Hollis ST Elite System BCD

Hollis ST Elite System: Backplate-and-Wing BCD Built for Cold-Water Single-Tank Diving

The Hollis ST Elite System is a complete backplate-and-wing setup, factory-assembled and ready to dive.

It brings together three components: the ST35 wing, the Stainless-Steel Backplate 2.0, and the Backplate Back Pad 2.0, all paired with the Elite 2 harness.

If you are a recreational diver moving up from a jacket-style BCD, or an advanced diver who wants a proper technical-style platform without building a system piece by piece, this kit is worth a serious look. It is specifically designed for cold-water diving and heavier steel cylinders, so if most of your diving happens in warmer, tropical conditions with aluminum tanks, a lighter wing may suit you better.

What You Get Out of the Box

This is not a single piece of gear. It is a matched system:

• ST35 Wing: the buoyancy bladder, providing 35 lbs (16 kg) of lift
• Stainless-Steel Backplate 2.0: laser-cut, CNC-bent 304 stainless steel, 6.5 lbs (2.85 kg), 0.16" (4mm) thick
• Backplate Back Pad 2.0: two-piece foam and nylon lumbar pad that pivots clear when you are mounting cylinders
• Elite 2 Harness: fully adjustable webbing harness with all hardware, weighing 1.7 lbs (770g)
• Delrin cam bands: 2" (5cm) wide nylon webbing with box-stitched Delrin buckles and wire cam for tank retention

Everything arrives pre-assembled. You are not sourcing compatible parts or wondering whether the wing will fit the plate.

The Wing: Lift, Profile, and Construction

The ST35 uses a 360-degree tapered profile, meaning the bladder is shaped to push lift toward your hips rather than distributing it evenly. In practice, this helps you hold a horizontal trim position underwater without fighting your gear. You stay flat, which reduces drag and makes finning more efficient.

Thirty-five pounds of lift is the right amount for cold-water diving in a thick wetsuit or a drysuit with a heavy steel cylinder. It gives you enough reserve buoyancy at the surface without creating a bulky, oversized wing for single-tank use.

The bladder construction is two-layer. The outer shell is 1680 Cordura nylon, which is a dense, abrasion-resistant fabric that holds up against rocks, boat ladders, and rough surfaces. Inside, a 420-denier nylon bladder is urethane-laminated and sealed with radio-frequency welded seams, which creates a more reliable gas-tight bond than stitching alone.

The lower OPV (over-pressure valve, the dump valve that releases air) is positioned so you can reach it easily while horizontal or in a head-down orientation. That matters when you are making a controlled ascent and need to vent gas without rolling onto your back.

The inflator uses a K-style mechanism with a crushproof rubber hose and connects via a standard 3/8" threaded quick-disconnect fitting. The elbow is offset to keep the hose clear of your tank valve and regulator, which is a practical detail that removes a common source of frustration when gearing up.

Tank slots and a tank cradle are built into the wing and backplate design, so you do not need a separate single-tank adapter plate. That is one less piece to carry when you travel.

The Backplate: Material and Fit

The stainless-steel backplate is the heaviest component in the system at 6.5 lbs (2.85 kg). That weight is intentional. Divers in cold water wearing thick exposure protection often carry significant lead, and a steel plate offsets some of that, reducing the amount of weight you need on a belt or integrated pockets.

The plate is 304 stainless steel with a bead-blast finish that is electropolished and chemically passivated. That process fills in surface micro-scratches and makes the steel more resistant to corrosion over time. It will not look new forever, but it is built to stay presentable after years of saltwater use.

Hollis designed the 2.0 plate to fit smaller-framed divers without sacrificing the geometry that makes it compatible with their existing harness and wing accessories. If you already own other Hollis buoyancy components, the webbing slot layout is reverse-compatible with the prior generation.

The plate is also set up for doubles, with crotch strap slots included, so if you eventually move to twin cylinders, the hardware is already there.

The Harness: Adjustment and Hardware

The Elite 2 harness is where this system bridges recreational comfort and technical functionality.

The shoulder straps are fully adjustable and carry removable shoulder pads, which matters on longer dives when webbing pressure becomes noticeable. Each shoulder has three pre-bent stainless-steel D-rings, giving you six mounting points across both shoulders for accessories, lights, reels, or slates.

All metal hardware throughout the harness is 316-marine-grade stainless steel, which is more corrosion-resistant than the 304 used in the backplate. That is standard practice: the plate is thick structural steel, while the smaller hardware that contacts saltwater constantly gets the higher-grade alloy.

The sternum strap is adjustable, which helps you dial in how the shoulder straps sit across your chest, particularly useful if you are between sizes or wearing varying thicknesses of exposure protection across different dive trips.

The Back Pad: Comfort on a Metal Plate

Diving a bare stainless backplate is uncomfortable on a long boat ride and unpleasant in the water on extended dives. The Backplate Back Pad 2.0 addresses that directly.

It is a two-piece foam and nylon pad with sewn edge tape and a pivoting design that swings out of the way when you are threading cam bands or attaching cylinders. You do not need to remove it to rig your tank.

One important note: this pad is not compatible with previous-generation Hollis backplates. If you are upgrading an older Hollis system, check your plate version before assuming the pad will fit.

Who This System Is For

The ST Elite is a strong match if you are a recreational or advanced diver who:

• dives regularly in cold water with a thick wetsuit or drysuit
• uses or plans to use steel cylinders, where the extra lift of the ST35 earns its place
• wants a proper backplate-and-wing setup without sourcing each component separately
• values a full stainless hardware system that will last many years of regular use

It is less well-suited for divers who travel frequently to warm, tropical destinations with rental aluminum tanks, where a lighter wing and aluminum plate would be easier to carry and require less ballast management. The steel plate alone is 6.5 lbs before you add anything else, and that weight is a deliberate tradeoff, not a design flaw.

If you are ready to move beyond a jacket BCD and want a platform that can grow with your diving, the Hollis ST Elite System is a complete, well-considered starting point.