Wing system or a conventional BC

[andriyukraine]

Hi everyone. I am in the process of buying my own first set of gear. I am not really that much of a novice diver ( DMT, 130 dives) but have never owned my equipment. I was thinking about Mares Dragon ATS BCD but a friend of mine who has been diving for ages laughed at me and said that I should forget normal BCs and go for a wing system. Apparently among the advantages they are lighter (especially with the aluminium plate) and are much cheaper to replace as all bits and pieces can be bought separately. Is there any difference in the actual process of diving with a wing system vs conventional bc?

[mitsuguy]

Look into a back inflate BC while you are at it...

In my personal opinion, it's a good cross of both camps... it gives you the air bladder on your back where it is most comfortable, and most controllable, while still remaining extremely comfortable and simple...

Backplate/Wing setups have their own niche for sure, but for normal recreational diving, It's my opinion that a back inflate BC fits at least my diving needs better than a bp/w combo...

Now, if getting into technical diving, go straight to the BP/W setup and don't look back...

[FishFood]

Welcome to Scuba Toys

Here are a few threads you should read over before making a decision. Im sure most people here will tell you the BP/W is better than the average BC. I think my setup is better in the water than any traditional BC. They're not for everyone though.

BP/W negative points

BC or BP/W?

BP/W advantages?

[obrules15]

I like my Zeagle Ranger, gives me the pockets and the advantages of jacket BC in a back inflate style. I have never used BP/W so I can't comment on which is better but I am VERY happy with my set up.

[Murloc]

some questions you need to ask yourself are where is it that you are and where you wish to go progression wise with your diving. not knowing where you are located or where the majority of your diving takes place makes it's kinda hard to advise you on what is "best" for you.

are you happy being a rec diver or do you wish to progress into wreck diving, cave, etc. Do you dive 35' deep on reefs off the coast of some island or do you dive 120' in 40F water in the great lakes penetrating a schooner? these types of questions help those on the boards refer you to what type of BC you may be happy with also taking into account cost. if you have the dough why not buy several types and be the envy of all your friends and attract buxom blonds everywhere you go?

a short answer, but by no means the "expert" answer would be if you dive warm salt water, and don't mind the wrap around feel of a standard BC, and don't really plan on ever really progressing into technical type dives then go with the type you are used to...nothing wrong with it and thousands of divers are quite happy with the standard BC

if you wish to start progressing into wreck, cave, etc type of diving then a BP/W is almost a requirement.

there really isn't a right or wrong answer though as both types of BCs will perform the function you require of them....yes, a BP/W can be changed to suit whatever type of dive you plan on doing by switching out the wing. but so can a "regular" bc such as a zeagle.

my advise to you would be to read every thread on the boards that you can about the subject....read what others have written and their advice...go to your LDS and if possible rent the different types. dive a back inflate BC such as a zeagle and dive a BP/W. go to another LDS and see what they rent. see if you can borrow someone else's rig and try it out......do whatever it takes to satisfy yourself as to what would be the best choice for YOU. and then give Larry a call here at scuba toys and place your order.

as to your question regarding a difference between the two diving, nothing so major that a couple of dives won't fix. transitioning to a BP/W doesn't have a huge learning curve coming from a standard BC, especially if you have over a 100 dives under your belt


"beware the darkside. once taken, forever will it guide your destiny."

[elijahb]

If you plan of diving twins a bp/w system is the way to go. A bp/w system can offer more lift then a conventional bc. The main advantage of a bp/w system is that you can buy more than one wing and switch the wing depending on the type of diving you are doing. If weight integration is a priority a bc would better suit your needs.

[obrules15]

Originally Posted by elijahb

If you plan of diving twins a bp/w system is the way to go. A bp/w system can offer more lift then a conventional bc. The main advantage of a bp/w system is that you can buy more than one wing and switch the wing depending on the type of diving you are doing. If weight integration is a priority a bc would better suit your needs.

I don't think that is entirely true, I do know for sure that Zeagle offers many wings with different lift capacities that can be swapped out on different BC's, including BC's that accomodate doubles. I do believe that there are certain situations where a BP/W is superior I just don't think that the above reasons are it.

[JahJahwarrior]

goodness people, why do you use the word "traditional" and "bouyancy compensator" together like that?? The traditional, original, was a snorkeling vest with a hard backpack. That morphed into something more like the modern BP/W. From that, the recreational divers clamoured for something more comfortable which would hold them more vertical and allow the entire setup to shift around more on their back, in addition to being covered in more Drings than any diver really needs, with a high price tag to boot. Then they even begged for expensive pockets to hold weight in, which would make life hell for boat operators asked to haul gear aboard, as all of the diver's weight was now in one device, rather than being seperate pieces.

