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What do you use: Wing or Stab-Jacket/BCD?

  • Wing?

    Votes: 165 62.7%
  • Stab-Jacket/BCD?

    Votes: 72 27.4%
  • Don't care?

    Votes: 26 9.9%

Wing vs Jacket/BCD?

48K views 133 replies 81 participants last post by  The Duck 
#1 ·
Purely out of interest, what type of BCD are we all using these days?
 
#3 ·
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<font color='#000080'>Halcyon 40lb Explorer wing and Halcyon ali plate with twin 12s. I also have a 55lb Explorer wing which I was 'advised' to buy by the shop for UK diving (like everyone else). I will use it again when I get larger tanks. I also have a Halcyon s/steel plate which I may go back to.

Regards,

Mark.  
 
#6 ·
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<font color='#000080'>buddy explorer. would like a wing set up one day but this'll do for now. also want to play around with different twinsets (using club tanks) which is easier with my current set up

incidentally, i'm not sure about the whole dragonfly thing.... doesn't the back section of a normal jacket bc inflate first anyway? and then if you're upright on the surface you'd have to fill up the dragonfly to get air into the lower sections to provide buoyancy, just the same as a normal jacket.... how does it work?
 
#7 ·
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It's a device for separating gullible people from their cash. As you say, if you're horizontal in a normal jacket, you have all air at your back, and then at the surface you fully inflate the whole thing anyway.

It's a design feature of the HUB. Nuff said!
 
#8 ·
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[b said:
Quote[/b] (Dominic @ Dec. 23 2003,10:25)]Hrm.. forgot about you awkward people who use more than one type...
Yup

Scab Jacket for warm waters

The old ABLJ has come out of retirement this year for a Frank Sinatra type farewell tour. It is amazing how many trainees believe it is the latest hi-tech piece of kit (although I think to truly fool them it would need to be black)


Cheers

Simon
 
#9 ·
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<font color='#810541'>Buddy explorer for now - I trained with a buddy commando and when I got cash to buy something I stuck close to what I knew.

I'm going to buy me a wing though soon!

Andy
 
#11 ·
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I started with a Buddy commando - it was what I trained in.

Fortunately, they sell for more secondhand than Tekwings cost new, so it wasn't too much of a wrench to switch
 
#13 ·
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<font color='#000080'>Well, I use a Buddy Tekwing, Sport PD and ABLJ in a normal diving year. Different horses for different courses now. Oh, and my harness with no backup (unless I'm in stoney or a wetsuit)

But mostly the Tekwing. Mmmm... Cheap kit.... Very comfortable...
 
#14 ·
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Just bought a oceanic probe, only used it in the pool though, should be giving it a run out saturday hopefully. Started with a buddy explorer 96 belongs to the club, not a bad bcd though did its job for me.
Happy Christmas and a great new year to everyone.
 
#18 ·
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DR wing and back plate.  Need to upgrade in the new year though as not sure if the recwing is up to handling stages as well as twin 12's.

Could also do with buying a cheap jacket for training / pool use.  Anyone happen to have one going cheap ?
 
#19 ·
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Custom Divers TDB wing and SS back plate. It’s a very versatile package and I even use it with singles these days. I have my old Seaman Sub Black Jack in the shed gathering dust which I loved at the time and I might give it an airing soon just for nostalgia sake.


ATB

Mark Chase
 
#20 ·
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<font color='#000080'>Hi

I started with a Buddy jacket, then a Scubapro Glide (I think), and have done 20-odd dives with a hub before getting a wing and BP.

I now use a Pioneer 36lb wing for singles, a 55lb wing for doubles (and soon to be a 40lb wing as well, Good ol' Father Xmas) and have both an ali plate and Stainless plate.

Would never, ever, ever go back to a jacket and have used  wing and BP in pool training sessions, normal UK dives and two weeks in the Red Sea, with no problems whatsoever.

Merry Christmas

Andy
 
#22 ·
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Narked at 60 ss/backplate and harness. Zeagal wing at the mo, changing to the NAS wing in the new year. Use it to dive single, twins, twins + stages. Love it.
Started out with a Mares HUB. I really liked it at the time, but have to say it's not a patch on the wing.:)
 
#24 ·
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<font color='#810541'>that should be added to the 'top tips for new YD members':

1. Start a thread asking about pony cylinders.  We've not had that conversation enough times and you will always remember that you've joined.

2. Post something denegrating DIR.  Anything.  You'll make sure you are standing on firm groundnext time you try THAT (and you WILL learn something from the responses)

3. Drop, casually, in conversation, that you think the HUB is a pretty good idea.

any more suggestions ........
 
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