Switching to backplate and wing

[shurite7]

When I bought my Halcyon last year, I wanted to get a 20lb wing at the same time. My LDS recommended trying the 40lb first. As I mentioned, it seems to work fine and vents no problem. Other than trapping gas, what would be the downside to a larger wing in warm water?

That said, I would still like to try a smaller wing in warm water....

Years ago I got caught up in wanting one wing to fit my diving of recreational and tech. I hadn't done any tech at that time, but the tech people were telling me the big wing that I was using for recreational was overkill and not ideal. At the time I didn't see it that way. Now, after going through tech courses, I totally agree with what I was told. It is a pain to purchase two wings, but well worth it. A 40# wing for the tropics is overkill and unnecessary with a single tank.

I have two BP/Ws, one for diving in cold water and one for the tropics. For cold water I use a Pioneer wing that has 38#s of lift. For the tropics I use the Eclipse wing which has 20# of lift. You don't have to buy two BCDs, just one BP with harness / cinch system and two wings.

Years ago I was told the general rule of thumb for determining how much lift one needs, for recreational diving, is a BCD that has 10 more pounds of lift than the amount of weight you are using. If you use 10 pounds of lead then use a bcd which has a 20 pound lift capacity. With that being stated a lot of the guys up here are using 28-40 pounds of weight and use a 40# wing with their drysuits and have no problems staying afloat no the surface.

 

[Colliam7]

I have decided to make a switch from a BCD (Scubapro Ladyhawk) to a backplate and wing. . . . I am currently a DMC and will be doing a lot more diving in the future . . . My main questions are about being able to use it in both cold and warm water. I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia so I dive in a drysuit when I'm at home but I also spend a lot of time in Thailand (where I am now) where I only wear a rash guard. When I dive in a drysuit I usually use 35lbs (I know I'm overweighted but I'm currently trying to sort out my buoyancy issues in cold water) and I have a trilaminate BARE suit. I want to know if a wing with 30 or 32lbs of lift would be enough or if I need to go with 40lbs. I would rather have the smallest wing possible since I will regularly be using it in warm water. I am also leaning towards getting the steel backplate for the added weight and then getting a light travel backplate as well. Is steel a good choice or would aluminium be better? And is the travel backplate okay to dive with for say a month or longer at a time?

I've been looking at the Apeks WTX/WTX-D series but it is quite expensive. Does anyone have brand recommendations?

Also, right now I have an integrated weight system in my BCD, how do you guys deal with weighting in drysuits with a BP&W? I looked into adding the Apeks integrated weights to the backplate but they are very expensive and would still only hold 20lbs.

Thanks in advance!

Several thoughts:

1. You can use the same backplate for diving with a skin, and with a drysuit. I frankly found it easier to have two BPs - both stainless steel by the way - for drysuit diving, and for wetsuit diving, simply because I don't really care to adjust the sizing of the harness. Even though you could size the harness for the drysuit, and tighten it up a bit for warm water skin / wetsuit diving, you may well find it easier to have two.

2. I use a steel backplate for local diving, AND I travel with a steel backplate. It is not that big of a deal. And, I have multiple travel plates - Oxycheq Ultra-Lite travel Plate, Zeagle ET plate, Apeks Ultralight Plate, as well as an AL BP - so my decision to travel with steel is a matter of convenience. But, with a steel I need no added weight, so I use it. Having said that, there is nothing wrong with having a travel plate set up for just that - travel - IF the weight while traveling is important to you.

3. Honestly, I don't think you should plan to have one and only one wing. One of the many great features of a BP/W system is its modularity! I don't care to dive with more than a 30 lb wing when I dive single cylinders (and prefer an 18lb), and I can do that in 1mm, 3mm or 5mm wetsuits, with steel cylinders, if I use a 30 lb wing. Generally, when I dive dry, I use double cylinders, and I use a bigger (50lb) wing. I would plan on the smallest wing you can use for each primary configuration. It sounds like your weighting is still a work in progress and you may need to experiment a bit.

4. Since you are pursuing DM training, a word of advice: you are working toward becoming a dive professional. You should plan to equip yourself optimally for all of the configurations that you will be using. 'One size fits all' is not necessarily going to be the best approach, although you may be able to do that.

5. I LOVE Apeks equipment - it is well-made, durable, etc. I dive multiple Apeks regs and swear by them. I have several Apeks wings (18 and 30lb), but I actually prefer my Halcyon 30lb wing to my Apeks. It is less bulky, and less positively buoyant - I really don't care to carry extra weight just to offset the buoyancy of the (deflated) wing. You may have a different preference, so I am just sharing my experience.

 

[Marie13]

I have the Halcyon Infinity with the Cinch system and the 40lb wing. Love it. I switched out the blue H webbing for pink when I accidentally cut the blue webbing too short over the winter. The 40lb wing works well for me. I dive it with steel HP80s in at least a 5mm wetsuit.

What I do for weight - I have the weighted STA insert. I have the Halcyon weight pockets, but I switched out one for the bellows pocket on the right side that does have a zippered pocket that holds up to a 5lb weight. I also have trim pockets.

ETA: the webbing I have is the standard Halcyon webbing, just wth pink Hs instead of blue Hs.

