DaMaDo
Contributor
Here’s a collection of info I wish I knew when purchasing my set of gear. The only fact here is that it’s all my own personal opinion. I also only include a BP/W rather than jacket since I don’t have too much experience with jackets. I also added sections on regulators, computers, and misc items/information.
First I’ll go over each item, then list the recommended/popular brands, then at the end I have a list of online shops I’ve used with good results.
BP/W
The BP/W might look uncomfortable but I find it more comfortable than the jacket. I don’t feel the straps (there are pads if you really want them anyway) and I feel like I have a lot less on. If you want to go the in-between route, there are some BCDs that are a bit similar to BP/Ws such as Zeagle Brigade/Ranger so you might consider one of those back inflate BCDs.
BP/W isn’t for everybody though. You might prefer a jacket much more. You should be able to rent each style to test them out. The only place I can verify BP/W rentals is in Key Largo. You can rent halcyon BP/Ws at silent world and horizon, and of course, jackets are everywhere. Try before you buy. The more comfortable you are, the more enjoyable diving will be. Again, BP/W isn’t for everybody.
BP/Ws consist of a backplate made of aluminum or steel, a harness, and a “wing” which is an inflatable bladder that attaches to the back of the plate. A set of bolts goes through the wing and you use wing nuts (or delrin speed nuts) to hold it onto the backplate. There is also the option of a STA which is a single tank adapter that gives more stability to the tank and can add extra weight if needed (such as a weighted STA).
There are several brands but they all function the same and the parts are usually interchangeable. Not all though.
Backplate
The aluminum version is 2 pounds negative and the stainless steel is 5-6 pounds negative. I recommend the steel one unless you’re mainly using it for travel. There’s a huge probability that you will need weight with the aluminum unless you’re diving steel tanks. I have to add an extra 4 pounds of lead to my steel backplate when using a 3mm wetsuit.
The main difference in quality for steel plates is the the deburring done on the holes…somes are smoother than others. Poor deburring may have a chaffing effect on your webbing. Hollis and Halcyon do a great job with their cuts. I’m not sure on the rest. I’ve read complaints on some brands though. For aluminum plates, the finish varies greatly and some might show signs of wear earlier than others. Besides a SS Hollis plate, I also have an aluminum Hollis plate and the aluminum one is pretty scarred up from the bolts with only 2 dives on it.
Some recommended backplate brands are Halcyon, Hollis, Hog, OMS, Dive Rite, Golem, Deep Sea Supply (DSS), Oxycheq, and some no-name versions that are a lot cheaper. Aluminum backplates can cost as low as $48 and steel $75.
Harness
There are various types of harnesses. The single piece of webbing (sometimes called “Hogarthian” or “Hog”-not to be confused with the brand) will be just as comfortable as the “comfort” harnesses (I have both and will sell the comfort one). Unless you have some physical issue that prevents you from getting out of the one piece easily, I recommend the $25 single piece webbing. They shouldn’t be tight - I can take my arms out of the one piece without taking off my belt & crotch strap. You also have the option of adding harness pads and a backpad to the single piece webbing. I have a backpad for storage purposes and to keep the cold steel off my back. The comfort harnesses come in variety of flavors with all manner of releases to make donning and doffing easier.
You can find a good guide on how to set up a hogarthian harness here. And a video here.
Some recommended harness brands are Halcyon, Hollis, Hog, OMS, Dive Rite, Golem, Deep Sea Supply (DSS). A dive rite basic harness can be had for only $25.
Wing
The key here is that it needs to float itself and what you’re carrying when you’re not in it (since most humans are more or less neutrally buoyant). The best way to figure this out is to use the calculator made by seylitch. It was dead on for me at least. For a singles wing in warm water, you probably won’t need more than a 20 pound wing. Anything from 15-30 pounds will work if you’re in warm water. I don’t really put any air into my wing at all except when first jumping in and at the end of the dive after reaching the surface to wait to board the boat – but this is warm water with an AL80. I don’t have experience with drysuits and cold water so I won’t talk about wings for those situations.
It’s best to choose a wing that doesn’t require a STA just in case you travel with it and don’t want to bring that extra weight (if you decided to get an STA). Some wings don’t have holes for the cam bands and a STA is required, so check to see if you need one.
After each dive remember to rinse the inside of the wing both between the outer shell and inner bladder and through the corrugated hose (by holding the manual fill button against your sink, etc). Wiggle it around then dump it out a few times.
