Scuba Diving With a Wing & Back Plate Versus Traditional BCD
It is interesting when showing students or customers a black plate and wing style buoyancy system. Some remarks are, “it looks too technical”, “that plate must be hard on the back”, “where are the pockets”, and the best of all, “it’s not colorful or pretty looking.”
New divers are first exposed to diving using a jacket style BCD (buoyancy control device) for their training and are not exposed to other styles or configurations. Two remarks stand out from these new divers. One is that the jacket floats up around their ears while on the surface. The other is that it twists on their bodies while diving.
Fair enough, my jacket-style BCD does the exact same thing, no matter how I adjust it. I have been diving since 1993 and have had more than one jacket BCD from various manufacturers over the years and I had to fight those same issues with each one. Don’t get me started on the impossibility of accessing the pockets at depth. It is nearly impossible in warm water and impossible in cold water with thick gloves on.
When it comes down to a “back plate & wing” system, it can be adjusted for any size of person, regardless of sex, weight, or height. This is also true for switching from a thin 3mm drysuit to a thick 7mm wetsuit or drysuit. The system is modular, meaning that you can change the size of the wing depending on where you are diving or what you are diving (single tanks or double tanks). The back plate can be either aluminum or a heavier stainless steel and your preference will depend on where you are diving. Weight systems can be moved for better trim in the water within minutes, no plastic quick releases to break when something heavy lands on your BCD. Also, you can add a thigh pocket for your SMB (surface marker buoy), finger reel, spare mask and other essential items for the dive, which makes it easy to access these items. The system also utilizes a crotch strap that holds the BCD down when floating at the surface or being inverted underwater looking for creatures under ledges. What? A crotch strap! Yes, and it is comfortable when adjusted correctly!
When the back plate and wing system is on the diver, it fits snugly. No loose gaps, no pressure around the stomach or chest areas as the air cell is on your back. Your arms move more freely by not having the bladder on the side of your body. It becomes a part of the diver. When you move, the unit moves with you. Your trim (horizontal position) is improved in the water as the air cell is on your back, causing less drag and you use less air.
Some remarks from divers who have tried the back plate and wing system were: “I have been fighting my trim for years, now after twenty minutes using a wing, I trimmed out perfectly!”, “it feels more secure and fits better than any female jacket BCD that I’ve had before”, “I don’t feel smothered when on the surface, nothing pushing against my chest,” and finally, “it feels like it’s a part of me.”
The price of a wing and back plate system including the harness and optional weight pouches is comparable to the price of a traditional BCD. Because the wing and back plate system is modular, it is more economical in the long run because the type of wing, back plate, and weight pouches can be easily changed to suit the diver’s needs. I used to have two BCD’s, one for tropical diving in a thin wetsuit and another one for diving in my 7mm drysuit. Not anymore!
If you are interested in seeing a back plate and wing system, please check out our website or stop by the store. Pool sessions are available to try one out and see for yourself how comfortable they really are.