SeaHound
Contributor
OK we are talking single tank diving here. Those of you who have dived both, how do you compare the feel of BP / Wing set up to a backinflation vest? While is a better choice?
BP Wing VS backinflation BCs
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PerroneFord
Contributor
I started with a Zeagle way back when, and ended up with a BP/W.
The Zeagle was nice, but the BP/W was less constricting, offered more flexibility in how it could be used, requires less lead to sink, and allows me to move forward easily with my diving.
Which is better? I cannot say. The BP/W was better for me. What is best for you, you'll have to determine.
The Zeagle was nice, but the BP/W was less constricting, offered more flexibility in how it could be used, requires less lead to sink, and allows me to move forward easily with my diving.
Which is better? I cannot say. The BP/W was better for me. What is best for you, you'll have to determine.
Personally, I felt that a BP/Wing is more stable underwater.
DiveMaven
Contributor
I like a back inflation BC better. I find the straps and plate on the BP/W to be uncomfortable when diving warm water with a thin wetsuit. Also really dislike the way a crotch strap feels. I'll stick with my Zeagle Zena.
Dove a Seaquest Balance for first 25 or so dives before switching to BP/W setup for the next 125. I won't tell you that the Balance was a bad setup, just that the BP/W is better. Much more streamline without all the buckles and clips and zippers and velcro and stuff. More stable with a single tank and I'm better able to trim myself out. This is true in warm water with little exposure protection as well as cold water with a drysuit.
Some have said they don't like the feel of a crotch strap. I can't speak to this, as I've never really "felt" anything other than the noticeable positive effect that a crotch strap provides, especially at the surface where it prevents your rig from sliding up off your shoulders when you inflate your wing.
I believe there are some BCDs that come with or allow a crotch strap to be affixed. At a minimum I would take a look at those, so that you're making a bit more of an "apples-to-apples" comparison.
Ray
ToddK
Contributor
I started with an Oceanic Chute (?) back inflate, and liked it at the time. When I switched to a backplate & wing I noticed that the wing did a MUCH better job at keeping me horizontal trimmed in the water. Since I dive cold water, the steel backplate was also nice for getting 6 pounds of lead off of my waist, which also helps with the horizontal trim. After loosing some weight, I noticed that the Chute didn't fit so well, while with the BP, you can infinitely adjust the harness. I do think the crotch strap adds some complication in getting geared up on the boat, but you get used to it. I don't miss the two large pockets of the BC at all- the two shoulder d-rings on the BP harness hold my lights, and then I ordered my drysuit with two leg pockets to hold my spool, strobe and other stuff. The modularity of the BP/Wing is also nice if you ever look at diving double tanks (still trying to make this transition after 3 years, but things have slowed down with the kids).
The Kraken
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I prefer the BP/W.
Dove a Zeagle "Tech" for several years.
Now, unlike others, I don't place that much emphasis upon how the B/C or BP/W performs on the surface because I'm not there long. If I must do a long surface swim, I'll either snorkle or roll over on my back and comfortably fin my way out to the site.
Now, having said that, when wearing a lot of neoprene, a back inflation B/C has a greater tendency to put you in more of a face forward/down position at the surface.
Why? At the surface you are trying to be in a vertical position. Your gear/body configuration becomes something akin to a lever with your body as the fulcrum. One force, the B/C is pushing up on one side of your body (the back) while the other force, your weights, are pushing down on your front side (just so happens to be where one's face is located on most human beings).
The reason this happens is that it is difficult, if not impossible in some cases, to position the required weight in the proper position on the waist, or in the B/C's pockets, if it's weight intergrated, in order to effect a comfortable vertical position at the surface.
The more the B/C is inflated, the more the face forward/down will be emphasized.
The BP/Wing, however, takes much of the weight and places it on the same side as the bladder, reducing the face forward/down result.