 

[Roger Hobden]

Here is a review of my BP/W that a posted a bit ago- I was looking for the exact same things as you and this is what I decided on. It has been 3 months since this review and I now have about 60 dives with it. Both here in the Channel Islands of So Cal in my drysuit and my 7mm wetsuit and also in Bonaire with a 3mm and nothing but board shorts and a rash guard. I couldn't be happier and some of the "cons" from my initial review have completely become non-issues as a result of additional dives and familiarity. This is not the cheapest way to go, but it is very well constructed and should make up for cost in longevity and my contentment with it.
Review: XDeep Ghost BCD- BP/W

Back to scuba diving after stopping for 20 years and had not purchased equipment at the time. One of the LDS in Montreal sells the XDeep Ghost. What are the "cons" that are still lingering ?

 

[billt4sf]

Hello,

I have decided to make a switch from a BCD (Scubapro Ladyhawk) to a backplate and wing. I recently realized that my BCD is way too big for me (M and I'm only 5'3) and I suspect that may be why I have had buoyancy issues in the past. Although I loved my hybrid BCD, I figured that since I am currently a DMC and will be doing a lot more diving in the future, I should make the switch.

My main questions are about being able to use it in both cold and warm water. I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia so I dive in a drysuit when I'm at home but I also spend a lot of time in Thailand (where I am now) where I only wear a rash guard. When I dive in a drysuit I usually use 35lbs (I know I'm overweighted but I'm currently trying to sort out my buoyancy issues in cold water) and I have a trilaminate BARE suit. I want to know if a wing with 30 or 32lbs of lift would be enough or if I need to go with 40lbs. I would rather have the smallest wing possible since I will regularly be using it in warm water. I am also leaning towards getting the steel backplate for the added weight and then getting a light travel backplate as well. Is steel a good choice or would aluminium be better? And is the travel backplate okay to dive with for say a month or longer at a time?

I've been looking at the Apeks WTX/WTX-D series but it is quite expensive. Does anyone have brand recommendations?

Also, right now I have an integrated weight system in my BCD, how do you guys deal with weighting in drysuits with a BP&W? I looked into adding the Apeks integrated weights to the backplate but they are very expensive and would still only hold 20lbs.

Thanks in advance!

I say forget about the DMC and take Fundies to get your buoyancy issues in the dry suit settled first. Lots of good instructors up there. They will help you get your equipment settled.

35 lbs of weight for a gal 5'3" is a HUGE amount of weight. (I am 6'6" 250 lbs and I wore 35 lbs with a drysuit -- still overweighted. I dropped about 15 lbs of lead from taking Fundies and from other things. Fundies helped the most though.)

- Bill

 

[Trailboss123]

Back to scuba diving after stopping for 20 years and had not purchased equipment at the time. One of the LDS in Montreal sells the XDeep Ghost. What are the "cons" that are still lingering ?

I don't have any remaining. My original post was immediately after first dives with it and my cons had more to do with my own personal dive style after many years of only diving in a jacket style BC that has a dump valve on the right shoulder and a dump valve on the lower right butt that I had years of muscle memory using. It just took me a handful of additional dives to acclimate. No different than it took me 20 dives or so too acclimate fully to a drysuit when I began using one years ago. Even donning it in the water, which I stated as a "con" initially, I have overcome. Only inflate it enough to allow it to be positively buoyant and not overly inflated at the surface and it lays down pretty flat and making it simple to get into. I have zero regrets!

 

[stuartv]

When you dive in Thailand, do you use aluminum tanks, steel, or a mix?

After you finish DM, are you planning to become an instructor?

Regarding wing size, when you are in a drysuit and are carrying 35# of weight, imagine that you start a dive, go straight to maximum depth, and something happens to cause your drysuit to flood. You need to make sure your wing can lift you. If you have a bunch of weight you can ditch, a 30-something # wing is probably enough. If you can't or don't want to ditch any weight, then a 35# wing is probably not enough.

 

[Roger Hobden]

I don't have any remaining. My original post was immediately after first dives with it and my cons had more to do with my own personal dive style after many years of only diving in a jacket style BC that has a dump valve on the right shoulder and a dump valve on the lower right butt that I had years of muscle memory using. It just took me a handful of additional dives to acclimate. No different than it took me 20 dives or so too acclimate fully to a drysuit when I began using one years ago. Even donning it in the water, which I stated as a "con" initially, I have overcome. Only inflate it enough to allow it to be positively buoyant and not overly inflated at the surface and it lays down pretty flat and making it simple to get into. I have zero regrets!

Thanks for the information !

 

[Paul M]

I don't know what wing size of you would need but I just wanted to say that I love my Halcyon Carbon Fiber BP. It has an integrated STA and quick cinch. I can adjust the harness in seconds depending on type of exposure suit I'm using.
I dive in the Great Lakes and occasionally in the Carribean. It's super lightweight for travel.

 

[Roger Hobden]

I say forget about the DMC and take Fundies to get your buoyancy issues in the dry suit settled first. Lots of good instructors up there. They will help you get your equipment settled.
35 lbs of weight for a gal 5'3" is a HUGE amount of weight. (I am 6'6" 250 lbs and I wore 35 lbs with a drysuit -- still overweighted. I dropped about 15 lbs of lead from taking Fundies and from other things. Fundies helped the most though.)
- Bill

"Fundies" = Fundamentals Skills Course, organized by GUE ? Is that correct ?