hog singles bp/w review

Overview: Why the HOG Singles BP/W System Stands Out

The HOG Singles BP/W (Backplate and Wing) system is a minimalist, modular buoyancy control device built for recreational and technical divers who want exceptional trim control, structural durability, and a streamlined profile underwater. Designed by Highly Outdoorsy Gear (HOG), this system replaces bulky traditional jacket BCDs with a custom-fitted backplate, continuous harness, and a donut-style wing designed specifically for single-cylinder diving. Its biggest strength lies in its rugged construction and precise weight distribution, which instantly improves horizontal trim without unnecessary clutter. If you are tired of fighting buoyancy traps in standard jackets, this setup is absolutely worth your consideration.

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What Makes a Backplate & Wing (BP/W) Different from Traditional BCDs?

Most divers learn to scuba dive wearing standard jacket BCDs or rear-inflation recreational jackets. While functional for initial training, traditional jackets suffer from several structural limitations that impact your underwater mechanics:

• Air Trapping & Squeeze: Jacket bladders wrap around your sides and chest. When inflated, they squeeze your ribs and shift air around unpredictably as your orientation changes.
• Excess Weight & Positive Buoyancy: Thick foam padding, plastic backings, and excessive pockets add unwanted positive buoyancy. You end up carrying extra lead ballast just to sink past the foam padding.
• Forced Vertical Orientation: Jacket BCDs push your legs down and raise your head at the surface, which is fine on top of the water. Underwater, however, this design pulls you out of horizontal trim, forcing you to constantly kick upwards to stay level.

A backplate and wing system like the HOG BP/W takes a completely opposite approach. The mechanical plate sits flat against your spine, distributing weight along your torso. The donut-shaped wing sits entirely behind your tank, inflating evenly around the cylinder without squeezing your torso. When you stop propulsion in mid-water, a backplate system holds you completely flat like a skydiver, letting you hover effortlessly over sensitive reefs or silt beds.

Detailed Breakdown of Component Quality

The HOG Singles BP/W system is sold as a modular kit or individual components. Here is what you get when assembling this setup, along with an evaluation of material choices and construction quality.

1. The HOG Outer Wing Construction

The single-tank wing (typically available in 23 lb or 32 lb lift capacities) uses a rugged 1680 Denier Cordura outer shell. Denier measures fiber thickness; 1680D nylon is exceptionally resistant to abrasion against rough rocks, wreck edges, and rusty ladder rungs. Inside the outer shell sits a heavy-duty polyurethane bladder that holds air securely without leaks.

The circular "donut" design lets air travel freely across the top, bottom, and sides of the wing. If you tip slightly to the left, air doesn't get trapped on the right side. You simply pull the lower left dump valve or raise the inflator hose to release air instantly from any position.

2. Backplate Material Options: Stainless Steel vs. Aluminum

HOG manufactures two primary backplate variants to match different dive environments:

• Stainless Steel Plate (approx. 5.5 lbs / 2.5 kg): Cut from solid 304 grade stainless steel with smooth polished edges. Ideal for cold-water diving with thick wetsuits or drysuits. The plate acts as integrated ballast right over your center of gravity, taking weight off your waist belt.
• Anodized Aluminum Plate (approx. 1.6 lbs / 0.7 kg): Stamped and anodized aluminum plate designed for travel or warm-water diving in thin wetsuits. Light enough to slip into carry-on luggage while retaining complete structural rigidity.

3. Continuous Webbing Harness and Hardware

The continuous webbing harness consists of a single piece of stiff 2-inch wide nylon webbing. Because there are no plastic quick-release buckles or failure points, the system is virtually indestructible. The kit includes 316 stainless steel D-rings (bent at the shoulders for easy clipping, flat at the waist), stainless tri-glides for setting positions, a stainless waist buckle, and a 2-inch crotch strap with dual D-rings for scooter towing or tail-clipping gear.

Real-World Testing: How the HOG Singles BP/W Performs Underwater

During extended testing across varied underwater environments, the HOG system stood out for several key functional reasons:

Trim and Hydrodynamics

The most immediate change when switching to the HOG BP/W is horizontal trim. Because the wing keeps all displacement directly behind the cylinder and the backplate holds your body flat, keeping your feet up and knees bent at 90 degrees becomes effortless. Your frontal surface area drops dramatically, reducing water resistance. You spend far less energy kicking per dive, which directly translates to better gas consumption.

