Converted! Jacket to Wing BCD

I write frequently about the merits of harness and wing BCD systems, not because I want to persuade all divers to use them, but because most people learn to dive using jacket-style BCDs, and I want to let divers—especially new divers—know that there are other options, so they are fully informed before they choose what to buy.

The other day, a reader sent me an email in which she talked about her experience getting used to a harness and wing. She made some excellent points, and I thought she offered an interesting new perspective. This is a slightly edited version of what she had to say. 

The reader’s words

“I am a recreational diver. I dive with a single cylinder and have no technical diving ambition at all. This I leave to my husband. I appreciate that he has a thing about caves and deep shipwrecks, but I do not share his obsessions. I also understand how important it is that he has the right equipment for this type of extreme diving and how essential it is that the equipment should be set up correctly.

“As for me, over my 15 years of diving, all my BCDs have been jacket-style and bought off the shelf. I go to the dive shop, choose the make and model, try it on, take it home, and go diving—as simple as that. If it subsequently turns out that there is something I don’t like about it, I just say ‘Oh well!’ to myself, carry on using it for a while and then buy a different model.

“As you might guess, my husband has a completely different approach, and one of the things that has piqued my interest over the years is how much time and effort he spends getting his ‘gear’, or ‘rig’, or ‘kit’ customised to suit his personal preferences and the various types of diving he does.

“He has always used wing and harness BCDs and has shown me many times how they offer multiple options, depending on the needs of the diver and the dive being undertaken. I have always found this versatility to be an attractive notion, but I was put off by what I saw as the unnecessary bulk and complexity of these systems. They were also designed primarily for divers carrying more than one cylinder, and not at all what I wanted or needed.

“Then, I saw that a dive gear company was offering a wing and harness specifically for single-cylinder divers, and I was intrigued. When I read further and learned that they had a model that weighed only 3.2kg (7 lbs), I was sold. I frequently travel on small aircraft to remote places for much of my diving, so keeping baggage weight and excess baggage charges down are major priorities.

“So, I placed an order.”

First impressions

“Having been accustomed in the past to just taking my new dive gear ‘out of the box’ and putting it on, I felt a little daunted by the mass of webbing that greeted me when I opened the package. Of course, it makes complete sense that enough webbing should be included for even the largest of divers, and once I eventually set myself to the task, I found it easy to adjust the straps to my size and shape. The webbing moved smoothly through the grooves in the backplate. It was easy to move the belt slides and D-rings around, and within a few minutes, I had a well-fitting harness. All I had to do then was cut off the excess, leaving a fairly long tongue of webbing on the non-buckle side of my waist strap so I could adapt the harness to my dry suit. 

“I really liked the fact that the harness has two cylinder bands instead of one. This is a safety feature that makes so much sense, and it made me wonder why all BCDs don’t have two bands. You so often see divers in trouble because their cylinder has dropped through a single band. I also noticed how well-made everything was. All the edges on the backplate were smoothed off, the webbing was strong yet soft and pliable and the sewing on the wing was almost invisible, so close were the stitches.”

Storage

“The absence of pockets was initially disconcerting, but my husband showed me how my dive light could fit snugly underneath the two rubber loops provided at the bottom of the left shoulder strap, and how my safety sausage slotted easily under the loops on the other side. I thought about adding a zippered pouch to my waistband, as there was plenty of space, but I decided that, for now, I didn’t need it. Maybe I’ll add one in future to hold a reef-hook or a cutting tool.”

Diving

“This was the first time I had dived with a wing and harness, and also the first time I had used a crotch strap. I thought I would find the crotch strap uncomfortable, but I didn’t even notice it. The whole set-up felt immediately comfortable. Strangely, I felt that I was taking up less space in the water and found that I could move my arms around during a dive much more freely than ever before.

“Trim weight pockets were provided as standard, and I attached these to a cylinder band, one on either side, dividing my weight equally between the two, which meant I no longer required a weight belt. 

“However, this was not a huge success, as I felt that the additional weight behind me destabilised me. It was as if my cylinder was trying to roll me around as I swam.

“So, for my second dive, I moved the weight pockets from the cylinder to my waistband, threading them on and holding them in place with a belt slide. This was much more successful, and the exercise showed how flexible the system is. If you find something that is not to your taste, you can just change it.

“After only a couple of dives, I was converted! I was diving with a device that, when inflated, gave me more buoyancy on the surface than my previous BCD, but when deflated during my dive, it was less buoyant because of the absence of unnecessary bulk. Therefore, I needed to use less weight than before, which was a major bonus that I had not anticipated. I chose a 15kg capacity wing and found this perfect for diving in warm water with a 3mm wetsuit and an aluminium cylinder.

