What’s the best wing BCD?
More specifically… Should you buy a backplate with a webbing harness, or a Dive Rite wing and TransPac harness?
This dive gear choice has been coming up often lately. I’ve gotten emails about it, and also had the very discussion with Captain Larry of Key Largo Dive Center. As it turns out, my personal single-tank rig is a backplate with a webbing harness, while Larry’s is the TransPac. We both use the same Dive Rite Travel Wing.
So, what’s better, a traditional backplate, or the TransPac? Well, come on… Obviously, what I dive is the best. Just kidding. The choice truly is a simple matter of preference. I’m going to try to touch on all the main considerations to help you make the best decision. I think you’ll find that it really depends on a combination of your diving needs and whether travel is a consideration.
Backplate vs. TransPac: What’s the Difference?
Most likely, if you are reading this, you already know something about both (read about the basics of backplate and wing diving here). Basically, a backplate is just that—a plate with a nylon webbing harness threaded into it. That said, there are many harness options, so I’ll get into some of those shortly.
The TransPac functions must the same as a backplate and harness, but looks and feels more like a traditional rear-inflation BCD. It has padding and is adjustable, whereby most traditional backplate/wing setups are essentially made to fit one diver… you.
The TransPac integrates the same weight pocket options as a backplate harness. Dive Rite has weight pockets that hold 16 pounds, 8 pounds and 6 pounds (per pocket). Also, both offer the ability to add and move d-rings based on your individual needs.
There are purists who will suggest that technical diving demands that only a backplate and wing are suitable for that kind of diving. I call BS on that. The Dive Rite TransPac is absolutely suitable for technical diving.
Weighting with a Backplate vs. Weighting with the Dive Rite TransPac
As I just mentioned, there are three weight pocket options offered by Dive Rite. The 16 pound weight pockets (32 total) are generally used by cold-water divers, often in drysuits. If you are one of them, you already know the biggest weight pockets may be necessary.
In fact, weighting is one of the major considerations when choosing between a backplate and the TransPac. The TransPac is neutrally buoyant to slightly positive in the water. A backplate with most webbing harness options will be negative unless you intentionally add padding. Even then, most backplates will be negatively buoyant.
Just how negatively buoyant depends on the plate you choose. Dive Rite offers four backplate options. Two are “standard” size backplates. One of these is typical solid stainless steel, weighing 5.5 pounds. There is also a “Lite” version that’s skeletonized to get the weight down to 2.6 pounds. The other two backplates are “regular” and lite versions of the what’s otherwise the same backplate, but shorter. The short ones weigh 5.4 pounds and 2.3 pounds respectively.
Other brands offer aluminum backplates as well, and one company, Helium Diving, offers a range of titanium backplates. (I’m actually working a titanium backplate to sell under the JoeScuba label.)
Most aluminum backplates weigh 1.75 to 2 pounds, while stainless steel backplates are between 5.5 and 6 pounds. I say “most” because there are others. My favorite backplate for cold water is from SubGravity and weighs a massive 10.1 pounds!
Why so many options? Because your backplate is a major component of your weight system. Imagine diving in a drysuit with, say, Fourth Element’s thickest undergarment. Depending on the drysuit, it isn’t hard to push your weight requirement well over 30 pounds. Concentrating all that weight around your waist tends to be (a) uncomfortable and (b) will likely throw off your trim—probably by a lot.
The right backplate can reduce the that by moving 10 or more of those pounds up across your back. It brings your trim back into line and reduces some of that lead packed around your middle.
In essence, you choose your backplate based on how heavy you want it to be. With the TransPac, your weight needs to go into waist pockets or trim pockets. For most divers that works out well.
A little about trim pockets…
With a TransPac or backplate, you’ll typically use two tank bands. You don’t have to use two, but I don’t know why you wouldn’t. The great thing about that is you can place up to two pockets on each band. So, if you need weight up high, you can get as much as 10 (maybe even 12) pounds up there. The lower band can hold that again. For trim, this is like magic!
One caution is to make sure enough of your weight is ditch-able that you can dump it and become positively buoyant in an emergency.
Dive Rite TransPac Trim & Weight Placement
As mentioned, the TransPac does’t weigh anything in the water, so all your weight will be in the form of added lead. Given that you can realistically add 20 pounds or more in trim pockets on your upper and lower tank bands, this doesn’t pose a major problem in most circumstances. However, it can lead to a slightly bulkier setup.
The Dive Rite TransPac is a slightly bulkier rig compared to a backplate and wing with a webbing harness. Additional trim pockets can make this option even more bulky, but that depends on what backplate configuration you compare it to.
