BP w/ Wing for Beginner

[gr8ful divr]

Okay. I'm a total newbie about to purchase gear. My LDS is mostly geared toward tech diving (mostly cave). I would ultimately like to get into wreck and/or cave diving down the road. But for the next year or so I think the bulk of my diving will be warm water recreational diving with a lot of deep water nitrox dives thrown in at nearby quarrys. I was looking at a Halcyon BP w/ Wing at my LDS. The owner thought that going that route might slow my development as a diver because the Halcyon BP by design would put a single tank (which would be most of my dives over the next year) further off my back causing me difficulty staying level underwater. He mentioned that all BP w/ Wings were really designed for double tank set ups and though they could be used with singles that was not the ideal setup. He pointed me toward a set up that he had designed and manufactured that adopted all of the same principles as the Halcyon but was really made for rec diving on singles. It was a very streamlined DIR influenced design. I think it was called a 200ft Viz TravelLite which I used in my class and didn't love at least while I was on the surface (it seemed to push me face down to easily). Though it did seem to work pretty well under water.

I guess I want to know if the Halcyon styled BP w/ Wing would cause any significant problem for a beginner or if it is something I would get accustomed to? Does anyone have any experience with a 200ft Viz TravelLite? I want to make a decision one way or the other before I go diving this weekend. I'm not locked into any one manufacturer so any help would be appreciated.

 

[JeffG]

I was looking at a Halcyon BP w/ Wing at my LDS. The owner thought that going that route might slow my development as a diver because the Halcyon BP by design would put a single tank (which would be most of my dives over the next year) further off my back causing me difficulty staying level underwater.

He is an idiot.

 

[ShakaZulu]

Really, that is interesting........get yourself a singles wing, a BP and a STA (single tank adaptor) and you're on your way. If I was you, I would get the DSS BP.

http://deepseasupply.com/page7.html

You will need to figure out how much weight you dive? May need to get a AL BP.

 

[Adobo]

I've used a backplate and wing since dive #6. I've always found it to be increadibly easy to use. It has been far more forgiving on my back and also allows me to dive with less weight on my weight belt. All good things.

 

[kidspot]

The difference is very small, 1" depending upon the BP. Halcyon makes one of the flatter style plates, which means it puts it fairly close to your back.

If it helps, here's a list of various plates/wings being compiled http://www.kidspot.org/personal/scuba/bpwing.html

Also - many of us prefer a standard bp for single tank diving.

Aloha, Tim

 

[wunat]

..................The owner thought that going that route might slow my development as a diver because the Halcyon BP by design would put a single tank (which would be most of my dives over the next year) further off my back causing me difficulty staying level underwater. He mentioned that all BP w/ Wings were really designed for double tank set ups and though they could be used with singles that was not the ideal setup. He pointed me toward a set up that he had designed and manufactured that adopted all of the same principles as the Halcyon but was really made for rec diving on singles. It was a very streamlined DIR influenced design. I think it was called a 200ft Viz TravelLite which I used in my class and didn't love at least while I was on the surface (it seemed to push me face down to easily). Though it did seem to work pretty well under water.

Personally, it seems to me that there might be some financial motives behind such comments. Might be wrong.

I guess I want to know if the Halcyon styled BP w/ Wing would cause any significant problem for a beginner or if it is something I would get accustomed to? Does anyone have any experience with a 200ft Viz TravelLite? I want to make a decision one way or the other before I go diving this weekend. I'm not locked into any one manufacturer so any help would be appreciated.

BP+Wing is certainly a good way to go for you if you actually see yourself going the tech route in the future. But even though you won't eventually go tech, I personally still prefer my BP+Wing setup for my recreational dives. The "push-your-face-forward" problem can be taken care of:

1) Only inflate your wing with enough air for you to stay at the surface.
2) Do use a cotch strap. It will add stability to the system.
3) If you need extra weights, you can have the weight blocks on the tank cam straps.

Though I don't have first hand experience with Halcyon products, I know they are one of the most popular BP+Wing system out there. Hope this helps.

Ciao,

 

[RiverRat]

The owner thought that going that route might slow my development as a diver because the Halcyon BP by design would put a single tank (which would be most of my dives over the next year) further off my back causing me difficulty staying level underwater. He mentioned that all BP w/ Wings were really designed for double tank set ups and though they could be used with singles that was not the ideal setup.

Yep, I was told that a BP/W would drowned me if I didn't dive double steels to offset it.
Total BS, Ignorant, Stupid crap!

Look at my Avetar, BP/W in G. Cayman and I barely had 30 dives in total. That week was the first time diving the BP/W. Although a backplate and wing is the way to go for doubles it can function flawlessly as a singles rig too. If you look into the history of diving there was a time when there were NO BCD's! They weren't invented yet. The only way to put a tank on your back was a plate with straps.

 

[cool_hardware52]

An Instructor freind of mine here in SoCal starts his BOW students in a BP&W, single tank with an H valve, bungeed BU and a 7ft hose.

They don't seem to be impeded in their diving development, he turns out pretty good divers.......

Tobin

 

[gr8ful divr]

Let me clarify, both set ups utilize backplates and wings. The LDS owner was just saying that the Halcyon set up wasn't ideal for single tank diving while his set up was intended solely for single tanks. He showed me how much further a single tank would sit off my back on the Halcyon compared to the TravelLite he was showing me. He also carries Dive Rite products but seemed to feel the same about their set up for single tanks. He said that it was totally up to me and that he could even give me a pretty good deal on the Halcyon stuff since he would no longer be carrying that product line (though he didn't have any single tank wings). Again, he wasn't saying that I was going to drown using a BP w/ wing just that the Halcyon/Dive Rite set ups weren't ideal for a beginner and might cause stability problems. Any thoughts on that?

 

[RiverRat]

Yep. Maybe I over-reacted because of the negatives I was fed when I started out. I was mainly replying to "He mentioned that all BP w/ Wings were really designed for double tank set ups and though they could be used with singles that was not the ideal setup"
So I should have just stated that I feel a BP/Wing could be ideal for singles.
That's all