Preferred choices for backplate and wings?

[Diver below 83]

Are the mares xr wings not popular?

 

[tbone1004]

Are the mares xr wings not popular?

not particularly. Nothing inherently wrong with them, but they're not particularly popular. @Lake Hickory Scuba has probably the most experience with them on here

 

[Lake Hickory Scuba]

not particularly. Nothing inherently wrong with them, but they're not particularly popular. @Lake Hickory Scuba has probably the most experience with them on here

@Chase Kaplan , In regards to the Mares XR system. We have several videos on our YouTube channel going over each component. If you have any direct questions please feel free to contact us. Our shop number is 828-632-7649, or you can reach me directly on my cell at 828-244-0465. As some one who has used many Back Plate and Wing systems over the years, I can't say there is one in particular that I would stay away from. They are all good, and all serve the same purpose. Your decision should be based off your budget, and your needs. I have heard others say that certain ones are better because they can be adjusted, such as the SubGravity Paragon (or the SubGravity Slider), or the Halcyon Cinch Adapter, and even Mares makes a slider for there Harness System. The truth of the matter is the majority of them are universal, and you can add parts from other manufactures. A prime example of this is our Pro's here at the shop. All 3 of my Back Plate and Wings are strictly all Mares components, my father's is a Hollis Plate and Adjustable Harness with a Mares Wing, one of my Assistant Instructors wears the Mares Red Devil System with the SLS weight system, and another Assistant Instructor for us uses a Highland Plate with a Mares Harness and Wing, and one of our Divemasters uses a complete Hollis System. All but 2 of them have SubGravity Sliders on them. I would check your local dealers and see what they have in stock, and see if they have some for rent to let you try. If not, ask around your local divers, and see what you can find to try before you buy. If you are in the area, come by our shop and you are more than welcome to take any of my sets out to try. At the end of the day, all the advice in the world will be biased, mine included, based off what we like or what we sell, but not necessarily what will work best for you. Personally, I would recommend any Back Plate and Wing as long as you can find it locally to you, and that the parts you are wanting are readily available. Certain manufactures, though they make great products, the service side of their business is not very friendly. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Random Dude]

Have a Golem Gear donut wing, definitely recommend it, high build quality, good design, no regrets!

Definitely check them out if you have the chance to.

 

[Zef]

If you are looking at Dive Rite and Halcyon, I can attest that Dive Rite from a customer service standpoint is accessible and responsive. I have no experience with Halcyon but have repeatedly read that they are one of the more relatively expensive brands....people tend to like their stuff but they seem to pay a premium for it.

All things being equal, I would recommend going with the company that has a better reputation for customer service.

-Z

 

[Caveman]

If you are looking at Dive Rite and Halcyon, I can attest that Dive Rite from a customer service standpoint is accessible and responsive. I have no experience with Halcyon but have repeatedly read that they are one of the more relatively expensive brands....people tend to like their stuff but they seem to pay a premium for it.

All things being equal, I would recommend going with the company that has a better reputation for customer service.

-Z

Hey Zef, I have also heard good things of the Dive Rite customer service. One aspect that I think is turning my favor in Dive Rite's direction is their lifetime guarantee. Not only because it shows that they will deal with problems if they arise but also goes to show their confidence in their designs. In terms of price I think that Dive Rite is the same as Halcyon or a bit cheaper. My IANTD instructor is also the only dealer of Halcyon and Dive Rite in the country so items are brought in on request. So I really can choose either to be fully honest.

So from what I have gathered from everyone here is wings are a much of a muchness. As long as it is from a good brand, 40/60 Ibs of lift depending on my diving requirements, I can't go wrong with any of them and really should just go according to budget and customer service? And also maybe the look

 

[tbone1004]

Have a Golem Gear donut wing, definitely recommend it, high build quality, good design, no regrets!

Definitely check them out if you have the chance to.

terrible customer service in the US, I can only imagine abroad... Would not recommend

Halcyon's customer service reputation is easily on par with Dive Rite's. They may not explicitly claim a lifetime warranty on their wings, but read around on here and you'll see some interesting replacement stories from both Dive Rite and Halcyon. Both companies are very comparable in that regard

 

[kelemvor]

Regarding wings, something critical in my mind is that it be serviceable. That means replaceable bladder. Believe it or not, non-serviceable BC's aren't just limited to recreational gear.

Really, it's just a matter of maintenance cost. If you've got non-serviceable then you're eventually going to have to replace your wing. If you have serviceable, you only replace the bladder. My diverite wing needed a new bladder after 4 years. I used it at an aquarium in addition to recreational diving and so it probably had 250 dives counting that aquarium work. It cost me $100 and 5 minutes to replace the bladder.

I had been flushing the thing after diving, but still there was salt (or sand?) build up in the bottom that lead to leaking near a seam. Obviously, flushing it with a garden hose adapter and that cleaner stuff they sell in dive shops was not sufficient.

 

[Caveman]

terrible customer service in the US, I can only imagine abroad... Would not recommend

Halcyon's customer service reputation is easily on par with Dive Rite's. They may not explicitly claim a lifetime warranty on their wings, but read around on here and you'll see some interesting replacement stories from both Dive Rite and Halcyon. Both companies are very comparable in that regard

I have been doing just that. Very impressive from both companies. Can't go wrong with either decision. Very nice looking and robustly built designs from a visual point of view as well. Thanks for all the help, Tom. Either the Halcyon Evolve or Dive Rite Classic XT will probably be my final choice

 

[tbone1004]

@Chase Kaplan oh, if you're doing wreck penetration, I'd probably lean towards the Dive Rite. The "armor" they use is really interesting and quite durable from a puncture and abrasion standpoint