An inflator hose comes with most wings.
Some recommended wing brands are Oxycheq (my preference- the Mach V), Hog (cheap and great quality), Halcyon (very expensive), Hollis, OMS, Dive Rite, Golem, Deep Sea Supply (DSS)
Note – there are some parts that are proprietary. As examples: the Halcyon backpad and cinch system won’t work with a Hollis backplate. The DSS backplate weights will only fit on DSS backplates, etc. The three main parts (BP, harness, wing) are usually interchangeable, it’s the little extras that you need to worry about.
STA
Originally these were for mounting a single tank on a doubles wing. Most “singles” wings now have cam band slots and little stabilizers built in. A proper steel STA can add more stability but it is not necessary in many cases.
Single tank adapters have variations that can make a significant difference. Here’s my example: I have an Oxycheq 30 pound Mach V wing and the only STA that fits how I want is the narrow Oxycheq STA. This STA has the top and bottom cam band slots closer together (the top of the cam slot is level with the bolt, instead of being centered like most STAs) which helps me lower the tank so that I don’t bang my head into the first stage. Also, since the whole thing is shorter overall, it fits the Oxycheq wing on both possible sets of mounting holes. The dive rite STA I had before would only fit on one set of holes because it was too bulky. That was my experience with it. Other wings that have a wider gap in the back than the Oxycheq won’t have that problem. If you use a STA, the cam bands that hold the tank will go through the STA instead of the wing.
Bolts
You need bolts unless you bought a STA w/ bolt kit and the ones that come with the STA might be too short. Finding bolts was an issue for me because the ones that came with the STAs I tried were too short to go through STA, wing, grommeted webbing and BP. They worked, but were a PITA to get in. I needed longer ones. The ones from home depot rust. I suggest a 1 ½” 316 SS bolt from mcmaster carr, part # 93180A330. The delrin+brass Oxycheq speed nuts or the smaller star-shaped full delrin ones made by DSS are nice to add too and don’t require washers.
Weight
I’ve tried various configurations with weight (this is one of the benefits of a bp/w) – on the cam bands, on the waist part of the harness, in the groove of the backplate, as a separate belt, hanging off the bottom of the backplate, and quick release pockets added to the waist belt of the harness. In my opinion, the best is either a weighted STA, the tail weights hanging off the bottom of the backplate(this is what I use to add 4 lbs), or the smallest quick release harness pockets you can find (I’ll use this type if I go to a 5mm for winter). Without a wetsuit, I don’t use any weight.
Halcyon makes a great weighted STA. XS Scuba makes some great weight pockets. Dive Rite, Halcyon, OMS, Hollis and others make quick release pockets for the harness waist belt. I like the small 10 lb vertical Halcyon ones.
Slates
I find these very useful. I recommend staying away from the fancy magnetic ones and just getting a small flat slate with an attached pencil. They clean off super easy with Mr Clean Magic Eraser. The one I like is the Trident SL-18...I replaced the pencil attachment with 3/16 bungee cord and added a bolt clip to the corner with cave line. This way nothing is going anywhere. Several other brands/configurations seem to have an issue with the pencil escaping.
Regulators
The main things to look for are ease of breathing, availability of servicing, and availability of parts.
There are regulators made for warm water only and others can handle the cold too. If you’re thinking about diving cold in the future, invest in one that can handle it now rather than having to buy another set.
The majority of modern regulators are “balanced” which means the ease of breathing stays the same throughout changes in depth and tank pressure. Stay away from unbalanced, even for the octopus. Some high performance first stages are “overbalanced” which basically just means it adapts faster to changing pressure. Overbalanced are supposedly the easiest to breathe. I do enjoy mine substantially compared to rentals.
There is also the choice between piston, sealed piston, and diaphragm. Sealed piston or diaphragm would be best for cold. Piston regs are very durable, with simpler parts and theoretically less potential for failure. From what I’ve read the only difference you really need to worry about is the sealing for cold water if needed. Some brands like Dive Rite have a standard and “cold water kit” version.
As for yoke or DIN, start off with yoke. It’s what you’re going to be renting tank-wise. If you’re buying your own tanks or about to get into technical diving, then go DIN. It is possible to convert each to the other with a $75 conversion kit. You can also buy a $25-100 adapter that is easier to put on and doesn’t require tools. An issue with a din to yoke adapter though is that it puts the first stage an inch closer to your head which might be an issue for some.