Also, with the BP/W, when weight is required, I can position all of it aft of the vertical centerline of my body, that is, positioned somewhere around the kidney area. The positioning of weighting in this manner keep the counter forces on the same side of the body and allows one's exposure protection, wet or dry suit, to add positive buoyancy to the front side of the body, thus eliminating any face forward/down effect.
So, that's why I like the BP/W.
the K
Dove a Zeagle "Tech" for several years.
Now, unlike others, I don't place that much emphasis upon how the B/C or BP/W performs on the surface because I'm not there long. If I must do a long surface swim, I'll either snorkle or roll over on my back and comfortably fin my way out to the site.
Now, having said that, when wearing a lot of neoprene, a back inflation B/C has a greater tendency to put you in more of a face forward/down position at the surface.
Why? At the surface you are trying to be in a vertical position. Your gear/body configuration becomes something akin to a lever with your body as the fulcrum. One force, the B/C is pushing up on one side of your body (the back) while the other force, your weights, are pushing down on your front side (just so happens to be where one's face is located on most human beings).
The reason this happens is that it is difficult, if not impossible in some cases, to position the required weight in the proper position on the waist, or in the B/C's pockets, if it's weight intergrated, in order to effect a comfortable vertical position at the surface.
The more the B/C is inflated, the more the face forward/down will be emphasized.
The BP/Wing, however, takes much of the weight and places it on the same side as the bladder, reducing the face forward/down result.
Also, with the BP/W, when weight is required, I can position all of it aft of the vertical centerline of my body, that is, positioned somewhere around the kidney area. The positioning of weighting in this manner keep the counter forces on the same side of the body and allows one's exposure protection, wet or dry suit, to add positive buoyancy to the front side of the body, thus eliminating any face forward/down effect.
So, that's why I like the BP/W.
the K
I dove a Seaquest Libra before I bought my BP/W. My problem was that the Libra just didn't fit that well. It was impossible to cinch it down enough to make the whole assembly really stable on my back, and having the tank try to migrate drove me nuts. The backplate is the key to the BP/W configuration, because it sits absolutely still on your back. I really enjoy the stability that gives the rig.
The infinite adjustability of the harness allows a truly correct fit. It also allows one to go from wetsuit to drysuit with the same setup, although if one does that often, it becomes quite tempting to buy another plate and harness -- And there's another benefit of the setup. You can buy the plate and put together a harness, and that's pretty cheap. The wing's the expensive part, and you can use the SAME wing with both!
And if you ever decide to dive doubles, you use the same plate and harness, which is already perfectly adjusted for you and your exposure protection, and just throw a different wing on it.
I like the modularity.
The infinite adjustability of the harness allows a truly correct fit. It also allows one to go from wetsuit to drysuit with the same setup, although if one does that often, it becomes quite tempting to buy another plate and harness -- And there's another benefit of the setup. You can buy the plate and put together a harness, and that's pretty cheap. The wing's the expensive part, and you can use the SAME wing with both!
And if you ever decide to dive doubles, you use the same plate and harness, which is already perfectly adjusted for you and your exposure protection, and just throw a different wing on it.
I like the modularity.
halocline
Contributor
A steel plate is especially effective with AL tanks, because the weight is ideally positioned right between the two sources of buoyancy; the wing (and tank) and your lungs.
If your diving warm water with thin exposure suit or none YOU DO NOT NEED THE CROTCH STRAP with a BP/wing. I find the crotch strap can be removed or loosened up considerably with a warm water rig. The small one inch DiveRite crotch strap is soft nylon and worn loose it provides enough to keep the tank from hitting the head if you do a somersault entry -my favorite type--or if not being athletic--just take it off--you don't need it. With heavy rigs used with heavy exposure suits including drysuits then the crotch strap is integral to a solid assembly and of great advantage and due to all of the clothing worn you cannot reeally notice the crotch strap. In any case you do not need the crotch strap tight--it does not hold the backplate down, it simply limits forward movement.
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