I've only been down about 6 times and always used the backplate BCD but haven't been on a dive for a year and half. I'm going next weekend and wanted to refresh myself on setting everything up so I can test the gear I'm renting for fit before we go. This showed me exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
Horseshoe wings have a major benefit when diving with multiple stages or deco bottles, you can load one side and counter the weight of said stages to fix your trim.
I opted for a "soft" back plate with a small donut , for me this is perfect for diving from our yacht where space is of a premium , it folds down and packs away really small , we use these with small 7ltr tanks which again are a lot easier to stow aboard than 10's or 12's ... 👍🏽
As for padding, since ditching the trad BCD for a back-plate and harness 4 years ago I've done about 200 dives with it and never felt the need for padding for comfort, or seen any abrasion of the suit. And this covers a spectrum from singles and 2mm shortie up to twins and drysuit, with all the variations in between. I look at padding as just an extra complication and something else to dry out.
I’ve found the need in a drysuit with no undergarments (did my dry suit course in tropical water) or when diving without a suit at all, I can get very bruised on upper body when diving on nylon straps. I’ve dived about a year on backplate/wing and am just about to buy padding for it I think.
XS scuba makes a ditchable trim pouch that fits on 2-inch webbing. I used them on my waist belt to replaced my more traditional style OMS ditchable weight system and it has made the setup far more pleasant. Also on the subject of weight: Highland makes a soft weight pouch for the center channel of the backplate that I really like. (Mark: Associate links!)
Thanks for a great video. It seems like others treat this subject like some kind of 'black art', reserved for the chosen few. Your guide is clear and concise, and I think it's just saved me A LOT of money! Keep up the good work! 👌
I just bought a backplate and wing system recently. I'm very happy with the setup, but I did end up buying a carbon fiber backplate for travel. I probably should have bought aluminum (or sucked it up and traveled with steel), but the bling of their marketing for the carbon fiber got me. It's a reputable company, so hopefully it's durable enough.
I'd mount it in a frame on the wall just so I could look at that carbon fiber pattern I was very close to buying a carbon plate but I've never known anybody with one so I stuck to what I knew. Let us know how you get on with it
Hi Mark, loving the videos - please keep going with them ☺️ Was wondering if part of another one of your videos you could show how to setup and BP/W setup with a single cylinder? I've only just started (7 dives so far) using the setup with twins and I'm loving it and would like to get a single cylinder wing and use that when ever on singles but not sure how you put it all together. Cheers, take care and Safe Diving!
I don't know why I keep watching guides like this... I've had my BPW for years now, in duplicate (heavy an light), even converted my gf to BPW, so you'd think I should know all the parts involved and how to assemble them...
DiveSystem has a wing that can "transform from a single cilinder configuration to a twin cilindren one through a zipper. Cool design, but I don't know how practical it is.
According to my local dive center as well as a few diver friends, I have a rather stupid question for you 😅 I want to replace my ADV jacket with a doughnut wing. I was told many times that I have to buy an aluminum backplate for travel as well as a steel one for cold water dives at home. Also I need to buy a second harness so I don’t have to reassemble it every time again. So my question: isn’t it much easier, cheaper and more logical to buy an aluminum backplate and just add weight around the bottle whenever it’s needed? Isn’t it way more complicated for the diver to switch between the jackets and to „learn“ the buoyancy again whenever the other jacket is used? I’m a bit lost here.... As my ADV was only used one year and has now to be changed due to the „swimming like a seahorse“ phenomenon, I’m not very keen on spending unnecessary money again... 😔 By the way: you have a very cute dog!! 🐕 😍
Thanks a lot for all your great videos, they do really help a lot!! I am in the process of changing my BCD to a plate and wing system. Just one more question about that: How do you explain the big differences in prices? For example Halcyon at about 1000€ and Xdeep for almost half of that price. It is “just” a metal plate, wing an harness. Or isn’t it “just” that? Thanks in advance!
Sometimes it's _definitely_ more expensive because of the logo stamped on a piece of kit, Other times it's because of the R&D and the tiny details that all add up. The trick is to see the difference between the two. At the end of the day, if the kit works for you, it doesn't matter what brand is on it
I'm thinking about building a travel rig, should be small and light, so no steel backplate, nor P-weights... what would you recommend, what should i get for the weights? In the foreign dive center i get 1 and 2 kg lead blocks. I guess 2 trim pockets to the back, and 2 pouches to the waistband, and some more to a separate belt.
Hi Mark. Very good information. On a rescue scenario, is there something different when rescuing a diver in BPW. How do you get the system off the diver quickly if there are not quick disconnects? Having all the air in the back, does it makes it more difficult to help the dive on the surface? I would like to try new things and get more advance training but the fact that I can only dive a very few times a year makes it difficult to invest on more equipment. So, a BPW for me will have to wait.