Deflation and Air Control

The corrugated hose connects to an elbow at the top center of the wing. The dump assembly features an easy-to-grip pull cord on the bottom left corner. When dumping air while hovering horizontally, simply raising your hip slightly releases gas from the lower dump valve instantly. There are no redundant shoulder pull-dumps or complex internal cables to snag or corrode over time.

Custom Snug Fit

Traditional BCDs use fixed sizes (Small, Medium, Large) that often feel tight on the chest while loose at the waist. With a continuous harness, you fit the webbing specifically to your exact torso length, chest width, and shoulder depth. Once set, the unit slides on like a custom suit jacket, eliminating tank slop and cylinder roll entirely.

Step-by-Step Harness Routing and Sizing Guide

When your HOG BP/W arrives, the webbing comes unthreaded so you can adjust it to your body measurements. Follow this step-by-step assembly process to get an accurate fit on your first try:

1. Fold the Webbing in Half: Find the exact center point of the 12-foot nylon strap and fold it to locate the center mark.
2. Secure the Center Grommet: Position the middle of the strap at the top center of the backplate. Thread the strap down through the top left harness slot and up through the top right harness slot.
3. Route Shoulder Straps: Thread each side down through the diagonal slots in the middle of the plate. Slide a bent D-ring and a tri-glide onto each shoulder section. Position the D-rings roughly at collarbone height.
4. Thread the Waist Slots: Pass the webbing through the lower waist slots on the plate from back to front.
5. Attach Waist Hardware: On your right waist strap, slide a flat D-ring and tri-glide for clipping off gauges or stage bottles. On the left waist strap, slide a flat D-ring for your primary SPG and attach the stainless steel waist buckle.
6. Install the Crotch Strap: Thread the crotch strap onto the bottom slot of the backplate. Slide the top loop onto the waist belt before buckling. The crotch strap prevents the entire rig from riding up toward your head while swimming or floating at the surface.

For additional details regarding technical specifications and assembly, you can reference the official HOG user manual PDF.

Weighting Strategies: Eliminating the Weight Belt

A major benefit of diving a backplate system is how effectively it handles weight distribution. Rather than wearing a heavy weight belt that digs into your hip bones, you can distribute ballast across your rig:

• Use Plate Weight: Switching to a steel backplate removes 5.5 lbs off your waist.
• Trim Pockets on Cam Bands: You can slide small trim weight pockets directly onto your tank bands. Placing 2 to 4 lbs near your shoulder level helps correct trim if your legs tend to sink.
• Ditchable Weight Options: If you dive in cold water requiring 16+ lbs of total ballast, you can add quick-release weight pockets to the waist harness. This gives you ditchable capacity while keeping the bulk of your ballast snug against your torso.

Video Walkthrough and Setup Overview

To see how the HOG single tank setup sits in real life and how simple the assembly process is, watch this helpful video walkthrough:

What the Diving Community Says (Reddit & Trustpilot Analysis)

Beyond our direct testing, real-world diver feedback confirms the long-term reliability of HOG equipment across different dive communities.

Reddit Scuba Forum Discussions

In active diving threads like this Reddit community discussion on the HOG BP/W setup, experienced divers consistently highlight the system's value. Divers note that HOG offers build quality identical to brands costing twice as much. Key takeaways from real users include:

• The 32 lb wing provides ample lift even for large aluminum 80 or steel 100 cylinders when wearing heavy exposure suits.
• The tough 1680D nylon holds up through hundreds of dives in demanding conditions without fraying or seam separation.
• The simple setup means there are no complex proprietary parts that break or require custom factory servicing.

Retailer Trust & Customer Support

When purchasing specialized technical diving equipment, buying from an authorized dealer matters for warranty support and parts availability. Purchasing through Dive Right In Scuba ensures verified product support, backed by their excellent seller reputation:

You can check out real user buyer feedback on the official Trustpilot review profile for Dive Right In Scuba, which highlights fast shipping speeds and expert customer support for technical gear fittings.

Comparing HOG BP/W to Competing Systems

To help you decide if the HOG Singles system suits your budget and diving style, here is how it compares against competing BCD configurations:

Feature / Specification	HOG Singles BP/W	Standard Jacket BCD	High-End Tek BP/W
Outer Shell Material	1680D Heavy Duty Nylon	420D - 840D Nylon	1000D Cordura / Kevlar
Horizontal Trim Support	Excellent (Flat Profile)	Fair to Poor (Vertical Drag)	Excellent
Custom Sizing Fit	Fully Adjustable Harness	Fixed Sizes (S/M/L)	Fully Adjustable Harness
Modularity & Upgradability	Fully Replaceable Parts	Non-replaceable components	Fully Replaceable Parts
Relative Cost	Budget-Friendly ($350 - $450)	Moderate ($400 - $700)	High ($800 - $1200+)

