Which BC

[WVRICK]

I have been in contact with Jim Lapenta about some new equipment since I am getting back into diving after a long break to care for my parents. I am convinced I want the HOG D3 with Zenith 2nd and octo. Not sure what to do about the BC. I could go with BP/W if HOG does singles or I could go with a regular BCD. I like the look of the Stealth 2, which is in short supply. Then there is the T2 which is easy to travel with. Any thoughts on these choices? Pros and cons of each. I usually dive warmer waters with 3 mm or rash guard depending.

 

[Chilly_Dipper]

Go BP and wing hands down. If you are worried about tank roll with a singles a single tank adapter (STA) can be added. There is a 'soft' STA in the HOG wings but some people find those a little lacking.

If you are primarily diving warm waters purchase a Aluminum plate.

If you are worried about weight considerations when traveling consider the fact that BCDs are full of foam and extra material which soak up water and take forever to dry. An aluminum plate and webbing are essentially dry the moment you come out of the water.

 

[TSandM]

I sure like backplates. They're minimal, leaving the front of your body clean. They're modular, so you can mix and match parts to get a setup that works best for the diving you are doing. They have no padding, so you don't have to wear lead to sink them.

For warm water diving with a 3 mil suit, a steel plate may come very close to providing all the ballast you need. (I use 2 lbs additional with my SS BP.) If that makes you nervous, go with an aluminum plate.

 

[Lopez116]

At just under 50 dives, I still consider myself a new diver, so I'm still getting familiar with some concepts like GUE, DIR, and diving with a BP/W.

Can some experienced members perhaps shed some light on why a BP/W is superior to a more mainstream BC?

I personally dive with a Zeagle Stilleto and haven't had any complaints with it at all, but perhaps it's a function of the diving I do (locally in SoCal and in the Caribbean). I have no interest in cave, tech, drysuit diving.

Any insight would be appreciated!

 

[Kryssa]

I like the modularity of my harness and wing. I have the Dive Rite Transpac which is a bit of a hybrid as it has a soft pad rather than a plate. I have the Voyager wing but you could go with a larger or smaller wing depending on your habits.

Whether diving warm or cold, I can have a harness and wing that suits the dive perfectly. I put on and take off knives and weight pouches and pockets. Also your front is left almost complete bare, making it seem like you are wearing very little gear. I don't like that "puffed up" feeling you get with a traditional BC.

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[BVickery]

I am in love with the way my BP/W sit on my body compared to a traditional BCD. It feels more comfortable and since I do have WWIII going on for the battle of the bulge the fact as I keep dropping the weight I just start removing webbing. If I put more on don't have to go spend tons of money on a new BCD, just buy more webbing.

As Kryssa pointed out, you can really adapt a BP/W to suit your diving needs. You customize it to your dive and only have what you need on you.

 

[WVRICK]

Carrying a load of lead makes me more nervous than less lead. Thanks for the tip.

I sure like backplates. They're minimal, leaving the front of your body clean. They're modular, so you can mix and match parts to get a setup that works best for the diving you are doing. They have no padding, so you don't have to wear lead to sink them.

For warm water diving with a 3 mil suit, a steel plate may come very close to providing all the ballast you need. (I use 2 lbs additional with my SS BP.) If that makes you nervous, go with an aluminum plate.

---------- Post added July 12th, 2013 at 03:39 PM ----------

I agree being more adaptable is a better choice and for very little extra money I could have an aluminum and a stainless plate if I want. I tend to think stainless will serve me well and lower the amount of extra balast I need.

I am in love with the way my BP/W sit on my body compared to a traditional BCD. It feels more comfortable and since I do have WWIII going on for the battle of the bulge the fact as I keep dropping the weight I just start removing webbing. If I put more on don't have to go spend tons of money on a new BCD, just buy more webbing.

As Kryssa pointed out, you can really adapt a BP/W to suit your diving needs. You customize it to your dive and only have what you need on you.

