Wing and backplate...Can someone please explain?

[scubafire]

I am getting back into diving. I got certified, went on two dives and then sold my gear for various reasons. Now my wife and I want to dive together. I am looking into a wing and backplate setup in place of a traditional bc. But I am completely clueless. I mean, TOTALLY clueless.

I need step by step instructions and information on the how's and why's of this setup. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I will only dive occasionally, but like the idea of how I can customize it and it can be the more inexpensive route.

I get confused when I get on sites and see straps and hoses and plates and such. Please help!

 

[muddiver]

Get a DiveRite Transplate and harness. It is designed like a backpacking harness to distribute the weight of the gear when you are on the surface and they are already rigged so don't have to go figuring out how to weave a single strap like a Hog rig. SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc

 

[Majickyl]

I just set up mine not too long ago...

You'll have:
A back plate (steel or aluminum)
A wing (single or double, whatever lift you want/need)
A harness (can be just 2" webbing with buckles and D-rings, or something fancier)
A crotch strap
If you're diving singles, a single tank adapter (STA). Some wings have integrated roll bars.

You can also add weight pockets if you need them, and you may want a back pad to put between your body and the (cold steel) plate.

If you go with the hogarthian harness (which is likely the cheapest route and very customizable), you thread the webbing through the harness like this...
Hogarthian Harness Assembly Instructions - Dive Gear Express
You may want to be prepared with a couple of beers the night you plan to thread your harness.
And it will take a couple of dives to get it all adjusted.

Then you can attach the wing and STA with carraige bolts and wing nuts, through the holes in the backplate.

I love my BP/W setup. It feels very natural, is very easy to trim out well, and is not cluttered. I am a short woman, so a typical BC generally has the buckles and D-rings in all the wrong places. I can put my D-rings where I can most easily reach them. It's simplistic, there is not a lot of drag and a lot of crap. It's as natural as wearing a back pack.

 

[gconner]

Jon,

Give Tobin at Depp Sea Supply a shout. He's very helpful and can answer any and all of your questions concerning backplates and wings. He also frequents Scuba Board so you can find him here as well.

Good luck and welcome back to the diving community.

-- Gary

 

[kanonfodr]

A BP/W setup has many advantages over a traditional "recreational" BCD:

The backplate, especially a steel one, moves ballast off of the weight belt and over the lungs where it is needed most. Even an aluminum backplate doesn't feature the bouyant padding that many regular BCDs do, so either way you are dropping the total weight of your scuba system.

Custom fit: a harness, Hogarthian or otherwise, can be sized to fit the diver perfectly; and can feature as many or as few D-Rings as the diver desires in the exact position that he/she desires them.

Ruggedness: the backplate itself is incredibly rugged, and most wings are very resistant to puncture lending the system to exceptional reliability.

Trim: due to the design of both the backplate and the wing lift is centered directly over the diver's torso, encouraging a horizontal attitude in the water to reduce the effort the diver expends to move themselves through the water. This contributes to reduced air consumption, increasing dive times while reducing post-dive fatigue

Streamlining: The backplate/wing is form-fitting, and a properly sized wing features negligible drag while compensating for full tanks.

Consistency: Simply by changing the wing, the diver can go from a single tank setup to a doubles setup without having to learn an all-new BCD, increasing diver comfort as well as keeping everything consistent between setups.

Security: using a hogarthian harness with a crotch strap, the diver is completely secured to his equipment. This leads to the diver having a better idea of his attitude in the water, as well as reducing the risk of him slipping out due to compression of heavy wetsuits or thick drysuit undies, as well as trapping a weight belt if one is worn.

Just a few reasons

Peace,
Greg

 

[fire_diver]

Yeah, What kanonfodr said. I can't say it any better.

 

[mikecotrone]

Get a DiveRite Transplate and harness. It is designed like a backpacking harness to distribute the weight of the gear when you are on the surface and they are already rigged so don't have to go figuring out how to weave a single strap like a Hog rig. SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Sidemount, Rebreather, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc

+1 on the Dive Rite Transplate and wing. I have one Transplate for singles with the Rec EXP wing and a second transplate with the Classic EXP for doubles. I also use the Tech butt plate which is great for side mounting stage bottles etc.

