The general rule of thumb when choosing between a wing or normal jacket style BCD is your experience level.
A normal jacket style BCD offers good all round buoyancy when inflated.
A wing style BCD only has inflation on the rear, meaning that at the surface it will have a tendency to turn the diver face down.
A lot of divers go for wing styles BCD for the "techie" look, however, safety is paramount and its performance is key rather than its looks.
Wing Tips - Reasons for choosing a wing are if you want to keep your front area free from clutter, if you are an experienced travelling diver or if you need to use multiple cylinders.
Travel wings are also becoming very popular due the size to which they pack down.
The most popular Buoyancy Control Devices are jacket style vests that can be inflated and deflated via the low-pressure inflator to regulate your buoyancy.
The most important role of the BCD is to provide positive buoyancy for the diver when he is resting at the surface.
Other important features would include a harness backpack to attach the scuba cylinder and a pressure relief valve that avoids over inflation of the buoyancy controller.
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