Is a Backplate and Wing Good for Beginners?

New divers often hear that a backplate and wing is "advanced gear" and should wait until they're experienced. We disagree. The best time to learn good trim and buoyancy habits is at the beginning, before the bad ones form.

The honest answer is yes, with conditions.

Why does a backplate and wing suit beginners?

• It puts lift where trim needs it. The wing sits behind you, which supports a horizontal position instead of pulling you upright.
• It's simple. A rigid plate, one piece of webbing and a wing. No quick releases, padding or straps to readjust every dive.
• It holds the cylinder still. A stable platform makes buoyancy and trim easier to learn.
• It grows with you. The same plate and harness can carry a single tank now and a different wing later.

UTD teaches its open water course in its own equipment configuration, so new divers learn buoyancy, trim, propulsion and gas sharing in the system they'll use afterwards. Later training builds on those foundations, adding the skills required for a new configuration or environment.

What has to be right first?

1. Fit. The harness is adjusted to your body once, properly. Too loose and the plate moves; too tight and you can't reach your valves or breathe deeply. Most complaints about backplates come from bad fitting.

2. Wing size. A wing sized for a single aluminum cylinder and your exposure suit. An oversized wing traps air in its corners and makes buoyancy harder, not easier.

3. An instructor who dives one. You want someone who can adjust the rig on you in the water and teach the habits that go with it: weighting, trim and breathing.

What are the myths?

"It floats you face down." Surface posture depends on the complete rig and the diver. Learn to establish positive buoyancy and a stable surface position in the fitted equipment; a wing alone does not guarantee either posture.

"It's uncomfortable." A fitted harness is comfortable, and it doesn't squeeze you as it inflates.

"It's for technical divers." It's used by technical divers because it works. That's a reason to start with it, not avoid it.

"It's expensive." Entry-level setups cost about the same as mid-range jackets, and the plate and harness last a very long time.

What about rental gear?

Most dive shops rent jackets, so you'll probably meet one at some point. That's fine. The skills you learn, like horizontal trim, breathing for buoyancy and a calm gas share, transfer to any rig. A backplate and wing just makes them easier to learn.

Should you buy one now?

Try before you buy. Train in a fitted rig, ideally through your instructor, and decide once you know what suits your body and your diving. You can rent a DIR singles backplate and wing through our shop. Gardner Underwater's local equipment list specifies a backplate, harness and wing for backmount training, so training is a good place to try one.

For choosing a plate, wing and harness, see Choosing a Backplate and Wing. For the comparison with a jacket, see Backplate and Wing vs Jacket BCD.

Start with good habits

If you're not yet certified, our Open Water Diver / Recreational 1 course teaches the basics in the UTD configuration from the start. Already certified? Essentials of Recreational Diving is the place to learn the rig properly.