Deep6 Single Tank Backplate and Wing Package
From $610.50
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Quick Facts About Deep6 Single Tank Backplate and Wing Package
- A modular backplate and wing BCD sold as a complete, ready-to-dive package.
- Choose a stainless steel or aluminum backplate to match your weighting needs and travel plans.
- Two wing sizes, 20 lb and 30 lb lift, let you match buoyancy to your tank and exposure suit.
- The harness is fully adjustable and can be trimmed to fit your body precisely, unlike off-the-shelf jacket BCDs.
- Optional integrated weight pockets and trim weight pouches mean you can ditch the weight belt without giving up the clean backplate setup.
- A single tank adapter is available, so the same rig works whether you are running a standard cylinder or a manifolded set later on.
- A solid match for recreational divers ready to move into a more streamlined, configurable system.
Deep6 Single Tank Backplate and Wing Package: A Configurable Plate-and-Wing BCD for Divers Ready to Move Beyond Jacket-Style Gear
The Deep6 Single Tank Backplate and Wing Package is a modular buoyancy compensator built around a rigid backplate, a horseshoe-shaped wing for lift, and a webbing harness. It is the foundational setup that technical and serious recreational divers use instead of a traditional jacket-style BCD.
If you are already comfortable in the water and want a cleaner, more customizable rig than a standard BCD allows, this package is worth your attention.
What a Backplate and Wing Actually Is
A jacket BCD wraps around your torso and inflates on the sides and back. A plate-and-wing system is different: a flat rigid plate sits against your back, a single bladder (the wing) inflates behind you, and a continuous webbing harness holds everything together.
The result is a trimmer profile in the water. All your lift is behind you, which encourages a horizontal swimming position rather than a head-up, feet-down angle. That matters for efficiency, for buoyancy control, and for not kicking up silt on the bottom.
Choosing Your Backplate Material
Deep6 gives you the first real decision upfront: stainless steel or aluminum.
Stainless steel is heavier in your hands and on your back. That weight works in your favor underwater, because it offsets the positive buoyancy of an aluminum tank. Many divers using steel plates can reduce or eliminate the lead they carry on a weight belt or in pockets.
Aluminum is significantly lighter out of the water, which matters if you travel by air and want to keep your luggage weight down. Aluminum plates are also a better match if you regularly dive steel tanks, which are already negatively buoyant and do not need the extra counterweight a steel plate provides.
Neither is universally better. The right choice depends on your tanks, your exposure suit, and how much lead you currently need to get neutral.
Choosing Your Wing Size
The wing is the inflatable bladder that provides your lift. Deep6 offers two options for single-tank diving:
- 20 lb lift: suited to most single-tank recreational setups, particularly with a standard aluminum 80 or a slim steel cylinder. Enough lift to surface a fully weighted diver without excess bulk.
- 30 lb lift: a better fit if you dive in a drysuit, carry a heavier steel tank, or want extra margin for an emergency ascent with more gear on your back.
Oversizing the wing is a common mistake. A wing with far more lift than you need is harder to fine-tune at depth, because small additions of gas create larger buoyancy changes. Match the wing to your actual rig weight.
The Harness and How It Fits
The harness is a single piece of continuous nylon webbing threaded through the backplate. This is not the same as the pre-sewn, padded shoulder straps on a jacket BCD.
A continuous webbing harness is adjustable to almost any body size, but it requires you to set it up correctly before you dive. If you are new to plate-and-wing systems, expect to spend a session or two dialing in the fit on land before it feels right in the water. Once set, it holds position well and does not shift the way some padded harnesses can.
Optional Add-Ons Worth Thinking Through
Deep6 lets you configure the package with several additions. These are not afterthoughts; they change how the rig works in practice.
- Single Tank Adapter: a steel or aluminum band that clamps your cylinder to the backplate. If you are diving a standard single tank, you almost certainly need this. Without it, there is nothing to attach your cylinder to the plate.
- Integrated Weight Pockets: add the ability to ditch weight quickly in an emergency. Without them, your lead must go on a separate weight belt, which is a valid choice but a different one.
- Trim Weight Pouches: small pockets that attach at the lower back or waist to shift your center of buoyancy and correct your horizontal trim. Useful if you find yourself consistently head-high or feet-high in the water.
- Tank Straps: included in the package in your choice of plastic buckle or stainless steel buckle. Stainless buckles are more durable and resistant to corrosion; plastic buckles are lighter and still reliable for recreational depths.
Who This Setup Is Right For
This package suits a diver who has outgrown a jacket BCD or who wants to build a proper plate-and-wing rig from the start.
It is a natural fit if you are pursuing technical diving, cave diving, or wreck diving, where horizontal trim and a streamlined profile are not optional. It also works well for the recreational diver who simply wants better control and is willing to spend a little time learning a new system.
It is not the right first BCD for a brand-new diver. Plate-and-wing systems require more setup knowledge and more initial adjustment than a jacket BCD. If you are still working on basic buoyancy skills, a jacket-style BCD will let you focus on diving rather than on configuring gear.
Building the Right Package
Because Deep6 sells this as a configurable bundle, you are essentially speccing out a rig. Before you order, have answers to these questions:
- What tanks will you dive? (Determines plate material and wing size.)
- Do you dive a drysuit or a thick wetsuit? (Affects how much lift and lead you need.)
- Do you want the ability to ditch weight quickly? (Determines whether you add integrated pockets.)
- Do you have trim issues with your current setup? (Determines whether trim pouches are worth adding.)
Getting these right before you build the package means you will not be swapping components after your first dive.
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