What happens if you come up unconscious with a wing-style BC?

[Displayed Name]

Hello everyone
I am in the process of choosing a new (travel) BC, and the first consideration is jacket vs wing. I love the feeling of the wing from my little tech diving experience BUT I read in various places that one of the disadvantages of the wing is that you have to work to keep your head above the water at the surface as the wing is pushing you into an horizontal position head down. So... imagine the dive is going wrong, you've dumped your weights and are getting to the surface half conscious or unconscious. Is that the case of with a wing you die cos' you arrive horizontally head down whereas with a jacket you have more chance of survival?
Wings being considered are Scubapro Lighthawk, Hollis LTS, Zeagle Express Tech, Diverite Travelpac, Oceanic Biolite... not sure whether the model makes a difference to the above question....
Thank you in advance for sharing your experience!

 

[RockiesFan]

If you come up unconscious, you are having a really bad day. Your survival is more dependent on an attentive buddy and access to emergency medical care and less on what style bc you have.

 

[runsongas]

well you could get a horse collar or stab jacket and go vintage. those work better as life jackets.

 

[outofofficebrb]

It only happens (the tipping forward feeling) if you over inflate at the surface, and even if you inflate it full, it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. I think a lot of those people are used to having jackets and being able to inflate all the way to their heart's content. When I relax at the surface my face isn't in the water.

 

[Displayed Name]

ok, yes, I understand all of that but, basically

It only happens (the tipping forward feeling) if you over inflate at the surface, and even if you inflate it full, it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. I think a lot of those people are used to having jackets and being able to inflate all the way to their heart's content. When I relax at the surface my face isn't in the water.

Thank you, this answers my question perfectly. Out of curiosity, which wing do you have / would you recommend?

 

[outofofficebrb]

ok, yes, I understand all of that but, basically

Thank you, this answers my question perfectly. Out of curiosity, which wing do you have / would you recommend?

You're welcome. I have a Scubapro Ladyhawk that I've had about 250 dives on. I dived jackets for about 30 dives (rentals) before that. I have been there the first time people have transitioned from jackets to back inflates/wings and my first tip to them was to inflate only as much as you need to get your head out of the water. If waves/current are an issue, you can inflate more than you normally would, but just kick back like you are relaxing on the couch to counteract the extra inflation over what is normally necessary.

 

[Damselfish]

The tipping forward is real for some - it depends a lot on your exposure protection and tanks. A warm water diver with a light wetsuit and typically AL tanks is more likely to run into this than a cold water diver with major exposure protection and sometimes steel tanks, it's simple physics. It's also affected by how you distribute your weights, which you'll want to pay attention to. But I agree if you find yourself in this situation the type of BC you have is pretty irrelevant .

If you happen to trim yourself out with weights in the rear, as in weight on the tank strap or a back-inflate BC with rear trim pockets- the weight you dump may just be front weight, which would help tip you back .

 

[johndiver999]

If you buoyancy is all behind you and you're unconscious, it is going to be similar to wearing a life jacket on your back instead of in front of you. You will be face down.

If this is a major concern for you then a horse collar or the old scuba pro stabilizer jackets might be preferable because they are much more likely to keep your head up and face exposed. However, I personally think worrying about that contingency is way, way down on my priority list.

 

[Displayed Name]

If you buoyancy is all behind you and you're unconscious, it is going to be similar to wearing a life jacket on your back instead of in front of you. You will be face down.

If this is a major concern for you then a horse collar or the old scuba pro stabilizer jackets might be preferable because they are much more likely to keep your head up and face exposed. However, I personally think worrying about that contingency is way, way down on my priority list.

Thank you. This is not a priority either, however I do like making choices based on tangible arguments, and when it comes to wing vs jacket BCs, there is not much going on in terms of killer pros or cons for one or the other. Better trim and lower air consumption on one side vs plenty of pockets on the other, that's about it. I guess that's why the two types of BCs continue to exist!

 

[CuzzA]

No BCD is a life jacket. None of them are designed to keep your face out of water should you become unconscious. Even stab jackets have the buoyancy around the back and sides. Not in front and under your chin like a true life jacket. The reality is simple, don't fall unconscious while diving and dive whatever style BCD you enjoy the most.

A BP/W has the distinct advantage of being modular allowing for easily and cost effectively replacing the individual parts that make up the system. It also allows for the most versatile setup and customization, fitting the individuals wants and needs. Most integrated BCDs are what they are and don't allow for a lot of customization. Of course if one particular design fits your wants and needs, go for it.