Hollis vs. HOG BP/W - Purchasing new gear

[balltumz]

Hello, I'm looking into investing in my own set of gears and have narrowed down my selection to two BP/W options:

1. Hollis backplate system with S38 wing; or

2. HOG BP/W system with 32lb wing

Wondering if anyone has experience with both what the general feedback is.

They're both being sold at nearby shops and priced similarly.

Thanks in advance!

 

[cool_hardware52]

Hello, I'm looking into investing in my own set of gears and have narrowed down my selection to two BP/W options:

1. Hollis backplate system with S38 wing; or

2. HOG BP/W system with 32lb wing

Wondering if anyone has experience with both what the general feedback is.

They're both being sold at nearby shops and priced similarly.

Thanks in advance!

How did you determine that 32 or 38 lbs of lift is appropriate for your application?

Tobin

 

[tbone1004]

how did you determine those two brands were the ones you were looking at? I'm personally not a fan of either of them.

I recommend 2 sets on a regular basis.

DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba
If you're on a tight budget, but still want new, or like the Halcyon Eclipse design but don't want to pay $800, then get that one. Usually goes down to $300 on Black Friday *end of November* if you can wait until then. It's good quality, DRiS provides great CS, and it's cheap.

The other is
https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?page=rigs
They run about $500 USD and are worth every penny over the rig linked above. Plate quality is night and day different from the standard cheaper plates on just about every other rig *Halcyon and Scubapro are the only other two that have a fit and finish close to the DSS, but the molded in grommets and a few other neat features in the DSS blow even those two out of the water. They also come in a lot of different sizes which is the big push for me. The wings are fairly standard as far as build quality but that is because there is a law of diminishing returns and most everyone is producing high quality wings these days. They use a thicker inner bladder which is nice, and the single tank wings have a really great system for tool-less removal and the best integrated STA on the market. That sets them apart from the others on singles, and on the doubles, the wing shapes have had a lot of thought put into them with a lot of neat little things put in that you may not have thought about.
DSS has the best pre-purchase CS of any mfg I'm aware of, truly talking you through the pros and cons of what you're buying and it goes a long way to make sure you buy the right product and buy it once, and post-purchase CS is top notch as well.

 

[parzdiver]

I have the Hollis plate, as well as a Halcyon plate for my doubles and a Freedom plate and my wife has a Zeagle plate. Our wings are Hollis, Halcyon, and Oxycheq.

Overall, the quality on all the plate is good and they are extremely similar in design (except for the Freedom plate). Each of them is slightly different with hole configuration, but are essentially the same. The finish on the Hollis plate is very good and I didn't have any burs or sharp points. I have not noticed any excessive wear on my straps and I think the quality of all three plates are on par with the others.

I have never had any problems with the Hollis wing. It inflates and deflates without a problem. It can be used for single tank diving without an STA; it has an anti-roll piece that keeps the tank stable.

 

[phoenix31tt]

I have experience with the Hog setup, both the smaller 23lb wing and the larger 32lb...

the wing seems to be very good quality and doesn't require a STA either, no problems with them thus far.

 

[dmaziuk]

Hello, I'm looking into investing in my own set of gears and have narrowed down my selection to two BP/W options: 1. Hollis backplate system with S38 wing; or 2. HOG BP/W system with 32lb wing Wondering if anyone has experience with both what the general feedback is. They're both being sold at nearby shops and priced similarly. Thanks in advance!

I believe Hollis 38 has the same bungee cord inside as my Hollis 25. If you're not fond of those, the good news is you can open the shell, untie the knot and pull it out -- no more "internal retraction system".

 

[cool_hardware52]

It's pretty hard these days to buy a "bad" Back Plate and Wing. There are differences between brands, some significant, some much less so. As a whole most back plates and wings have more in common and as a group more differences from the "Stab jacket" or vest style BC.

BP&W's are however modular in nature and that allows one to optimize a BP&W for a given application or range of applications far more readily than the typical jacket BC.

I'd suggest that you or anyone considering a BP&W give some thought to or seek some assistance in component selection, i.e. how much wing lift, plate size and type etc.

As least at important as which brand....


Tobin

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

Like Tobin said, it's hard to buy a "bad" BP/W. The one thing I would ensure is that the choice you make is the correct one for the type and configuration of diving you plan on doing(i.e.: steel vs. AL plate, amount of lift needed).

If you stick to diving a BP/W you'll end up like most of us with multiple wings, plates, etc.

 

[buddhasummer]

When I dove a BC I had 1. Now I dive BP/W I have 3 complete rigs. BP/W diving is a Pandora's box or an addiction I'm not sure which.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

When I dove a BC I had 1. Now I dive BP/W I have 3 complete rigs. BP/W diving is a Pandora's box or an addiction I'm not sure which.

I think it's a combination of both.