Knives... if you're in a real-world scenario where you need to remove equipment from a victim, you cut through those straps. New webbing is cheap, and I'd rather loose my twinset to Davy Jones if it meant they get me to safety faster. A fully inflated wing will push you into a face down position on the surface, just don't fully inflate the BCD on an unresponsive diver, just enough to make them positive.
Based on the limited reviews I’ve found, I’m considering the Xdeep NX Zen backplate/wing. I’m a rec diver with aspirations to make my way into the tec realm eventually. Is the aforementioned system a good jumping off point, or should I explore more established tec specific BP/W manufacturers?
The XDEEP style of backplate is going to be the future of BPW diving, with other manufacturers catching up eventually. I wouldn't worry about investing in more exotic XDEEP designs, they can do everything a more traditional design can do and be more comfortable and practical. My next Backplate and Wing will probably be an XDEEP.
I'm in the same boat, after doing a bunch of research I really liked the Zen and literally just placed my order a few days ago. I have to wait 6 weeks though 😭. Have you used yours yet?
I’m just starting out diving but have decided to go with a bpw setup, I was looking at the Apeks wtx harness setup, is there a difference between the wtx and wtx-d? What would you recommend?
Zeos is a pretty traditional setup. It doesn't have the same flare as some of their other systems, but it is a great starting point for a customisable setup.
i love your videos. finally its the content we really want :D and the QA answers all questions which are left, after watching your videos. i Can see you adjust the light, but now you are very red and your beard is weird colored :P
Thanks Mark! It would also be informative to hear your thoughts on the deluxe type harnesses with the articulated rings that break the shoulder straps into two parts (and often connect a chest strap at the same point as well). Dive Rite and Zeagle both have versions of these and are intended for back-plates; e.g. Zeagle Deluxe Harness. I recently fitted my one-piece harness/back-plate for a female friend to try, and she was uncomfortable with how the 2-inch webbing felt under her arms. After doing some research, we wondered if this type of deluxe style harness could help, as she trained with a wing and would like to stay with that. Thanks again - great video!!
Hey Mark! My LDS doesn’t carry backplate/wing setups or pieces for them. Should I just order from somewhere like Dive Gear Express? I’ve been eyeing the Mares XR line and I’m thinking about taking the plunge here pretty soon. Thanks in advance!
Yeah, the Mares XR sets come assembled, you just need to adjust the straps. They're one size fits all too, so you can't go wrong. Let us know if you need any help
Safe Diving awesome! I’ve been using a jacket style and I don’t like where a lot of the D rings and pockets are so BP&W seemed like the next logical step considering I want to go the tech/cave direction in the future
#askmark hey Mark great vid as always, under the accessories section you mention a clip to allow easy dof and don can you share a link, and or the name of the part?
Padding, schmadding. You don't need no stinkin' padding! Seriously, all padding does is cause you to need for lead for ballast. If you properly adjust your simple, one-piece harness, it will be plenty comfortable. I've never felt the need for padding, regardless of whether I'm using a lightweight cylinder or a very heavy one. Nor have I ever felt the need for a back pad, even when diving with a steel plate and just a rashguard.
I really like padded shoulder straps so the don't dig into my suit. It looks strange but it helps to extend your suits life span especially for Trilaminate dry suits
Yeah, I have thin neoprene sleeves over my shoulders but that's it. My undersuit is all the padding I need, and I've never been uncomfortable without padding even in a rash vest. I'd recommend anybody thinking about pads to try the backplate in the water before buying and fitting a pad.
XDEEP, of course, makes two plate sizes but it's just Large for 'taller than 175cm'. There are other but none spring to mind, I'll do some hunting and let you know...
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I've only been down about 6 times and always used the backplate BCD but haven't been on a dive for a year and half. I'm going next weekend and wanted to refresh myself on setting everything up so I can test the gear I'm renting for fit before we go. This showed me exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
Exactly what I was looking for! You just earned yourself a subscriber.
Horseshoe wings have a major benefit when diving with multiple stages or deco bottles, you can load one side and counter the weight of said stages to fix your trim.
I opted for a "soft" back plate with a small donut , for me this is perfect for diving from our yacht where space is of a premium , it folds down and packs away really small , we use these with small 7ltr tanks which again are a lot easier to stow aboard than 10's or 12's ... 👍🏽
As for padding, since ditching the trad BCD for a back-plate and harness 4 years ago I've done about 200 dives with it and never felt the need for padding for comfort, or seen any abrasion of the suit. And this covers a spectrum from singles and 2mm shortie up to twins and drysuit, with all the variations in between. I look at padding as just an extra complication and something else to dry out.