More expensive doesn’t always mean better. If you want cheap but high quality, consider Hog regulators (made by Edge). A possible downside to the Hogs is that you might have to send them out for service once a year unless you want to learn to service them yourself. You can get the set for $250 and it is arguably comparable to a $700 Apeks XTX-200.
It helps to choose a brand that can be serviced locally. Either buy from your LDS or check to make sure they carry and can service the brand if you buy online. Some LDSs carry the brand but can’t service them so double-check. Most cities have an LDS that carries Scubapro, Aqualung, Atomic, Cressi, or Mares. Those should never really be a problem.
It would be best if you could try the regulator first to see if it breathes easily for you and if it’s comfortable. Some places like Scubatoys.com let you return used items for store credit so this might be an option. Caveadventurers.com lets you do the same with Hog regs.
On some brand models, a comfort swivel is included. Sometimes this swivel is not compatible with standard hoses. If you plan on switching to Miflex hoses (they are much more flexible), or getting into tech diving in the future, check with the manufacturer to verify the compatibility of the connectors on their regulators. In some rare cases, the second stage has a proprietary connector for the swivel, and the swivel is permanently attached to the factory hose.
Be careful with choosing a low quality octopus. Remember this is the emergency hose. You don’t want to find out it doesn’t work when you or your buddy are in immediate need of it. Some divers have an identical second stage as their octo. It’s not a good idea to get used to a whole new regulator in an emergency when you think you’re close to dying.
The inflator/octo combo seems like a good idea until you have to share air. For some it might be perfectly fine, for others it might be awkward. If you plan on having this configuration, be sure to practice with it.
Most regulators are made for up to 40% nitrox out of the box. Double-check with the manufacturer because not all are.
Oh and when you get it, don’t get water inside the first stage. Very bad. If it happens, get it serviced. Always keep the yoke/din caps on and never dunk them when off the tank or when the tank isn’t pressurized.
Here’s a write up of regulator checks you should do before every dive.
The most popular brands seem to be Scubapro, Apeks, Atomic, Aqualung, Sherwood, Mares, Oceanic, Cressi. If you consider buying used, remember to add the cost of servicing which can run up to $150 with parts and service. It can take 1-2 weeks. Most brands offer free parts for life if you are the original owner. Some only require service every two years.
First I’ll go over each item, then list the recommended/popular brands, then at the end I have a list of online shops I’ve used with good results.
BP/W
The BP/W might look uncomfortable but I find it more comfortable than the jacket. I don’t feel the straps (there are pads if you really want them anyway) and I feel like I have a lot less on. If you want to go the in-between route, there are some BCDs that are a bit similar to BP/Ws such as Zeagle Brigade/Ranger so you might consider one of those back inflate BCDs.
BP/W isn’t for everybody though. You might prefer a jacket much more. You should be able to rent each style to test them out. The only place I can verify BP/W rentals is in Key Largo. You can rent halcyon BP/Ws at silent world and horizon, and of course, jackets are everywhere. Try before you buy. The more comfortable you are, the more enjoyable diving will be. Again, BP/W isn’t for everybody.
BP/Ws consist of a backplate made of aluminum or steel, a harness, and a “wing” which is an inflatable bladder that attaches to the back of the plate. A set of bolts goes through the wing and you use wing nuts (or delrin speed nuts) to hold it onto the backplate. There is also the option of a STA which is a single tank adapter that gives more stability to the tank and can add extra weight if needed (such as a weighted STA).
There are several brands but they all function the same and the parts are usually interchangeable. Not all though.
Backplate
The aluminum version is 2 pounds negative and the stainless steel is 5-6 pounds negative. I recommend the steel one unless you’re mainly using it for travel. There’s a huge probability that you will need weight with the aluminum unless you’re diving steel tanks. I have to add an extra 4 pounds of lead to my steel backplate when using a 3mm wetsuit.
The main difference in quality for steel plates is the the deburring done on the holes…somes are smoother than others. Poor deburring may have a chaffing effect on your webbing. Hollis and Halcyon do a great job with their cuts. I’m not sure on the rest. I’ve read complaints on some brands though. For aluminum plates, the finish varies greatly and some might show signs of wear earlier than others. Besides a SS Hollis plate, I also have an aluminum Hollis plate and the aluminum one is pretty scarred up from the bolts with only 2 dives on it.
