Best BP/W

[danvolker]

I got one of the first Halcyon 18 pound lift wings the year the first week they came out...97 or 98 I think....It is as good today, as it was then, as is the harness. Halcyons are made to last.....

 

[Mayor]

Sometimes the price on the H brand gets you thinking about other options but at the end of the day two things stand out. What's my life worth and made in the USA. I believe You Tube has some videos on how the wings are made. On another note I have liked products from DSS and also think highly of them.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

For the OP's question, the answer IMO is a Halcyon SS plate, cam bands, Pioneer 27 for tropical or Eclipse 30-40 with weightable STA for colder water, DSS OPV on the wing, and regular harness. No storage pack, padding, or the Cinch abomination. DSS probably has an edge in terms of simplicity (no triglides or STA needed, glide available) but Tobin's plates aren't as nicely finished and his wings aren't as well-built as Halcyon's...though his offerings are better sized and shaped than the Eclipse that H is churning out as a two-sizes-fit all solution. Which is not to say 99.9% of divers would be able to use their gear hard enough to make the Halcyon's superior qualities matter.

This is kind of like a new shooter asking about the most accurate rifle or pistol...the answer is that pretty much everything is capable of better accuracy than the shooter themselves. Get something that works for you, there are plenty of gear options that are far better designed and built than your skill set is capable of using to the point where you'll notice the differences.

Once you have settled on SS versus Al, does it really matter which BP you go with?

Probably not.

Are there ones that are better than others?

Yes.

Are there individual diver requirements that make certain BPs better for one diver and a different BP better for other divers?

It depends.

 

[diver 85]

DR or DSS IMO.........I have a DR---but it was down to those 2 & price was a little bit better on DR vs DSS @ the time 4 years ago......

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

I have a Fred-T and Oxycheq from 2004 and it is still going strong. Back then you pretty much had piece the parts together. Today you can get a system. Deep Sea Supply looks good as does OMS. The high prices and little blue H's over everything would cause me to give one supplier a pass. But others have been happy with them. I'd definitely get donut ring v. a horseshoe wing. You will want enough lift, but not too much. Some of this comes down to where you dive. Cold water divers need a lot more ballast and the means to handle that.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Probably redundant by now since some people have bought BP/W's from years ago. I'm looking for the best brand or brands offered for BP/W.

I don't mind investing as long as it is quality instead of wishing I bought so and so brand or type.

What's the best vehicle a person can buy?

 

[Canadave]

+ 1 for Deep Sea Supply

The owner, Tobin, provided excellent customer service. I researched online on their website but I had to complete the order over the phone. I spoke to Tobin directly and he took his time and asked lots of questions that took the guess work out of finding the right rig for my diving. I have owned it for a couple of years now and it has been very durable and served me well.

I also like that there is no need for a single tank adapter and because they make lead weight plates that can screw directly onto the bp. I primarily dive dry in cold water so weight and where to put it are always issues. I was able to add 8 lbs of lead with the plates attached to the 6 lb SS bp. I don`t have to mess with weight pouches on cam bands or having to put a ton of weight onto a weight belt. With this set up, I only require a few additional pounds on a weight belt. This gives me some ditch-able weight and it is barely noticeable around my waist. Probably not as big an issue for you in S. Florida but it was another plus for me.

 

[tphelps]

I dive a Hollis solo harness, SS backplate and 18lb wing. So far I'm extremely happy with the quality.

Additionally, my dive buddy has well over a thousand dives on his Halcyon BP/w and it's still working!

 

[tbone1004]

and now you're getting the biased opinions of what people have and that they like it. Hollis is by no means anywhere close to the top of the pack for quality, they are good quality, but made in China, and the overall fit and finish is not like the first three that I mentioned, neither is support over the 4th. Hollis is just one of those brands like Scubapro actually, that is charging premium pricing for stuff that is no better than products 30-40% cheaper. Sorry, but at least Dive Rite is committed to keeping their products made in USA, Nick is getting cheap wings out of China and charging a huge markup on them to pad his wallet and his marketing budget which is why I won't support that company.

For what it is worth, I don't own any Oxycheq, Halcyon, or Deep Sea Supply backplates or wings, for that matter I don't actually own any hard backplates anymore because of sidemounting most of the time. My Nomad is probably the highest quality of the sidemount rigs as far as overall fit and finish, and the wings are built like the three above, it's real damn close especially now that they have the superfabric on there, but as far as the fit and finish of the backplate itself, FredT if he's still making them *didn't list him because I don't think he is*, DSS, Oxycheq, and Halcyon really have the best plates out there.

This is all a spitting match though because at the end of the day it's a hunk of steel, and a sewn bag, they're all going to perform at a very high level. The $350 Trianta set from DRiS, err well was until a few days ago and should be down to around $300 at Black Friday, is the best bang for your buck right now if you want a hard backplate. The HOG plates are actually very very good, and the wing itself is on par with any of the middle tier wings and will last you quite a long time. It has a lifetime warranty which most of the premium wings have, and saving $300-$500 on it will allow you to get a good regulator set. You can always upgrade to a different wing down the road if you want a change.

 

[RJP]

Halcyon leads the pack in my opinion.

One wing to rule them all...

"We wants it. We needs it. Must have the precious!"