I’ve found the need in a drysuit with no undergarments (did my dry suit course in tropical water) or when diving without a suit at all, I can get very bruised on upper body when diving on nylon straps. I’ve dived about a year on backplate/wing and am just about to buy padding for it I think.
Of course you put this out the day after i went and bought mine lol 😂😂🤷♂️
Sorry...
Buy them used on eBay, people wear them once and sell them cheap.
XS scuba makes a ditchable trim pouch that fits on 2-inch webbing. I used them on my waist belt to replaced my more traditional style OMS ditchable weight system and it has made the setup far more pleasant. Also on the subject of weight: Highland makes a soft weight pouch for the center channel of the backplate that I really like. (Mark: Associate links!)
Would like to see proper cleaning, maintenance and storage of bpw between diving trips
Great q
Thanks for a great video. It seems like others treat this subject like some kind of 'black art', reserved for the chosen few. Your guide is clear and concise, and I think it's just saved me A LOT of money! Keep up the good work! 👌
I just bought a backplate and wing system recently. I'm very happy with the setup, but I did end up buying a carbon fiber backplate for travel. I probably should have bought aluminum (or sucked it up and traveled with steel), but the bling of their marketing for the carbon fiber got me. It's a reputable company, so hopefully it's durable enough.
I'd mount it in a frame on the wall just so I could look at that carbon fiber pattern
I was very close to buying a carbon plate but I've never known anybody with one so I stuck to what I knew. Let us know how you get on with it
Hi Mark, loving the videos - please keep going with them ☺️ Was wondering if part of another one of your videos you could show how to setup and BP/W setup with a single cylinder? I've only just started (7 dives so far) using the setup with twins and I'm loving it and would like to get a single cylinder wing and use that when ever on singles but not sure how you put it all together. Cheers, take care and Safe Diving!
I don't know why I keep watching guides like this... I've had my BPW for years now, in duplicate (heavy an light), even converted my gf to BPW, so you'd think I should know all the parts involved and how to assemble them...
Please don't stop making videos after Simply Scuba! Love your style, you've helped me so much!
DiveSystem has a wing that can "transform from a single cilinder configuration to a twin cilindren one through a zipper. Cool design, but I don't know how practical it is.
I am starting out… Right now I want a single cylinder wing backplate setup but I want to be able to switch to twin if I want to.
According to my local dive center as well as a few diver friends, I have a rather stupid question for you 😅
I want to replace my ADV jacket with a doughnut wing. I was told many times that I have to buy an aluminum backplate for travel as well as a steel one for cold water dives at home. Also I need to buy a second harness so I don’t have to reassemble it every time again.
So my question: isn’t it much easier, cheaper and more logical to buy an aluminum backplate and just add weight around the bottle whenever it’s needed? Isn’t it way more complicated for the diver to switch between the jackets and to „learn“ the buoyancy again whenever the other jacket is used?
I’m a bit lost here....
As my ADV was only used one year and has now to be changed due to the „swimming like a seahorse“ phenomenon, I’m not very keen on spending unnecessary money again... 😔
By the way: you have a very cute dog!! 🐕 😍
Hi Mark ! Love your videos, I follow you either on simply scuba or your own channel. Very thoughtful and inspiring for newbies. Keep it going ! :)
Thanks a lot for all your great videos, they do really help a lot!!
I am in the process of changing my BCD to a plate and wing system. Just one more question about that: How do you explain the big differences in prices? For example Halcyon at about 1000€ and Xdeep for almost half of that price. It is “just” a metal plate, wing an harness. Or isn’t it “just” that?
Thanks in advance!
Sometimes it's _definitely_ more expensive because of the logo stamped on a piece of kit,
Other times it's because of the R&D and the tiny details that all add up.
The trick is to see the difference between the two.
At the end of the day, if the kit works for you, it doesn't matter what brand is on it
I'm thinking about building a travel rig, should be small and light, so no steel backplate, nor P-weights... what would you recommend, what should i get for the weights? In the foreign dive center i get 1 and 2 kg lead blocks. I guess 2 trim pockets to the back, and 2 pouches to the waistband, and some more to a separate belt.
Hi Mark. Very good information. On a rescue scenario, is there something different when rescuing a diver in BPW. How do you get the system off the diver quickly if there are not quick disconnects? Having all the air in the back, does it makes it more difficult to help the dive on the surface?
I would like to try new things and get more advance training but the fact that I can only dive a very few times a year makes it difficult to invest on more equipment. So, a BPW for me will have to wait.
Knives... if you're in a real-world scenario where you need to remove equipment from a victim, you cut through those straps. New webbing is cheap, and I'd rather loose my twinset to Davy Jones if it meant they get me to safety faster.