Traveling with a Backplate and Wing Compared to Traveling with the Dive Rite TransPac
In my experience, a backplate offers a more compact package for travel. That assumes you don’t add padding or bulky accessories. Also a factor is how you attach your tank. With a backplate, it is common to use some sort of “single tank adapter” or STA. Single tank adapters may or may not be required, depending on your choice of wing (buoyancy cell).
Some wings have integrated tabs that are meant to align the scuba tank correctly. The keeps you rig as light as possible and doesn’t require any extra hardware. I’ve traveled extensively with this setup and find it slightly less stable and a little more cumbersome to put together at the dive site or on a boat.
If a single tank adapter is required or preferred, the most common one is attached using the same holes as would otherwise attach to the tank bands on a set of doubles. The STA consists of a “U” or “V” shaped stainless or aluminum channel with bolts on the backplate side and slots for cam bands on the other.
Another option that I use and like a lot is the OMS Soft Stabilizing Adapter. You’ll also see it listed as simply the “OMS Soft STA,” or just “Soft STA.” It has a patent number printed on it, so I’m reasonably confident it’s the only one of its kind.
I’ve seen at least one source suggest it isn’t an STA at all, merely a “stabilizer.” Whatever. It works great and is almost as light and compact as using no STA at all.
One thing I like about traveling with a backplate and wing is you can separate the components and stuff them wherever they’ll fit in your luggage. The plate/harness combo is thin and light, and you can roll up the wing to fit just about anywhere.
The Dive Rite TransPac is also modular, but doesn’t require a single tank adapter. Your tank bands thread under two strips of webbing sewn into the back of the unit. You can book screws to hold your wing in place while you kit up if you want. I think Dive Rite includes a pair of them with the TransPac.
As with a backplate, you can separate the TransPac harness from the wing to make packing easier when you travel. Even left assembled, you’ll find the Dive Rite TransPac BCD system to be more compact and lighter weight than most “travel” BCDs.
The TransPac is more stable and seems more durable than most travel BCDs too. Compared to a backplate webbing harness, the TransPac shoulder straps tend to hold their shape, which makes them a little less compact. There is also padding and adjustable parts, which contribute to a slightly bulkier profile.
Comparing the Dive Rite TransPac to a Backplate When Diving
Underwater, both the TransPac and a properly configured backplate are awesome systems to dive. The main difference in the water is how you go about placing weight to achieve perfect trim. The backplate has some weight to it, which is ideally distributed across your back. In trim pockets, they’ll tuck in close, but not as close.
As a practical matter, my 2 pound aluminum backplate doesn’t make much difference in warm water. In a 3mm wetsuit, I can easily dive with 4-6 pounds of lead. Often, I just go with 4, 2 pound weights and put 2 of each in upper trim pockets and 2 on my waist (Dive Rite weight pocket review here).
If I used a TransPac harness, I’d likely use the same thing.
Captain Larry uses a pair of the mid-size (8 pound) Dive Rite weight pockets and has textbook perfect trim without adding trim weights at all. I think the majority of divers will be attracted to the Dive Rite TransPac over a backplate.
To begin with, the TransPac is more typical of what divers are used to. It looks like a BCD is supposed to look, but cooler. More importantly, it is much easier to adjust and is padded. Also, the way his is configured, I doubt that my backplate packs down more than 1/2 inch to an inch flatter.
Dive Rite TransPac vs Backplate Versatility
For the most part, either rig will work well for all types of dives (neither is ideal for sidemount diving). Both offer mounting holes spaced at 11” center to center. That’s the standard for doubles and many rebreathers.
In my case, I can fit my backplate into my rebreather case, where the TransPac would be a bit of a struggle. That’s pretty much only an issue for me and one other guy I often dive with.
I do think a backplate is slightly more stable in a heavy set of doubles. That’s because there’s no flex at all, which translates to no movement. But, how many divers does that even apply to? As a percentage, not many, and fewer divers are using doubles anyway. I only use them when teaching anymore.
Which to Choose: Dive Rite TransPac, or Backplate?
When I set out to do this comparison, I already knew the outcome. In warm water it is a toss up. Choose the one you feel the most comfortable with. You’ll have a little more tweaking to do if you go with a traditional backplate. On the other hand, the TransPac does’t offset the amount of lead you’ll need.
In cold water, that offset can have a big impact on your comfort and trim. You’ll be just as weighted down, but the distribution is better for most divers.
For travel, both are easy to pack and can be disassembled to make packing even easier. The backplate usually works better with an STA. The TransPac doesn’t need one.
So, there you go. Choose whatever you feel the most excited about and go diving!