Scuba BCDs - The Difference Between Jacket Style, Wing Style and Semi-Wing Style

Nowadays there are a million and one different styles of BCDs available in the diving industry but there are roughly three types of BC's. Jacket style, wing style and a semi wing and in this video we're gonna teach you all about them. First off we have the jacket style bc and this is still the most popular among most divers. Main characteristic is that the air is all around you, so when you inflate the BC. It will inflate in the sides and in the back around your body. What we like about it is the fact that you are very stable on the surface. This style BCD really keeps you upright and it's easy to stay on the surface or swim for a bit. Underwater it's easy to change that position if you want to swim only on your back or on your side. It's really easy to do with a jacket style bcd. They also tend to have weight integration and they have big pockets and a lot of d-rings. So it's easy to take accessories with you. What's less to like about the jacket style BC. Is the fact that your diving position is not ideal. It's easier to go into a prone "skydive" position with a wing style BCD. Most divers tend to swim with their fins down a bit when they use a traditional jacket style BC. Also have less freedom of movement, like you can see on the side they're pretty big and this constricts you while you are using your arms and also some divers don't like it when the BC is inflated. They feel a little bit compressed. This is a wing style BC. The main characteristic is the fact that it's back inflated. So when you fully inflate a wing you won't feel a thing around your body. It consists out of two pieces of bladder and backplate with harness and this harness is set to your exact size. What we like about this BC is the fact that it's back inflated and that it really puts you in a prone position and keeps you there. So the diving position is really great. Also what we do like is the fact that the harness, once it really fits to your size it's really comfortable. It's like the best diving BC you can have. Also what we like is the freedom of movement there's no pockets, there are no anything which is in your way. You can really move around without any problem. Also the fact that you can change out the bladder, get a new backplate, replace the harness. It's really great you don't have to buy a completely new set but just remove these bands and get some new ones for them. Also you can do many different dives with it. You can do a technical diving with a twin set, you can do recreational diving with single tank. You just need to change out your bladder but your harness and your backplate and stay in place. Some things that are less likable about the wing style BC is the fact that these bands in your harness are hard to customize. So when you change your suit from a wet suit or dry suit for instance. It's really hard to adjust these to the correct size. Also when you try to get into your wing and it's fitted properly, it's quite hard especially with a dry suit with a deflater on your shoulder. Furthermore there are no pockets on a wing style BC. That's why you see most technical divers with pockets on their dry suits or they buy a special pair of shorts with pockets on them. So they can store accessories right there. Otherwise you can put them on your harness as well using double enders. So right here but then you wear all your accessories externally, so not in a pocket. Furthermore what we don't like is the fact that it's not so stable on the surface. A wing style BCD tends to push you a bit forward when you're on the surface. So you have to really lean back and get adjusted to that. Then we got the semi wing. Which is more or less a hybrid between a wing style bc and a jacket style bc. So it's back inflated but still got some benefits of a jacket style bc. It fits the same way and you still got some pockets. What's to like about the semi wing is the fact that it's back inflated. So the diving position is great. It really puts you in a prone position. Also there enough pockets on it. So all your accessories are easily put into your BCD or hung and the D rings. Almost all semi Wings have integrated weights. We also get the benefits of a jacket style BC, especially the harness. It's quite easy to adjust it. It's easier to get in and also it's easier to deflate a semi wing than a normal wing. What's not to like about the semi wing is the fact that it can be used for different types of diving. So you can't really do technical diving with it. Some semi wings allow you to put a double 7 on it but that is as high as it gets. Also you can't replace separate parts. So you can't put a new bladder on it or get a new harness. It's one piece and you need to buy a new BC if you want to change something. Which type of BC is right for you? It's kind of the million dollar question because it's a really hard one to answer. We can only tell you what we do we really enjoy the freedom and the diving position of a wing. So when we dive in our spare time, we use a wing style BC but when we teach we tend to use and take a style because it's similar to your students and it's easier to teach with a jacket style BC. This doesn't mean it's necessarily true for you. So we always recommend you try one of each type before you make a decision. Thank you for watching if you like this video give us a like down below. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel. We post new videos weekly and we have a brand new patreon page where we become your scuba assistant. So make sure to check that out. See you on the next one

Channel: 50ft Below

Views: 26,845

Rating: 4.9541283 out of 5

Keywords: bcd, scuba bcd, scuba diving bcd, scuba advice, bcd advice, scuba tip, choosing a bcd, wing bcd, semi-wing, scuba bcd back inflate vs jacket, scuba bcd setup, wing bcd diving, wing bcd for beginners, wing type bcd, wing vs bcd, scuba diving (interest), the difference between bcds, difference bcds, scuba diving advice

Id: 2ySm-Zj6WHU

Length: 5min 34sec (334 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 06 2018