“Not only was I more comfortable, but I also had more freedom of movement and easier access to my torch and safety sausage, as all I had to do to deploy them was pull them out of the rubber bands, rather than unzip a pocket. I placed one D-ring halfway up each shoulder strap to clip my gauge and alternate second stage off. My initial estimate of how high up I wanted the D-rings was incorrect, but later, I was able to adjust them to exactly where I wanted them.

“Finally, when I came to place my bag on the airline scales before our dive trip to West Papua last month, I found that my dive bag weighed less than ever before. I felt truly enlightened—in all senses of the word.”

Simon’s view

When you are choosing a BCD, the decision as to which of the two main styles—harness and wing or wraparound jacket—you prefer is the key one. All the other factors to consider—brand, design, colour or features—are secondary. 

Of course, as my correspondent did, you can always change your mind.

The primary functions of a BCD are:
a) To keep you afloat on the surface, before and after a dive, and
b) To allow you to adjust your buoyancy during a dive by adding air to the BCD or releasing it.

Both styles of BCD accomplish these tasks perfectly. Neither is intrinsically safer than the other.

On the surface, the major difference is that when you inflate a wraparound jacket BCD on the surface, it lifts your head and shoulders above the water. With a harness and wing, because the air cell is behind you, rather than around you, you need to lean back a little as you add air, letting the air cell act like a small inflatable raft, keeping your head and upper torso clear of the waves.

Here are some of the pros and cons of each style, with brief explanations.

But first, a warning. There are also what you might call hybrid models on the market, which purport to offer all the advantages of both styles, and thereby provide an easy solution to the wing or wraparound dilemma. Do not fall into the trap. I have never seen any hybrids that accomplish this goal. Usually, they manage to achieve the exact opposite and combine the disadvantages of both styles.

Wraparound jacket BCDs

Pros:

• They are familiar. It is extremely likely that you learned to dive with one, and that all the BCDs you have subsequently rented have been this style.
• They come ready to wear. Shrug the BCD on, secure the waist buckle, pull the shoulder straps tight and decide which pocket you will keep which of your accessories in.
• They are comfortable, hold you tight, they have no sharp edges and many have plenty of padding to make you feel even cosier.
• With large, built-in pockets, there is plenty of room for all the bits and pieces you want to take with you on a dive.

Cons:

• The padding and quantity of material involved in the design make these BCDs positively buoyant, even when uninflated. Therefore, you need to carry more weight to get the BCD underwater, as well as yourself.
• It is very difficult to get a perfect fit. If it is too tight, the air cell will squeeze your rib cage when inflated. If it is too loose, especially when partially inflated, it will move around as you adjust your position underwater, making you unstable, and the straps will float above your ears when you are on the surface.
• Most Jacket BCDs are primarily designed for large divers and male divers. Few manufacturers offer options specifically for women, smaller divers or children. (Some do, and these are worth seeking out.)
• The large side pockets seem perfectly designed when you are standing up, but when you are in a swimming position, they usually open to the side. There is often no means of securing individual items within the pocket, so when you pull one thing out, other things can fall out at the same time.

Image

Harness and wing BCDs

Pros:

• They are adaptable. The harness is secured to your torso with shoulder straps, chest strap, waist strap and crotch strap. All the straps can be lengthened or shortened, so any harness can be fitted perfectly to any diver—large, small, young, old, male or female.
• They are stable, which means that, once the harness is assembled to fit, it stays in place. It never moves around on the diver. The air in the wing may move as you adjust your position, but the harness will not move.
• The harness material has zero positive buoyancy, and typically, the metalware on the harness offsets the minimal positive buoyancy of the uninflated air cell. Therefore, the system as a whole is neutral, and you will not need to carry additional weight to get it underwater.
• All technical divers, cave divers and wreck divers use harness and wing BCDs. If you are already accustomed to diving with one, your transition to more advanced forms of scuba will be easier. 

Cons:

• You must set them up yourself. Typically, the backplate or soft backpack, cylinder bands, webbing, straps and metalware will come as a kit. It is up to you to put it together. However, your local dive store or instructor can help, or there are plenty of “how-to” videos on YouTube.
• Some manufacturers only offer one-size-fits-all backplates, and these can be uncomfortable if you are the “wrong” size or shape. The solution, of course, is to choose a manufacturer that provides backplates in different sizes or a soft backpack option. Also, wearing a crotch strap can take some getting used to.
• Comparatively few manufacturers offer wings specifically designed for use with single cylinders. Choose a brand that does.
• These systems rarely have built-in pockets. It is up to you to decide how you want to store your accessories, and buy harness pouches, bolt snaps, bungee cord and neoprene loops accordingly. Again, your dive shop or instructor can give you advice and show you the options.

Conclusion

So, in brief, a wraparound jacket offers simplicity and comfort, while a wing and harness demands a little more work, but gives you a better fit and is more versatile. 

I hope this helps when you are next in the market for a new BCD. 

Happy shopping!