Care, Maintenance, and Long-Term Durability

Maintaining a backplate and wing system is far simpler than caring for a traditional jacket BCD because there are no foam panels or internal pockets to retain trapped salt water. Follow these practical maintenance habits to maximize system lifespan:

• Rinse Bladder Internally: After saltwater dives, fill the bladder 1/3 full with fresh water through the inflator mouthpiece, shake vigorously, turn upside down, and drain through the lower dump valve.
• Soak Hardware: Rinse the inflator mechanism, stainless steel buckles, and D-rings thoroughly with fresh water to prevent salt buildup on moving parts.
• Check Webbing Wear: Inspect shoulder and waist webbing periodically for signs of fraying against sharp plate slots. If wear appears after years of use, replacing 12 feet of nylon webbing costs under $20.
• Store Partially Inflated: Store your wing hanging upright in a cool, dry place with a small amount of air inside to keep internal bladder walls from sticking together.

Store Policies, Ordering, and Customer Support

When purchasing your HOG BP/W system, knowing your retailer support channels gives you complete peace of mind. Here are the essential store policies for ordering:

• Shipping Details: Orders process fast with flexible ground and expedited shipping options. Learn more on the official shipping policy page.
• Warranty Coverage: HOG products are built to handle aggressive dive conditions and come backed by manufacturer coverage against material defects. Review full warranty policy options for complete terms.
• Payment Options: Secure checkout options include major credit cards, PayPal, and financing choices. View details at the checkout and payment options page.
• Technical Support: Need help picking plate options or wing sizes? Contact certified dive technicians directly through the customer support team.

Pros and Cons Analysis

Pros

• Superb horizontal trim and reduced underwater drag
• Extremely durable 1680D nylon construction resists tears and abrasion
• Fully modular; every single strap, ring, and component is user-replaceable
• Custom fit tailored to your exact body dimensions
• Outstanding value for money compared to higher-priced technical brands
• Removes buoyancy traps and unnecessary positive foam padding

Cons

• Requires initial setup time to thread and adjust harness webbing
• Does not include integrated weight pockets out of the box (must be added separately)
• Unfamiliar surface flotation posture for divers used to jacket BCDs

Who Should Buy the HOG Singles BP/W?

This setup is ideal for:

• Recreational divers looking to improve their buoyancy, lower air consumption, and achieve effortless trim.
• Divers planning to transition into advanced courses (Tech, Cave, Rescue, Wreck) down the line.
• Warm-water and travel divers who want a lightweight aluminum setup that packs flat in gear bags.
• Cold-water divers who want to shift heavy ballast off their waist and onto a stainless steel plate.

This setup might not be ideal for:

• Divers who refuse to adjust webbing harness straps manually and want a plug-and-play BCD right out of the box.
• Divers who prefer heavy jacket padding and front zippered pockets over a streamlined profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a backplate and wing setup suitable for beginner scuba divers?

Yes. While standard open-water courses usually train students on jacket BCDs, starting with a BP/W system like the HOG Singles setup helps new divers build better horizontal trim and buoyancy habits right from day one without needing to retrain later.

Should I choose a stainless steel or aluminum backplate for my HOG setup?

Choose stainless steel (approx. 5.5 lbs) if you dive in cold water with thick wetsuits or drysuits and need extra non-ditchable ballast near your center of gravity. Choose aluminum (approx. 1.6 lbs) if you travel frequently or dive primarily in warm water with thin exposure suits.

Do I need a Single Tank Adapter (STA) with the HOG Singles Wing?

The HOG 23lb and 32lb singles wings feature built-in stabilization rolls and slots that allow tank straps to pass through directly. However, using an STA adds rigidity, makes changing tanks quicker, and adds extra stability to the cylinder overall.

How hard is it to thread a continuous weave harness for the first time?

It requires patience and measuring, but it is straightforward. Routing 2-inch stiff webbing through the backplate slots takes about 30 to 45 minutes on your first attempt. Once sized to your body, it rarely needs adjustment unless you change exposure suits.

Final Verdict & Buying Recommendation

The HOG Singles BP/W system delivers incredible performance, bulletproof durability, and superior trim control at a fraction of the cost of other technical diving brands. By stripping away non-essential padding and plastic buckles, it gives you direct control over your buoyancy while streamlining your profile underwater. Whether you are a newly certified recreational diver looking to build good habits or an experienced diver upgrading from an aging jacket BCD, this system remains one of the smartest investments you can make in your diving kit.

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