BCD vs. Wing (again!!!)

[Sander]

Hi everybody,

My ol' bcd is starting to look pretty worn out and I'm thinking about buying a new one (when I win the lottery). There are already a zillion posts about buying a "regular" bcd or a wing. I live on Curacao and dive single tanks. By the end of the year I'll go back to Europe and I'm thinking about dry-suit diving there. Probably I will take the Tec course some time in the future too.
So the question is obvious, should I buy a wing.
Couple of points:
1 I do single tank dives (so far)
2 I use my bcd only at the surface. Basically I dump ALL the air at the beginning ofg the dive and don't touch it anymore. Since wings will put you face down at the surface, I'm probably better of with a bcd.
3 Can I use a normal regulator (with octopus, console etc..) with a wing
4 The whole point is to spare money. So I don't want a single tank wing and a double one

Thanks for your advice and sorry about the long post.

Ayo

Sander

 

[Sander]

Sorry wrong forum (I'm new at this)....

 

[FreeFloat]

As a diver who's used both, I can answer briefly to a couple of points:

- First off, it's a myth that wings will turn you face down in the water and that BCs don't. It's much more a matter of your whole trim (weight distribution) than what kind of BC you're wearing. I've known divers who were fighting their BCs which were "trying" to flip them over, and divers whose wing or BC would allow them to stop finning and just hang, upside down, inverted, you name it.

- Next off, there is no wing or BC out there that can serve both single and double tanks. Sure, some recreational BCs claim to be able to do so, but they tend to be such compromises that in the end they're barely "adequate" at either job. However, the "wing" system you're referring has a major cost advantage over the BCD system. Whereas you're paying $400 - 700 (Canadian funds, your prices will probably differ) for a BC, you're likely to pay about the same for a single-tank backplate/wing setup. Then if/when you upgrade to a "tech" setup, you're going to have to spring for the backplate/wing AGAIN if you don't already own one. If you go with the backplate/wing, the only part you really need to erplace to dive doubles is the wing (air bladder) itself - you just use your existing harness.

Wing vs. BC: (Pros and cons)

- Backplate and harness can be used on more than one setup (e.g. single-tank/doubles)
- BCs wear out and periodically need replacing; the simplest version of harness out there is a single piece of 2" wide webbing, which costs maybe $12 to replace
- BCs must be ordered in "sizes" and occasionally one that fits well for tropical diving can't fit over a drysuit; backplates and harnesses are infinitely adjustable
- BCs have pockets; harnesses typically have only a few D rings (though I imagine you could add hanging pockets if you really miss them)
- BCs typically have a "sloppy" grip on the tank, at best; bp/wings tend to have a much more "tight" or "compact" feel to them
- BCs come in a variety of lift ratings from inadequate to "could raise the Titanic"; there are just a few standard wing sizes to choose from depending on the type of diving you're doing.
- When fully inflated, BCs tend to constrict the diver around the chest/abdomen; wings cannot

Best advice: find a place to borrow or rent a backplate and wing for a dive. As someone who's dived both, I can tell you the feeling of both is completely different

I've tried to make this as impartial as possible, but I admit that once I dived a wing, I was instanty hooked on the way it seemed to "disappear" from my notice underwater, giving me this sense of freedom I'd never had while fighting the ill fit and floppiness of a BC.... so I do have a preference.