Tech Buoyancy Control 
WINGS | BACKPLATES | HARNESSES | BUOYANCY SYSTEMS | ACCESSORIES 

Before the 1980s, Buoyancy Control was limited to a horse collar BCD if you were lucky.... these days divers have more choices than they know what to do with, which can be very overwhelming.

Technical diving has stayed fairly true to a simplistic system since the advent of modern Buoyancy Control Systems. Most technical divers opt for a modular backplate and wing system which is made up of either a soft backplate (such as the Dive Rite Transpac) or a stainless steel or aluminum backplate. Air cells come in a virtually endless array of sizes and lift capacities to accomidate everything from a single tank to side mount and rebreathers.

Typically a technical diver will also minimize the number of failure points on their system by cutting out breaking points. Depending on your school of thought, that either means you wear a single piece of 2" webbing, or you might choose the more comfortable comfort harness.

In the last 10 years, a new philosophy around equipment configuration has surfaced, known as DIR (Doing-It-Right) Diving. The idea of DIR divers is very simple; standardization and simplicity, streamlined and redundancy. Typically DIR divers, or divers who want the simplistic and reliable systems, opt for one of the Halcyon products. Halcyon products are designed for DIR diving and conform to the equipment configuration demonstrated by DIR divers. For information about DIR equipment configuration, check out Halcyon Equipment Information.

Divers who find the DIR approach does not suit their needs, or who want the flexibility of a more versitile system typically opt for one of Lamar Hires' products, the Dive Rite Transpac. The comfort harness is modular enough to allow for sidemount, rebreather, doubles, singles, and virtually any other diving while still being extremely comfortable and simple. Dive Rite also has produced many of their products to work in conjunction with their rebreather, the Dive Rite O2ptima. Lamar and Dive Rite have several great 'how-to' videos and articles on their website, check it out.

No matter your purpose or needs, we can help you find the equipment that will best suit your application.