I use the choker on the neck of my tank (AL40s) along with the the Bungee set and stage strap.

 

[g1138]

To sum up what's been said,
The basic single tank set up for a BP/W (Backplate/Wing) is the following:

Backplate (Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Synthetic)
Harness (1 piece Hogarthian, or with buckles and swivels etc)
Wing (anything under 40lbs for singles)
Cambands (tank bands, 2 required)

Optional:
STA - Single tank Adapter
Crotch Strap

Backplates are mainly made from Stainless Steel (SS - 5-6lbs) or Aluminum (Al - 1.5-3lbs). They make plastic and synthetic backplates which are near neutral. The latter usually comes as a package with it's own harness etc (see Dive Rite Transpac and Zeagle Express Tech)
Some come with slots for your cambands in which case an single tank adapter (STA) would be optional if your wing comes integrated with a "rollbar".
An STA is usually weighted to 1lb, with SS buckle cambands you now have 3 extra pounds total to the plate.
They make some STA's that can be fitted with a lead block to add more pounds to it.
STA also allow you to attach your cambands to the STA itself so if you want to take apart your set up you don't have to unlace and relace your cambands (which gets old REAL quick)

With your backplate you'll see holes drilled into them which can be used with bolts and nuts to attach pockets, clips, accessories, and anything you can imagine.

Your Bp/W and STA are all held together by SS wingnuts and bolts. Very secure.
Everything sits right on your center of gravity on your back, so horizontal trim comes naturally to you, unless of course you load a large ratio of weight on your belt or hip pockets (purchased separately).

A single piece Hogarthian Harness (Hog) is usually the cheapest route and when fitted right can be taken off just as quick if not quicker than any other BC (less straps to get confused with).

Crotch straps are optional and can be either 1in or 2 in in diameter. Usually they're 2 in can help to keep the whole package secure to you. You'll find with a good fitting BP/W that it won't roll on you at all. With normal BC's you roll and your tank sorta delays then rolls with you. This is because you slide in your BC. With a BP/W you roll and your tank and whole backplate immediately roll with you; you're truly one unit with your equipment.

Here's how to set up and fit a Hog Harness:
Hog Assembly and fitting


As a note, with the BP/W comes the DIR concept that most people will mention or push onto you. It entails a different regulator hose and gauge set up which most Basic OW students are unfamiliar with. It's very popular but NOT necessary.

I've seen plenty of Bp/W divers who sport the usual primary reg and long hose octo route
or even a primary reg and Air 2 set up.
Some go with wrist mounted computers and small air gauges or console computers.
It's all up to you, you'll have to use your imagination on the set up of your BP/W.
It can be a little daunting which is why I strongly suggest making friends with a BP/W diver who can mentor you in possible uses and styles with which to set up your BP/W.

 

[aquaregia]

Where do you want to dive? This plays a big role in determining what you should get. If you travel to dive, you'll want to cut down weight (AL BP, no sta, etc). If this means you wear a couple pounds at the site, it's probably worth not sweating the baggage. If you dive locally, I'd imagine a heavy backplate is in order, but if you go near fresh or warm water, you might find it too heavy.

I don't use weight pockets, back pads or quick cinches.

Edit: I somehow read Alberta not Alabama. Seems like both warm and fresh water would be likely

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

First off, to help clear up some confusion ... what is a BP/W rig? Well, it's a "component-style" BCD. It comes in three basic pieces ... the backplate, the wing, and the harness. Each of those three offers choices ... and most manufacturers make them in such a way that you can pick and choose each component separately and assemble them to make a complete, personalized BCD.

