BC or Backplate/Wings?

[dwright]

What do you all dive with? I've been diving a SP Knighthawk for a couple years now and I'm switching to a BP/Wing setup for next season. I like the versatility and such. Tell me what you dive with.

 

[jonnythan]

No question at all. Get the bp/wing.

 

[Jason B]

Hey Dale,
I'm currently using a sea-quest balance bc. That said, I just ordered a dive rite backplate this past saturday. Need to get a wing but that will be next month as I just bought a new truck.
See ya' Saturday.

Jason

 

[jhelmuth]

What do you all dive with? I've been diving a SP Knighthawk for a couple years now and I'm switching to a BP/Wing setup for next season. I like the versatility and such. Tell me what you dive with.

I dive both. Overall, I'd have to give the BP/Wing the nod as overall "best" since it can be configured for the dive(s) you want to do. I also dive a Seaquest Balance. Great BC, but it will never do everything I need it to and for that reason alone it is inferior to my Halcyon rig. Another slight advantage of the BP/Wing over a conventional BC (back-inflation that is) is the better attitude you'll get at the surface. My Balance will not provide the near perfect vertical attitude that my BP/Wing will. That is exclusively due to the better weight distirbution. The best thing about the Balance are the surface features (easy in/out, integrated weighting, padding). However, you really have to consider those as inconsequential since your real time is spent below the surface - that is where you want the performance!
Price considerations are about equal - so no advantage there. But given the ability of the BP/Wing to serve multiple diving purposes (rec-to-tech), it is also a cheaper alternative to having multiple BC's.

 

[Quarrior]

Seems to be an echo in here. BP/W definately.

 

[The Kraken]

In a previous life - Zeagle "Tech"
in this life - BP/Wing, Dive-Rite "Venture" wing, BP is one that I fabricated on the metal cutting laser here at work.

 

[kwickert]

Hey Dale,

I sort of assumed you already had a BP&wings.

I love mine already, I have a few things to work out, but you will love the simplicity and the ability to customize things the way you want.

I need to order a thigh pocket as there is no storage to speak of, other than d-rings, but I think thats a good thing as well.. Simplicity

Ken

 

[dwright]

Yeah Ken,
I've been pushing my Knighthawk to the limits...added d-rings and altered the config a bit....I gotta get a bp/wing setup this winter

 

[Mike Newman]

I use both - a Zeagle Escape to instruct in and a Halcyon BPW for my own recreational diving

 

[Charlie J]

Hi Dale: I'm a newbie, so you can't go by what I do - but you'll see saturday at Rawlings - an Orion vest/wing setup. I dove a std BC in early training, but am really liking the Orion - still need MUCH more time wet....but, so far, so good.