BC/Wing Plate vs. Jacket-style BCD

[offroaddiver]

Sorry...that was intended as a joke. Only time I've ever seen the advantage is on a dive boat with similar gear and numerous people....the lds sold 40 brand new cameras. I was the only one on a boat of 20 that had written their name on it.

btw...I have done some odd stuff just to see people react so...you pay for the webbing and set up a rig and i'd use it atleast once.

 

[diverkim]

No one mentioned anything about disadvantages of a back plate wing BC. I'm considering the xchangeover but my brother who tested this type told me he was always being forced into the horizontal position and I know from previous experience that on the surface (with a Dive Rite) that one was always being pushed face forward. Has this tendency been dealt with?

 

[Jonty]

Bit of a thread hijack here, but i'm looking for a BP/wing BCD setup in the UK.

Anyone used an APEKS WTX harness? Also, has anyone in the UK got a good source for ordering scuba equipment such as this. I can't seem to find anyone that sells OMS, Diverite, APEKS stuff... :11:

 

[andrehzao]

Well, I have both. Use back inflated style with my open water classes, but have some BP+wings to let them try it. I use both, and sugest first use jacket, and then go straight foward to BP. Always trying to teach advantages of DIR.
BTW, never tasted to stay horizontal on the surface with back inflated style or wing. Just Underwater.

 

[grouchyturtle]

It's not 2" it's 50mm.... Like so much these days it is made off shore, and the rest of the world is metric. I agree however that lacing the 50mm is easier in many cases.


Tobin

Actually I find the webbing from Reef Scuba has the opposite problem. A little too heavy for my taste. PITA to adjust once it's set up. Guess it's a good thing that I pretty much use my SS plate exclusivley for drysuit, regardless of tanks, and AL exlusively for wetsuit.

I really like the Halcyon webbing. I think it really is the perfect weight. Now if I could only get it without all the BIG gay H's on it!

 

[grouchyturtle]

No one mentioned anything about disadvantages of a back plate wing BC. I'm considering the xchangeover but my brother who tested this type told me he was always being forced into the horizontal position and I know from previous experience that on the surface (with a Dive Rite) that one was always being pushed face forward. Has this tendency been dealt with?

NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

This claim always seems to come from someone who TRIED a BP, maybe a few times at the most, but you never hear this from someone who DIVES a BP.

Of all the guys I dive with who use BP's most of them, not one has ever had his face pushed into the water on the surface, regardless of other factors (single AL80 vs. double 119s, drysuit vs. 3mm shorty, while diving with a heavy camera housing, etc.)

Most will tell you this:
With doubles you actually get pulled back on the surface
With singles staying verticle on the surface is no problem
Add a large camera housing and you may get pulled forward a little, but not face in the water. The last is easilly corrected by clipping the camera to your crotch D-ring while on the surface, then switching to the left chest D-ring whil diving, so it doesn't get in the way of you legs and throw trim off.

 

[grouchyturtle]

I wanted to ad as far as getting into any non-horizontal position, such as you may do while shooting video or photos, I have no problem doing this (and staying in that position) while in my single tank rig, and have heard many divers say the same, as well as seen many buddies do the same.

I'm sure diving a donut wing has something to do with it, because while head down you have all that extra area up top for the air to go. And I'm sure those heavy jets help with staying head up.

I'll admit I do find it a little harder to stay in a head down position while in doubles.

Hey I guess this is one problem (if it could even be classified as a problem) that all these new doubles donut style wings will fix.

 

[stoehrdp]

I'm a new diver - doing some research on BC's. I learned to dive with a jacket BCD, but I've heard of "wings and plates." Can someone please educate me on the difference, other than the fact that one is primarily just on your back? Can you wear double tanks with a jacket BC? Several of my friends wear the OMS BC with bands, but I haven't gotten a chance to question them about it. Thanks for your advice!

I switched to a BP/wing this year. I dropped a significant amount of lead (6-10#) off my weightbelt, over my old back inflation BC. I found I like the Modularity of it. I also feel a lot more stabile in it than my old bc. One piece webbing can be a pain to get on but I found I got use to it.

No matter what, See if you can borrow a BC from shop or a friend and try it before you buy it.

Dave

 

[korikancha]

I'm a new diver - doing some research on BC's. I learned to dive with a jacket BCD, but I've heard of "wings and plates." Can someone please educate me on the difference, other than the fact that one is primarily just on your back? Can you wear double tanks with a jacket BC? Several of my friends wear the OMS BC with bands, but I haven't gotten a chance to question them about it. Thanks for your advice!

Hi! I am also a new diver (certified about a year ago) and went through a similar "quest." I remember hating the jacket BCD's when I did my OW, and started doing some research on wings and plates, just as you did. In the end, I went to a shop that caters to technical divers in New York and tried a Halcyon backplate with a single-tank wing (Eclipse) and I loved it!

The only (slightly, IMHO) negative thing I heard and experienced with a backplate and wing is the tendency to put you belly down when on the surface. This same tendency is what gives the much better trim and positioning when you are under the surface, so I learned to live with it. Besides, in my limited experience, it is hardly a problem (you can easily lay on your back and will stay that way; it only tends to push you belly down if you are vertical).

My wife is also a (very!) newbie diver and has never tried the backplate yet, but after seeing mine she wants one! To me, at least, they feel much more comfortable, much less intrusive, and much more elegant (not that that is a consideration ). And all that not even taking into account the modularity, which is a very good feature if you ever want to dive with doubles.

Curiously, I have never heard good things about jacket BCDs from anybody who dove with wings...

 

[korikancha]

NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

This claim always seems to come from someone who TRIED a BP, maybe a few times at the most, but you never hear this from someone who DIVES a BP.

Of all the guys I dive with who use BP's most of them, not one has ever had his face pushed into the water on the surface, regardless of other factors (single AL80 vs. double 119s, drysuit vs. 3mm shorty, while diving with a heavy camera housing, etc.)

Most will tell you this:
With doubles you actually get pulled back on the surface
With singles staying verticle on the surface is no problem
Add a large camera housing and you may get pulled forward a little, but not face in the water. The last is easilly corrected by clipping the camera to your crotch D-ring while on the surface, then switching to the left chest D-ring whil diving, so it doesn't get in the way of you legs and throw trim off.

Well, I actually have had this experience... I agree, though, it is hardly a problem. However, in my limited experience I had noticed that if you dive with a single tank and a drysuit, the tendency to push your face into the water seems to be magnified (perhaps because of the enhanced buoyancy in your feet?). As grunzter says, it is not much of a problem with doubles, and I would add that it is hardly noticeable with a single tank and a wetsuit.

As other posters said, the best thing you can do is get to try a backplate. I think you will like it and won't go back to a jacket BCD!