in handy. It’s nice to have those d-rings where you want them rather than where they looked good on the Seaquest model.

Mike