…Now, my program requires for me to get an
AquaLung Personal Diver Harness and since I don't know the first thing about diving harnesses - especially those used for commercial applications - I have no clue whether this harness will be suitable for a backplate and wing…
I am surprised a school would specify this harness as the only one that is acceptable. The gold standard for the commercial diving industry is the Miller harness, now owned by
Kirby Morgan. The
North Sea Bell/Backpack Harness is accepted by all certification agencies around the world. It is assembled with Monel rivets, not sewn, and is a much heavier than Scuba harness webbing. You can use it with a wing on a single, but doubles would require modifications. I am a believer in the deadman/rescue ring and installed one on my Freedom Plate for recreational diving.
One option you might consider is
Atlantic Diving Equipment, recently acquired by XS-Scuba. Their
Full Body Harness with Shoulder Adjusters - FB16510A is equivalent. They also offer a tech/backplate version,
Stainless Steel Backpack - BP500, but you would need to add the double/parachute harness crotch strap option.
…Does anyone have any idea whether I can get a backplate and wing onto this harness?
I have not personally seen the Aqualung harness, but you can add a wing to the rubber backpack models from Miller and Atlantic when diving a single. You will find that a valve-down single is used for bailouts almost exclusively unless supplied by the diving contractor. The Atlantic stainless pack would not be a good choice for surface supplied diving. It might be OK if you were doing a lot of Scuba work wearing doubles for a small operation. It is way too big and bulky for inside the bell — typically hatches are 24" in diameter.
The use of a BC in surface supplied diving is very rare, but has its place:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/co...using-bc-ssa-commercial-work.html#post5212114
If you want a wing that you might use around commercial work, I suggest considering the
OxyCheq MACK V Extreme. It is easily the toughest, even though OxyCheq’s customer service is so-so. See:
YouTube; OxyCheq Mach V Extreme Wing
Do they also want you to get a bailout bottle to go with the harness? You probably want a LP bottle since filling it offshore will usually be from cascading off a limited supply of HP gas quads or six-packs — on air jobs which is where you will likely start your career. Most work is done off LP compressors and HP compressors offshore is a rarity until you get to saturation systems. I see a lot of ~60 Ft³ 3000 PSI Aluminum but I prefer a 2400+ PSI in the 45-60 Ft³ range.
Edit: BTW, two stainless steel hose clamps inside vinyl tubing is the norm instead of cam bands to secure the bailout to the harness. There is no need to swap bottles since the bailout is rarely actually used. You can use cam bands if you elect to use this harness for Scuba, but I would not show up on the job site with them.
The primary use of the rescue ring is to get in incapacitated diver back in the bell. There is usually a block and tackle attached to a padeye above the hatch so the bellman can get you back inside through the hatch. I have never heard of the rescue ring being used on a surface diving job. If they have a winch (usually an air tugger) and davit or A-frame, they will usually have a stage that the standby diver uses for recovery.