Halcyon

Halcyon Eclipse BC System, Aluminum Backplate, 30 lb Wing

A modular, single-tank backplate-and-wing system built from 1680-denier ballistic nylon, with interchangeable aluminum, stainless, or carbon fiber backplates.

Wing / backplate

Modular harness and wing, the standard technical-diving setup. Expect to configure backplate, wing, and harness separately rather than buying a fixed jacket.

Halcyon Eclipse BC System, Aluminum Backplate, 30 lb Wing
3.0Comparison Score
$918
Released2004
Stylewing backplate
Weight-integratedNo
Lift capacity30 lbs
Backplatealuminum
D-rings—
Trim pocketsNo
Material1680-denier ballistic nylon outer shell, 400-denier nylon inner bladder with urethane coating
Travel-friendlyNo
Dry weight—
Fitunisex
SizesOne size

"Lift capacity" is the manufacturer-rated buoyancy the wing/bladder can provide at the surface. Match it to your exposure suit, tank, and weighting, not the biggest number available.

Pros
  • Choice of 20, 30, or 40 lb wings and aluminum, stainless steel, or carbon fiber backplates lets divers size the whole rig to their exact configuration
  • 1680-denier ballistic nylon outer shell is built for durability under repeated technical and training use
  • Pre-bent shoulder D-rings and a modular MC Storage Pak keep the harness clean and snag-free
Cons
  • No integrated weight system; divers need a separate weight belt or backplate-mounted weight
  • Exact D-ring count and total assembled system weight aren't published by Halcyon, only individual component weights
Diver community sentiment
Mostly positive

On Scubaboard, longtime Eclipse owners consistently praise build quality and materials (stainless fittings, quality hoses, a replaceable inner bladder), and several report years of reliable use. In a head-to-head with the Oxycheq Sig Mach V, one diver called the Eclipse the more versatile wing overall, wrapping and packing flatter for travel and dumping air faster, though the Oxycheq felt more rigid when deflated. The most recurring complaint is a real learning curve: divers switching from horseshoe-style wings describe the donut wing as unexpectedly roll-sensitive, requiring roughly 10 dives before it felt natural. A secondary gripe is price versus necessity, especially for the optional Cinch harness add-on.

Scubaboard: Eclipse review, trim/roll learning curveScubaboard: Eclipse value-for-money debateScubaboard: Eclipse vs Oxycheq Sig Mach V

Summarized from public forum discussion (Scubaboard, Reddit, and similar), not a survey we ran ourselves. See the linked threads for the original conversations.

The Eclipse is Halcyon’s single-tank backplate-and-wing system, built around a choice of aluminum, stainless steel, or carbon fiber backplate paired with a 20, 30, or 40 lb wing depending on the diver’s ballast needs. It’s aimed at recreational, technical, and training divers who want a modular, no-nonsense harness rather than a padded jacket-style BCD, and it ships with the wing, harness, backplate, storage pak, and cambands as one system.