Hollis ST 35 lbs Wing w/ Slots BCD Tech

A BCD should fit snugly enough that it does not ride up toward your ears when inflated, while still letting you breathe fully. Fasten the waist and cummerbund first, then adjust the shoulder straps so the tank sits close to your back and the shoulders cannot slide off. With the BCD fully inflated at the surface you should still be able to take a deep, comfortable breath; if it squeezes your chest, loosen it or move up a size.

Rinse the outside in fresh water and also flush the inside of the bladder, because salt water gets in through the inflator and dump valves. Fill the bladder roughly a third full of fresh water through the oral inflator, slosh it around, then drain it out through the inflator and each dump valve. Hang it to dry out of direct sunlight and store it partially inflated so the bladder walls do not stick together.

Integrated weight pockets carry the lead in the BCD itself, which many divers find more comfortable and easier on the hips, while a weight belt keeps the weight independent of your BCD. Either way, you must be able to release your ditchable weight quickly with one hand, and your buddy should know how your system releases. Non-ditchable trim pockets are useful for balance but should never hold weight you might need to drop.

Make sure the BCD is completely dry inside and out before packing so it does not mildew in transit. Remove all weights, deflate it fully, and fold or roll it around softer items such as a wetsuit to cushion the inflator and valves. Avoid hard creases in the air cell, and unpack and air it out as soon as you arrive.

Follow the service interval in the manufacturer's manual, which is commonly an annual inspection alongside the rest of your life-support gear. Have the inflator, dump valves, and bladder checked any time the inflator sticks, free-flows, feels rough, or the BCD holds air poorly. Between services, confirm that it inflates and deflates properly as part of every pre-dive check.

A jacket-style BCD holds air in panels that wrap around your sides as well as your back, while a back-inflate BCD keeps the entire air cell behind you. Jacket styles tend to feel very stable and upright at the surface, and back-inflate styles keep the chest clear and are often preferred for horizontal trim underwater. Neither is objectively better, so treat it as a fit and preference decision and try both if you can.

Most recreational BCDs use an adjustable cam band sized for common single-cylinder diameters, so standard aluminum and steel tanks generally work. Re-check the band tension after the first wetting, because webbing can relax slightly and let the tank shift. If you dive doubles or unusual cylinder diameters, confirm compatibility with the manufacturer before assuming it will hold.

No. The ST35 has cam band slots and a tank cradle built in, so the wing mounts directly between your backplate and cylinder without a separate single tank adapter plate. That removes hardware and weight from your kit, which is useful for dive travel. You still use standard cam bands routed through the wing's slots to secure the cylinder.

Lift is the difference. The ST22 provides 22 lbs (10 kg) of lift for minimalist, travel-focused single-tank diving, while the ST35 provides 35 lbs (16 kg) for divers who need extra lift, such as colder water with a thicker suit or a heavier cylinder. Both share the 1680D Cordura outer shell, 420 nylon internal bladder, offset elbow and integrated cam band slots and tank cradle.

The ST35 uses a lower left pull relief valve, placed so you can vent gas while horizontal or head down rather than having to go vertical. The air cell is built with a welded flange and a one-piece retainer, so the bladder can be accessed and serviced without tools. The welded flange and one-piece retainer allow the bladder to be accessed and serviced without tools.

The ST35 uses a K-style inflation design with a rugged crushproof rubber hose. The rugged crushproof rubber hose is easy to position and allows oral inflation if needed. The offset elbow keeps the corrugated hose clear of the tank valve and regulator.