A fully inflated wing will push you into a face down position on the surface, just don't fully inflate the BCD on an unresponsive diver, just enough to make them positive.
Based on the limited reviews I’ve found, I’m considering the Xdeep NX Zen backplate/wing. I’m a rec diver with aspirations to make my way into the tec realm eventually. Is the aforementioned system a good jumping off point, or should I explore more established tec specific BP/W manufacturers?
The XDEEP style of backplate is going to be the future of BPW diving, with other manufacturers catching up eventually. I wouldn't worry about investing in more exotic XDEEP designs, they can do everything a more traditional design can do and be more comfortable and practical.
My next Backplate and Wing will probably be an XDEEP.
I'm in the same boat, after doing a bunch of research I really liked the Zen and literally just placed my order a few days ago. I have to wait 6 weeks though 😭. Have you used yours yet?
Hey man, Thanks for the explanation. What do you think about hybrids like the Hollis LTS? Anything wrong with that?
Great informative video Mark. Which brand would you recommend for a 10l solo tank, cold water diving with 9-10kg and a short backplate?
How do you determine the wing lift? I'm 5'10" 200lbs and usually dive with 20-22lbs of weight. Im probably going to dive with twin 100s.
I’m just starting out diving but have decided to go with a bpw setup, I was looking at the Apeks wtx harness setup, is there a difference between the wtx and wtx-d? What would you recommend?
Great video :) Happy to see your channel growing. What do you think about the x deep Zeos?
Zeos is a pretty traditional setup. It doesn't have the same flare as some of their other systems, but it is a great starting point for a customisable setup.
i love your videos. finally its the content we really want :D and the QA answers all questions which are left, after watching your videos. i Can see you adjust the light, but now you are very red and your beard is weird colored :P
Thanks Mark! It would also be informative to hear your thoughts on the deluxe type harnesses with the articulated rings that break the shoulder straps into two parts (and often connect a chest strap at the same point as well). Dive Rite and Zeagle both have versions of these and are intended for back-plates; e.g. Zeagle Deluxe Harness. I recently fitted my one-piece harness/back-plate for a female friend to try, and she was uncomfortable with how the 2-inch webbing felt under her arms. After doing some research, we wondered if this type of deluxe style harness could help, as she trained with a wing and would like to stay with that. Thanks again - great video!!
Hey Mark! My LDS doesn’t carry backplate/wing setups or pieces for them. Should I just order from somewhere like Dive Gear Express? I’ve been eyeing the Mares XR line and I’m thinking about taking the plunge here pretty soon. Thanks in advance!
Yeah, the Mares XR sets come assembled, you just need to adjust the straps. They're one size fits all too, so you can't go wrong.
Let us know if you need any help
Safe Diving awesome! I’ve been using a jacket style and I don’t like where a lot of the D rings and pockets are so BP&W seemed like the next logical step considering I want to go the tech/cave direction in the future
#askmark hey Mark great vid as always, under the accessories section you mention a clip to allow easy dof and don can you share a link, and or the name of the part?
This one in particular is an Agir Harpa Loop but there are a few copies out there. Mares XR make the SF2 and I think Tecline make one also
Awesome thanks!@@SafeDiving
@@SafeDiving update: I got the mares xr sf2 and wow why isn’t this talked about in every bpw how too? It makes it so much better!
Won't the crotch strap stop the dumpable weightbelt in an emergency?
Padding, schmadding. You don't need no stinkin' padding! Seriously, all padding does is cause you to need for lead for ballast. If you properly adjust your simple, one-piece harness, it will be plenty comfortable. I've never felt the need for padding, regardless of whether I'm using a lightweight cylinder or a very heavy one. Nor have I ever felt the need for a back pad, even when diving with a steel plate and just a rashguard.
I really like padded shoulder straps so the don't dig into my suit. It looks strange but it helps to extend your suits life span especially for Trilaminate dry suits
Yeah, I have thin neoprene sleeves over my shoulders but that's it. My undersuit is all the padding I need, and I've never been uncomfortable without padding even in a rash vest.
I'd recommend anybody thinking about pads to try the backplate in the water before buying and fitting a pad.
And i have to add. I never considered the bungies and a puncture. Thats not a small issue. And very good point. Im officially a non fan of them now.
I REALLY wanted some after seeing some OMS wings on the deck of another boat years ago, right up until somebody mentioned that squeeze effect to me...
Yeah a great point that I have never considered. Changed my opinion.
Good info but would have been %120 better if he had a back plate to show examples as he's talking.
Who sells the plates for us realy tall guy's
XDEEP, of course, makes two plate sizes but it's just Large for 'taller than 175cm'. There are other but none spring to mind, I'll do some hunting and let you know...
You're very red in this video Mark!
Yeah, looked fine when editing, uploaded it's a tad red...
N