I HATED my BC. Absolutely HATED it. When some straps tore, I was left sewing it back together every dive: with my BP/W I can replace $10 worthof webbing in half an hour and be good to go for another 10 years. The BC let the tank whack me in the head. The BP/W is way more adjustable and holds everything much more securely. The BC helped hold me vertical. The BP holds me in the correct, horizontal position while diving, and also allows me to stay heads up at the surface with minimal effort. The only way to possibly improve on my BP was to dive doubles, and that was only because I bought a wing meant for doubles. A proper singles wing would have been perfect. I would NEVER spend $500 on a BC. Never! For the same price, I could have something way more user friendly, both in terms of use and maintennance--try fixing your BC's straps when it breaks. Can't do it very easily. But I can buy 2" webbing at many many stores, and in different colours too! Try patching that wing. I can unzip mine and easily do it. What happens when you lose a weight pocket? Pricey mistake. If you want to dive doubles? Sorry... And if you want to sell it? It only fits some people. With new webbing, a BP/W can be made to fit about anyone. Not to mention, a BP/W will have nice, stainless steel buckles and Drings, I see the BC you'd like has some plastic parts.

Is a BP/W for everyone? Yes, as long as you make proper wing choices. I feel a BP/W is so customizable that it can be made to work for far more people than a BC can.

You can even have different plates and wings for different setups, without needing entire new BC's. And backplate pads can reduce most of the discomfort that some people experience--not all but some are annoyed by the plate, but a backplate pad fixes that. You can also get neoprene pads for the shoulder straps.

</rant against BC's...basically, I really wish I had gone with a BP/W from the get go.>

[Babster]

Here we go again.

Just my .02 worth. I went through this recently myself, and since my LDS has a pool on the premises, I was able to try out different equipment, including a couple of back-inflate BCs that I was ~sure~ I wanted. I just wasn't comfortable in them. I felt like a BP/W was kind of "techie". I saw a Dive Rite Transpac on the wall, and it looked really comfortable. I tried it and it was wonderful, so that's what I went with. As I am hoping to try some Atlantic wreck diving down the road, it's adaptabilty to doubles also appealed to me. I also liked the way it packs up for travel.

So I guess I'm kind of in the middle.

[mitsuguy]

Originally Posted by JahJahwarrior

goodness people, why do you use the word "traditional" and "bouyancy compensator" together like that?? The traditional, original, was a snorkeling vest with a hard backpack. That morphed into something more like the modern BP/W. From that, the recreational divers clamoured for something more comfortable which would hold them more vertical and allow the entire setup to shift around more on their back, in addition to being covered in more Drings than any diver really needs, with a high price tag to boot. Then they even begged for expensive pockets to hold weight in, which would make life hell for boat operators asked to haul gear aboard, as all of the diver's weight was now in one device, rather than being seperate pieces.

I HATED my BC. Absolutely HATED it. When some straps tore, I was left sewing it back together every dive: with my BP/W I can replace $10 worthof webbing in half an hour and be good to go for another 10 years. The BC let the tank whack me in the head. The BP/W is way more adjustable and holds everything much more securely. The BC helped hold me vertical. The BP holds me in the correct, horizontal position while diving, and also allows me to stay heads up at the surface with minimal effort. The only way to possibly improve on my BP was to dive doubles, and that was only because I bought a wing meant for doubles. A proper singles wing would have been perfect. I would NEVER spend $500 on a BC. Never! For the same price, I could have something way more user friendly, both in terms of use and maintennance--try fixing your BC's straps when it breaks. Can't do it very easily. But I can buy 2" webbing at many many stores, and in different colours too! Try patching that wing. I can unzip mine and easily do it. What happens when you lose a weight pocket? Pricey mistake. If you want to dive doubles? Sorry... And if you want to sell it? It only fits some people. With new webbing, a BP/W can be made to fit about anyone. Not to mention, a BP/W will have nice, stainless steel buckles and Drings, I see the BC you'd like has some plastic parts.

Is a BP/W for everyone? Yes, as long as you make proper wing choices. I feel a BP/W is so customizable that it can be made to work for far more people than a BC can.

You can even have different plates and wings for different setups, without needing entire new BC's. And backplate pads can reduce most of the discomfort that some people experience--not all but some are annoyed by the plate, but a backplate pad fixes that. You can also get neoprene pads for the shoulder straps.

</rant against BC's...basically, I really wish I had gone with a BP/W from the get go.>

You must have had a crappy BC... my back inflate has a removable bladder that can be repaired if need be, it is neutrally balanced, and only weighs 8.6 lbs... weight pouches, if so need to be replaced are only $12, but what does a weight belt cost if it needs to be replaced because you had to dump it? My BC holds me in the correct horizontal position as well underwater... As far as straps breaking? again, you must have had a real crappy BC - I've seen people abuse some BC's like you wouldn't believe, and not have a problem... to top it off, I paid $400, not $500 for my BC, and to get the same thing in a BP/W setup, would cost closer to $500 or more... Whats more, is that I would bet there are more places to clip things off to on my BC than most BP/W setups...

Again, BP/W's have their place in society, but for recreational diving, you just don't need one...