possible switch to tech rig

hey whats up everyone. i am been doing some reading and research on tech rigs. i am really thinking about leaving my seaquest bcd to a transpac or the hollis harness. i do plan on advancing my knowledge in diving. i plan to get up to rescue diver. i also love to dive wrecks. we were spearfishing by one and i thought it was super freaking cool..
now i have a few questions. why would one switch to a tech rig? advantages? which one is better? if i do get one, what extra gear will i need?
thanks in advance guys

Oscar

I just made the switch from a Zeagle Ranger, a back inflate bc, to a Backplate and wing. I made the switch because of the infinite sizability options of a standard HOG harness. As I lose more weight my gear will shrink with me.

One thing I learned very quickly is I need a heck of a lot less weight. Diving with a steel 130 tank, I went from needing about 8 lbs with a 3mm suit to now needing 0 weight, and probably being a bit heavy.

As for negatives, none really. Everything you can do with a traditional BC, you can force onto a Backplate and wing. and anything you don't want from a traditional bc you can take off. For instance, I am haven't used a bc pocket in several years, so now I don't have pockets when I dive, just d-rings.

As for extra gear, I had to go find some bungee cord, and a few extra double ended spring clips so that I could relocate some gear on my bc...but mostly this was optional.

When you say 'tech rig' do you mean an integrated configuration that will be used for technical/decompression diving? Or do you mean that your goal would be to use a backplate & wing style BCD for open-water recreational dives?

BP&W isn't a 'tech rig' in itself. It's just a style of BCD that provides a minimalist, modular approach.

There's plenty of threads on SB that contain a wealth of information about the pros, cons and uses of a BP&W BCD.

A back plate and wing adds to stability and streamlining and is a minimalist approach to diving. No single piece of kit is going to be noticeably better or worse than the other. Only experience and the type of diving you do will tell you what works for you. You aren't going to fix any dive related deficiencies by throwing gear at it. Strive for proficiency in what you have and adapt your kit to the diving you actually do. That may be a bp/w or it may me a 1970's pink poodle jacket. Whatever works for you to safely, efficiently plan and execute your dive.

You do not need an extra gear I would just dive the rig you have and learn more about diving. I you dive a single tank I cannot really see a reason why you would need to spend more money to switch. Just put that money into charters and dive.

How is the current rig limiting your diving ?

yeah backplate and wing bcd is what i ment.

elan:

You do not need an extra gear I would just dive the rig you have and learn more about diving. I you dive a single tank I cannot really see a reason why you would need to spend more money to switch. Just put that money into charters and dive.

How is the current rig limiting your diving ?

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its no limiting at all. i actually like my seaquest bcd. one of the other reason for the possible switch is cause my girl is thinking about purchasing a bcd. i told her to try mine on and she likes the way it fits and feels.

Greetings ekermer if you want to purchase a new BC then a back inflate is a great choice IMO but the gear you have will serve you well till your dives require more gas.
Tech. gear and Tech. dives are two separate issues that can get confused at times but one needs to be very careful and let your dives and dive goals guide your choices.
I started with a TransPac and loved every minute, I actually have converted it to a Nomad XT right now for my SM rig.

That is the major issues I see in back inflate either BP/wig or TransPac you can dive it in many different configurations single, double, or SM depending on the dives and dive goals you have.
Just be careful to take your time training building appropriate skills to be able to grow and learn evolving into a safe diver.

Gear decisions should be based on your dive goals and training level.
Be safe and work hard to be the best diver you can master what you have before moving on and you will love every minute of it!
Dive like crazy, there is no substitute for in water training and time!

CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

When looking at your rig, ask yourself "what don't I like about it?" I personally found a jacket style bcd to be very cumbersome underwater and limiting. I also prefer to always be in a nice horizontal trim position which is doable in a jacket bcd but exponentially easier in a bp/w. Here are some of the many advantages to a bp/w setup
-cheap to fix and replace components (i.e. your harness tears or needs replacement $30 bucks)
-much easier to move around since everything is behind you
-you can carry less weight by using a stainless steel backplate and weighted single tank adapter for singles diving
-the rig can easily accomodate doubles when you decide to go that route(depending on the lift of your wing, which can be swapped too), no need to buy an entirely new rig as you advance
-if you go with a continuous webbing harness, it reduces the number of failure points in the rig and therefore makes it safer

The transpac is a decent rig and a lot of people use it successfully. Personally, I'd just go with a basic stainless steel backplate and a continuous webbing harness. Depending on your dive philosophy, you will rig your d rings differently. The configuration that I use is known as DIR and uses a continuous webbing harness with 5 d rings, each with a defined purpose. 1 on each side of the chest just below the shoulders for clipping off your reg during an out of air and clipping your backup lights to, 1 on the left side of your hip to clip your spg to, one on the front of the crotch strap for scootering, and one on the back of the crotch strap for clipping off gear such as reels and such. Very simple and very effective.

In the end, you have to use the gear that you feel is right for you. If you have any friends that use bp/w, ask if you can use their rig for a dive and see what you think. Keep in mind their harness may not be adjusted to your body and they won't want to mess with adjustments but it'll give you the basic feel. Good luck.

Are you carrying less weight or just putting it somewhere else?