Backplates versus Vests/Jackets a Newb's perspective

[Peter_C]

I don't have enough experience to decide yet whether I think the full donut wing is worth it or not but from what I can tell I don't think it would make much difference to me.

My doubles wing is a horse shoe shaped wing and I hate it. Much harder to vent from the butt dump. I am going to replace it with a donut wing as soon as I find the one I want used. The donut wings will vent in most any trim position from one dump or the other.

 

[DevonDiver]

I love this discussion about backlates..... the great thing about BP&W is the sheer factthat you can so easily change components in your configuration.

Our poodle-jacketed friends have to buy a completely new BCD everytime they need to alter or improve something...

 

[hg frogman]

I love this discussion about backplates ... the great thing about BP&W is the sheer factthat you can so easily change components in your configuration.

Our poodle-jacketed friends have to buy a completely new BCD everytime they need to alter or improve something...

Where I live (France), an average single tank wing costs at least 300 euros, which is as much, or more, than a decent, simple, jacket-style BCD. Wings for twinsets are more expensive. And you have to add the price of the backplate, harness, cam-bands, weight pockets ...

And if I want no average wing, but one of the best wings available from the US (no dealer here), I have to pay its price in $, then its delivery, then custom fees. Each of my single-tank wings costed me more than 500$. At this price, I can start a collection of simple jacket-style BCDs, which turn out to be the best of this kind of BCDs in my opinion.

Even in the US, good (I repeat : good) BP/Ws are far from given.

You say that "You can easily change components in your BP/W" ... well, easily maybe, but certainly not for free.

Your poodle-jacketed friends may well be smarter than what you seem to think.

 

[stakanak]

You know that you can get integrated weight pockets for your bp/w, right?

Do you know anyone who uses the integrated pockets for their BP/W?

 

[DevonDiver]

Where I live (France), an average single tank wing costs at least 300 euros, which is as much, or more, than a decent, simple, jacket-style BCD. Wings for twinsets are more expensive. And you have to add the price of the backplate, harness, cam-bands, weight pockets ...

Not sure where you are getting those prices from. BP&W tend to be about equal price with mid-high range jacket BCDs. That would be a complete set-up, based on BP, wing, hog harness, cam bands and STA.

And if I want no average wing, but one of the best wings available from the US (no dealer here), I have to pay its price in $, then its delivery, then custom fees.

Sacre Bleu!

You really order from the USA??! I don't know about France, but there are plenty of distributers in the EU. Certainly a great selection in the UK. Much cheaper shipping, no customs...and many online stores will take payment in Euros.

Each of my single-tank wings costed me more than 500$. At this price, I can start a collection of simple jacket-style BCDs, which turn out to be the best of this kind of BCDs in my opinion.

Explain why you think that?

You say that "You can easily change components in your BP/W" ... well, easily maybe, but certainly not for free.

No, not for free..... but for a whole lot cheaper than a new BCD would cost.

BP - Never needs replacing, not ever.
Wing - Typical 3-5000 dive life expectancy. Cost to replace $350.
Harness - Typical 1000 dive life expectancy. Cost to replace $15
Cam Band/s - Typical 2000 dive life expectancy. Cost to replace $40

Now... consider the jacket BCD. One tear. One snapped buckle. One frayed strap.....and you're scheduling a trip back to your dive shop, credit card in hand.

Jacket BCD - Typical 800 dive life expectancy. Cost to replace $250-$500

Your poodle-jacketed friends may well be smarter than what you seem to think.

That's what they tell themselves.....

..............ignorance is bliss.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Do you know anyone who uses the integrated pockets for their BP/W?

Yes ... my ex-wife uses the Dive-Rite pockets.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[parzdiver]

Do you know anyone who uses the integrated pockets for their BP/W?

I use Halcyon ACB pockets with my Halcyon backplate.

I also use Zeagle weight pockets with my Zeagle rig.

Both work very well.

 

[fjpatrum]

My doubles wing is a horse shoe shaped wing and I hate it. Much harder to vent from the butt dump. I am going to replace it with a donut wing as soon as I find the one I want used. The donut wings will vent in most any trim position from one dump or the other.

This is why I think the triple dump on the Express tech is a good thing. Two butt dumps on each side of the horseshoe and the inflator hose is a pull dump as well.

I'm going to keep trying things out though. I believe the wing I dove with this weekend was a donut.

 

[Peter_C]

How is one more failure point a good thing? Plus your depth gauge should be in your right hand as you vent with your left, so you can watch depth changes. If you are already slightly rolled onto your left venting from your drysuit, how is the right side butt dump going to be of use? With a donut wing venting is not an issue. Plus it is easy to move the air bubble around.

 

[fjpatrum]

How is one more failure point a good thing? Plus your depth gauge should be in your right hand as you vent with your left, so you can watch depth changes. If you are already slightly rolled onto your left venting from your drysuit, how is the right side butt dump going to be of use? With a donut wing venting is not an issue. Plus it is easy to move the air bubble around.

At this point, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about.

I've never dived a dry suit and don't plan to any time soon. You mentioned having issues with a horseshoe because it's more difficult to vent properly and I said that's why I think the extra dump valve on the express tech might be useful. If I understand you correctly, the dry suit valve is on your right (hence being slightly rolled left to dump,) which to me makes the right side butt valve the appropriate one to use, but maybe I have that backwards because, like I said, I've never used a dry suit.

I currently use my left hand to hold my depth gauge/computer AND my inflator hose to dump while ascending, so I don't have any issue with being able to dump with my right hand if necessary. I thought of it more as an option to use in an uncontrolled ascent or when the bubble is wrong but maybe that's my newness.