Backplate and Wings Setup

Ah yes, the good ‘ol backplate and wings setup.

At one time, this was the standard in technical diving and it still is to some extent. This setup consists of a hard steel plate with a horseshoe shaped bladder attached to it.

It doesn’t get any simpler than that. Most divers these days buy a complete BC rig since there are many manufacturers who make high quality technical BC’s, however there are still some die-hards left who like to build their own rig.

For these guys, the backplate and wings setup is still the gold standard.

So why do the tech guys like the Backplate and Wings so much?

It’s because the horizontal position is the best position to be in, especially when you’re trying not to kick up any silt and because wings will keep you in that position faithfully.

I’m sure at least some divers reading this are thinking, “It’s not so hard to stay horizontal. I got my $185 BC from some discount diver outlet and I can stay horizontal just fine.” I won’t argue that. You’re probably right. But I’m willing to bet that if you strap on two 90 cubic foot steel tanks, a cave light, a regulator set, a redundant regulator set, two backup flashlights, a primary reel, a secondary reel, two decompression bottles, and a host of other equipment; staying in a horizontal position with your $185 open water BC will become difficult if not impossible.

In fact, all that equipment will most likely pin your cocky butt to the bottom, which brings me to my next point.

A backplate and wings setup has more lift than your average BC

More lift is another reason tech divers will choose a back-mounted buoyancy compensation system or backplate and wings.

If you’re going to carry all the gear that I mentioned above, you’d better be sporting 50 to 75 pounds or 23 to 34 kgs of lift at least! Open water BCs generally have about 25 to 35 pounds of 11 to 16 kgs of lift.

It’s hard for your average BC to ever reach the high lift numbers that a back-mounted BC can reach. You see, your average buoyancy compensator has a bladder that goes down the divers back and around their stomach. If the bladder was big enough to have 75 pounds (35 kg) of lift and the diver inflated it fully, the BC would squeeze the diver tightly. Not very comfortable.

On the other hand when wings inflate, they inflate above the diver so these BCs can have larger bladders without worrying about causing the diver discomfort.

Advantages of a Wings Setup

There are many advantages for this setup. It offers flexibility, increased lift, and comfortable diving.

That being said, it’s not the recommended setup for a beginner.

Someone who’s just learning is much better off with a traditional open water buoyancy compensator until they get the basics down. However, if you decide that diving is more of a passion for you than a hobby, then a backplate and wings setup will allow you to customize a buoyancy compensator to your needs and will open new and exciting opportunities for you in the world of diving.

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