Some recommended backplate brands are Halcyon, Hollis, Hog, OMS, Dive Rite, Golem, Deep Sea Supply (DSS), Oxycheq, and some no-name versions that are a lot cheaper. Aluminum backplates can cost as low as $48 and steel $75.
Harness
There are various types of harnesses. The single piece of webbing (sometimes called “Hogarthian” or “Hog”-not to be confused with the brand) will be just as comfortable as the “comfort” harnesses (I have both and will sell the comfort one). Unless you have some physical issue that prevents you from getting out of the one piece easily, I recommend the $25 single piece webbing. They shouldn’t be tight - I can take my arms out of the one piece without taking off my belt & crotch strap. You also have the option of adding harness pads and a backpad to the single piece webbing. I have a backpad for storage purposes and to keep the cold steel off my back. The comfort harnesses come in variety of flavors with all manner of releases to make donning and doffing easier.
You can find a good guide on how to set up a hogarthian harness here. And a video here.
Some recommended harness brands are Halcyon, Hollis, Hog, OMS, Dive Rite, Golem, Deep Sea Supply (DSS). A dive rite basic harness can be had for only $25.
Wing
The key here is that it needs to float itself and what you’re carrying when you’re not in it (since most humans are more or less neutrally buoyant). The best way to figure this out is to use the calculator made by seylitch. It was dead on for me at least. For a singles wing in warm water, you probably won’t need more than a 20 pound wing. Anything from 15-30 pounds will work if you’re in warm water. I don’t really put any air into my wing at all except when first jumping in and at the end of the dive after reaching the surface to wait to board the boat – but this is warm water with an AL80. I don’t have experience with drysuits and cold water so I won’t talk about wings for those situations.
It’s best to choose a wing that doesn’t require a STA just in case you travel with it and don’t want to bring that extra weight (if you decided to get an STA). Some wings don’t have holes for the cam bands and a STA is required, so check to see if you need one.
After each dive remember to rinse the inside of the wing both between the outer shell and inner bladder and through the corrugated hose (by holding the manual fill button against your sink, etc). Wiggle it around then dump it out a few times.
An inflator hose comes with most wings.
Some recommended wing brands are Oxycheq (my preference- the Mach V), Hog (cheap and great quality), Halcyon (very expensive), Hollis, OMS, Dive Rite, Golem, Deep Sea Supply (DSS)
Note – there are some parts that are proprietary. As examples: the Halcyon backpad and cinch system won’t work with a Hollis backplate. The DSS backplate weights will only fit on DSS backplates, etc. The three main parts (BP, harness, wing) are usually interchangeable, it’s the little extras that you need to worry about.
STA
Originally these were for mounting a single tank on a doubles wing. Most “singles” wings now have cam band slots and little stabilizers built in. A proper steel STA can add more stability but it is not necessary in many cases.
Single tank adapters have variations that can make a significant difference. Here’s my example: I have an Oxycheq 30 pound Mach V wing and the only STA that fits how I want is the narrow Oxycheq STA. This STA has the top and bottom cam band slots closer together (the top of the cam slot is level with the bolt, instead of being centered like most STAs) which helps me lower the tank so that I don’t bang my head into the first stage. Also, since the whole thing is shorter overall, it fits the Oxycheq wing on both possible sets of mounting holes. The dive rite STA I had before would only fit on one set of holes because it was too bulky. That was my experience with it. Other wings that have a wider gap in the back than the Oxycheq won’t have that problem. If you use a STA, the cam bands that hold the tank will go through the STA instead of the wing.
Bolts
You need bolts unless you bought a STA w/ bolt kit and the ones that come with the STA might be too short. Finding bolts was an issue for me because the ones that came with the STAs I tried were too short to go through STA, wing, grommeted webbing and BP. They worked, but were a PITA to get in. I needed longer ones. The ones from home depot rust. I suggest a 1 ½” 316 SS bolt from mcmaster carr, part # 93180A330. The delrin+brass Oxycheq speed nuts or the smaller star-shaped full delrin ones made by DSS are nice to add too and don’t require washers.
Weight
I’ve tried various configurations with weight (this is one of the benefits of a bp/w) – on the cam bands, on the waist part of the harness, in the groove of the backplate, as a separate belt, hanging off the bottom of the backplate, and quick release pockets added to the waist belt of the harness. In my opinion, the best is either a weighted STA, the tail weights hanging off the bottom of the backplate(this is what I use to add 4 lbs), or the smallest quick release harness pockets you can find (I’ll use this type if I go to a 5mm for winter). Without a wetsuit, I don’t use any weight.