Backplates
The backplate is the "foundation" of the system. It's generally made from stainless steel, but can also be aluminum, kydex, or some other rigid material. Some manufacturers (DSS, for example) make them in varying lengths to accommodate people of different height. The backplate will be bent at an angle, with a "channel" running vertically down the center. This shape fits your back comfortably, and the channel makes it so that if you're using bolts and wingnuts to hold the wing in place, the ends won't stick into your back. The backplate will have a certain configuration of slots and holes in it ... these vary with manufacturer, but they're there to accommodate the harness and to provide "clip-off" points for various types of accessories that some divers will carry. Backplates come in various weights ... depending on material and thickness ... and the best choice for you will depend on the type of diving you do. People who cold-water dive tend to like heavier plates, because it helps take weight off your belt and redistribute it over your torso where it can offset the natural buoyancy of your lungs. People who warm-water dive ... or who travel a lot ... tend to prefer lighter weight plates. What's right for you will depend on what type of diving you plan to do.

Wings
Wings provide "buoyancy compensation", and are possibly the most confusing choice out there ... because there are so many choices. Wings are rated by how much "lift" they deliver, and the general rule of thumb is to choose a wing that will provide enough lift to offset the worst-case negative buoyancy you'll experience when your cylinder is full and your suit is compressed. For warm-water divers using a 3mm wetsuit and AL80, this may be as little as 20 lbs and for drysuit divers using big double-cylinders and stage bottles it could be upwards of 70 lbs. Where you fit into the picture depends on your body build and what equipment you're using. I would recommend looking for threads on that subject here on ScubaBoard ... or contacting CoolHardware_52 (Tobin George from Deep Sea Supply) who has made a science out of helping people choose the correctly sized wing. Wings come in varying shapes as well as sizes. Some flare out at the bottom, while others maintain a slim shape throughout the length of the wing. Some offer air cells that are shaped like a horse-shoe, while others allow the air to travel in a "donut" throughout the wing. Some have a narrow center panel to accommodate a single cylinder, while others have a wide center panel to accommodate double-cylinders. Which shape you choose also depends on your equipment configuration as well as personal preferences. And then there are those wings that are built for mult-purpose that use bungees to change the shape of the wing for different uses. There are endless debates on ScubaBoard about the pros and cons of shape, size and styles of wing. My only suggestion along this line is to choose a wing that's appropriately sized and shaped for your equipment. As a new diver, that will most likely be a smallish wing for a singles rig. I personally prefer wings that are only as large as I need, have a slim profile, offer the "donut" style air cell, and are not bungeed ... but those are only my preferences, based on various styles I've used and how they felt on my body. Your choices may well be different than mine for equally valid reasons.

Harnesses
The harness is what holds the backplate to your body. There are two major categories of choices ... the simple "hogarthian" style, which consists of about 10-12 feet of standard 2-inch webbing and a handful of D-rings, keepers and a buckle. These can be cheaply purchased and easily assembled and replaced when they wear out. Their appeal is their simplicity and low cost. The other type of harness is the "comfort" style that more closely resembles what you'd get on a standard BCD. These typically come pre-assembled, are bulkier, many offer more (or fixed) D-rings, some offer weight pockets, and they're considerably more expensive. The appeal of these is that they are more familiar to the standard BCD user, and some people find them to be easier to use.

Other components
Two other significant components to the system are the tank straps (cam-bands) and crotch strap. BP/W systems use two tank straps, which can either come as part of the unit you order or can be purchase separately. Tank straps can come with either plastic or stainless steel buckles, and many come with some sort of "compression" pad that holds your tank more firmly in place when it's tightened. BP/W systems also use a "crotch strap" that routes from the back of the plate, between your legs, to the front of the waist harness. The crotch strap holds the unit firmly in place when you dive.

Another accesory that may or may not be needed is a single-tank adapter (STA). This depends on the type of wing you choose. The single-tank adapter holds the tank firmly in position when the tank straps are tightened. Some wings are made in such a way that the STA is not needed ... or it's built into the wing. When purchasing a wing, you should always ask if an STA is needed or included ... because purchasing one can add anywhere from $60 to $100 to your cost if it's needed and not included.

That should be enough to spawn some more questions ... feel free to ask away. Avoid specific recommendations, except as starting points to look at ... because a great deal of what will make you happy depends on your own personal preferences.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)