---------- Post added July 12th, 2013 at 03:41 PM ----------

I appreciate all of the perspectives and have ordered a HOG BP/W Stainless with 32 # wing. That should cover me in lots of situations and allow me to branch out without much change. I have been talking with Jim Lapenta a lot about this and he has been very helpful and helped me arrive at this decision.

 

[mullannix930]

I don't have any experience with the BPW so I can't comment on them. That's not to say that I am against them, I just haven't gotten to that point yet. I can say that I love the Stealth 2. I actually removed weight when I changed to that from my old Seac Jacket style. It has enough features for me and I have great trim with it. If you are looking at the BCD over the BPW, then I highly recommend the Stealth 2 (if you can find one). If you go the BPW route, then good on you. I'm looking at the HOG BPW setups for in the future (prob 4 years away) because I am going with a Drysuit and Full Face system first (FD Dive team stuff).

 

[Chilly_Dipper]

At just under 50 dives, I still consider myself a new diver, so I'm still getting familiar with some concepts like GUE, DIR, and diving with a BP/W.

I feel I should point out that diving a back plate and wing have nothing to do with the training company of GUE (Global Underwater Explorers) or DIR 'Doing It Right' philosophy of diving. You do not need any specialized training beyond your basic open water SCUBA course to dive a wing.

As people have already pointed out in this string, diving a plate and wing instead of a BCD has a number of advantages. However, that being said there is absolutely nothing 'wrong' about diving a BCD. I know plenty of tech divers that dive BCDs and can dive circles around the local cool aid crowd.

Personally I like the streamline profile my wing and plate offer, and the fact my plate and wing don't need to be adjusted every time I put it on. Other advantages are that I have no padding to both soak up water and add bouyancy (reduced lead requirements), customization options (infinite essentially), and ability to resize my gear if I put on weight or lose it ($20 in webbing)


If you are happy with your Stiletto there's no reason to run out and drop more cash on a plate and wing if you're looking to get into tech diving. I would recommend if you already have your gear just stick with it for now as there is no real requirement for a plate until you go to a doubles set. Once you get 100+ dives under your belt and you are sure you are going into diving for real start replacing your gear piecemeal doing your research and due diligence prior to each purchase.

Whatever you do don't let anyone 'bully' you into a gear purchase because you need to Do It Right. The best divers are thinking divers.

 

[WVRICK]

I feel I should point out that diving a back plate and wing have nothing to do with the training company of GUE (Global Underwater Explorers) or DIR 'Doing It Right' philosophy of diving. You do not need any specialized training beyond your basic open water SCUBA course to dive a wing.

As people have already pointed out in this string, diving a plate and wing instead of a BCD has a number of advantages. However, that being said there is absolutely nothing 'wrong' about diving a BCD. I know plenty of tech divers that dive BCDs and can dive circles around the local cool aid crowd.

Personally I like the streamline profile my wing and plate offer, and the fact my plate and wing don't need to be adjusted every time I put it on. Other advantages are that I have no padding to both soak up water and add bouyancy (reduced lead requirements), customization options (infinite essentially), and ability to resize my gear if I put on weight or lose it ($20 in webbing)

If you are happy with your Stiletto there's no reason to run out and drop more cash on a plate and wing if you're looking to get into tech diving. I would recommend if you already have your gear just stick with it for now as there is no real requirement for a plate until you go to a doubles set. Once you get 100+ dives under your belt and you are sure you are going into diving for real start replacing your gear piecemeal doing your research and due diligence prior to each purchase.

Whatever you do don't let anyone 'bully' you into a gear purchase because you need to Do It Right. The best divers are thinking divers.

I agree. If I hadn't sold my equipment I would be diving what I had. On the other hand, I hate wasting money so I bought something I can keep and enjoy for many years. I think the BP/W makes sense for many reasons and it is fairly inexpensive compared to most BCDs but I would not have bought it if I already owned a BCD that suited its' purpose.