Halcyon makes a great weighted STA. XS Scuba makes some great weight pockets. Dive Rite, Halcyon, OMS, Hollis and others make quick release pockets for the harness waist belt. I like the small 10 lb vertical Halcyon ones.
Slates
I find these very useful. I recommend staying away from the fancy magnetic ones and just getting a small flat slate with an attached pencil. They clean off super easy with Mr Clean Magic Eraser. The one I like is the Trident SL-18...I replaced the pencil attachment with 3/16 bungee cord and added a bolt clip to the corner with cave line. This way nothing is going anywhere. Several other brands/configurations seem to have an issue with the pencil escaping.
Regulators
The main things to look for are ease of breathing, availability of servicing, and availability of parts.
There are regulators made for warm water only and others can handle the cold too. If you’re thinking about diving cold in the future, invest in one that can handle it now rather than having to buy another set.
The majority of modern regulators are “balanced” which means the ease of breathing stays the same throughout changes in depth and tank pressure. Stay away from unbalanced, even for the octopus. Some high performance first stages are “overbalanced” which basically just means it adapts faster to changing pressure. Overbalanced are supposedly the easiest to breathe. I do enjoy mine substantially compared to rentals.
There is also the choice between piston, sealed piston, and diaphragm. Sealed piston or diaphragm would be best for cold. Piston regs are very durable, with simpler parts and theoretically less potential for failure. From what I’ve read the only difference you really need to worry about is the sealing for cold water if needed. Some brands like Dive Rite have a standard and “cold water kit” version.
As for yoke or DIN, start off with yoke. It’s what you’re going to be renting tank-wise. If you’re buying your own tanks or about to get into technical diving, then go DIN. It is possible to convert each to the other with a $75 conversion kit. You can also buy a $25-100 adapter that is easier to put on and doesn’t require tools. An issue with a din to yoke adapter though is that it puts the first stage an inch closer to your head which might be an issue for some.
More expensive doesn’t always mean better. If you want cheap but high quality, consider Hog regulators (made by Edge). A possible downside to the Hogs is that you might have to send them out for service once a year unless you want to learn to service them yourself. You can get the set for $250 and it is arguably comparable to a $700 Apeks XTX-200.
It helps to choose a brand that can be serviced locally. Either buy from your LDS or check to make sure they carry and can service the brand if you buy online. Some LDSs carry the brand but can’t service them so double-check. Most cities have an LDS that carries Scubapro, Aqualung, Atomic, Cressi, or Mares. Those should never really be a problem.
It would be best if you could try the regulator first to see if it breathes easily for you and if it’s comfortable. Some places like Scubatoys.com let you return used items for store credit so this might be an option. Caveadventurers.com lets you do the same with Hog regs.
On some brand models, a comfort swivel is included. Sometimes this swivel is not compatible with standard hoses. If you plan on switching to Miflex hoses (they are much more flexible), or getting into tech diving in the future, check with the manufacturer to verify the compatibility of the connectors on their regulators. In some rare cases, the second stage has a proprietary connector for the swivel, and the swivel is permanently attached to the factory hose.
Be careful with choosing a low quality octopus. Remember this is the emergency hose. You don’t want to find out it doesn’t work when you or your buddy are in immediate need of it. Some divers have an identical second stage as their octo. It’s not a good idea to get used to a whole new regulator in an emergency when you think you’re close to dying.
The inflator/octo combo seems like a good idea until you have to share air. For some it might be perfectly fine, for others it might be awkward. If you plan on having this configuration, be sure to practice with it.
Most regulators are made for up to 40% nitrox out of the box. Double-check with the manufacturer because not all are.
Oh and when you get it, don’t get water inside the first stage. Very bad. If it happens, get it serviced. Always keep the yoke/din caps on and never dunk them when off the tank or when the tank isn’t pressurized.
Here’s a write up of regulator checks you should do before every dive.
The most popular brands seem to be Scubapro, Apeks, Atomic, Aqualung, Sherwood, Mares, Oceanic, Cressi. If you consider buying used, remember to add the cost of servicing which can run up to $150 with parts and service. It can take 1-2 weeks. Most brands offer free parts for life if you are the original owner. Some only require service every two years.
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attached with a hose. I prefer a wrist mount with a little 2” SPG attached to the belt of my harness.
