Hogarthian
Configuration Guide.

You've decided to set up a Hogarthian configuration. You have a backplate, a wing, and a harness. Now what? This guide walks through every decision, from backplate position to D-ring placement, so your first Hogarthian setup is correct from the start — not after three dives of trial and error.

This is the most comprehensive free guide to Hogarthian configuration available online. Whether you're setting up your first backplate and wing or refining a system you've used for years, this covers everything: harness geometry, regulator routing, weighting, D-ring positions, and the practical first dives that make the system second nature.

What is the Hogarthian
configuration exactly?

The Hogarthian configuration is the standard equipment layout used in DIR diving. Named after William Hogarth Main, a founding figure in the DIR movement, it specifies not just what equipment to use, but precisely where each item goes and why. The core components are:

• Backplate (steel, aluminium, or soft) with a single-tank adapter or manifold
• Wing (internal-bladder, behind the diver)
• Webbing harness, fitted to the diver's body
• Single-hose regulator on the right side, second stage at mouth level
• Inflator corrugated hose on the left shoulder
• Three to five D-rings in specific positions
• Backup light, reel, and SMB clipped to D-rings

Every element of the configuration has a reason. Nothing is there for aesthetics. Understanding why each item is where it is makes the system genuinely intuitive — rather than a set of rules to memorise.

Step 1: Backplate selection
and what it means for your diving.

The backplate is the foundation of the entire system. Three materials are available, each with different buoyancy characteristics:

• Steel backplate (approx. 2 kg negative) — ideal for cold water diving with thick wetsuits or drysuits, where you need significant ballast from the plate itself. Steel divers typically need less ankle/belt weight. Not ideal for travel due to airline weight restrictions.
• Aluminium backplate (approx. neutral to slightly negative) — the most versatile choice. Near-neutral buoyancy in warm water with a 3mm suit. Works well in most recreational diving conditions without requiring excessive weight. Travel-friendly.
• Soft backplate (lightest option) — positively buoyant, requiring additional ballast weight, but the lightest and most packable configuration available. Purpose-built for travel where pack weight is the primary constraint.

For most recreational travel divers, an aluminium backplate is the correct starting point. It balances buoyancy, weight, and durability without the constraints of steel.

Step 2: Harness fitting
on land, before the water.

A correctly fitted Hogarthian harness does not shift position at depth. This is one of the main differences from a jacket BCD, where internal inflation can cause the entire unit to move. Getting harness geometry right on land means your configuration works from the first underwater minute.

The key measurements:

• Shoulder strap length — with the backplate flat against your back, the shoulder straps should lie flat across your shoulders with no excess webbing bunching at the top. Excess webbing routes through the chest D-ring and is secured.
• Crotch strap — this is the most commonly skipped element. It is not optional. Without it, any positive buoyancy causes the entire system to ride up your back at depth. Route it between your legs and adjust so it sits firmly against your body without restricting movement.
• Hip straps — snug enough that the backplate does not shift laterally. Not so tight that they dig in during a two-hour dive. Adjust in 2cm increments until they sit naturally.
• Chest strap — locks the shoulder straps together. Position it at mid-sternum. Too high restricts breathing; too low allows the shoulders to spread and the system to shift.

Step 3: D-ring placement
the positions that matter.

D-rings in the Hogarthian configuration are not decorative. Each one is positioned for a specific function, and the position is fixed — not left to personal preference. The standard positions:

• Left chest D-ring — primary clip point for the backup light. Positioned at approximately the left pectoral, accessible to both hands without looking.
• Right chest D-ring — primary clip point for the SPG (submersible pressure gauge). Routes the SPG hose cleanly to the left hip when clipped.
• Left hip D-ring — primary clip for the SMB and reel. Position it at the forward hip, not at the back. You should be able to unclip and deploy an SMB with one hand in low visibility.
• Right hip D-ring — secondary clip point for additional accessories. Also used as the anchor point for the crotch strap on some harness designs.

After your first few dives, the D-rings will naturally shift slightly to your body's resting position. Mark the correct position on the webbing with a permanent marker — this saves time on every subsequent assembly.

Step 4: Regulator routing
and the long hose.

Regulator configuration in the Hogarthian system is standardised for a specific reason: team gas sharing. In an out-of-gas emergency, a standard Hogarthian configuration allows any trained diver to know exactly where the donor's long hose is before they even look for it.

The standard routing:

• Primary second stage — right side, on a standard-length hose (approximately 75cm). This is the second stage you breathe from normally.
• Backup second stage (long hose) — on a 150–200cm hose, routed under the right arm, across the chest, under the bungee necklace at the throat, and resting loosely at the chin. In a donation scenario, you pull it out from the front and hand it directly to the out-of-gas diver. You then switch to your backup, which hangs on a short necklace at your chin.
• Inflator hose — left shoulder. Not right, not centre. Left. This is a standard position that allows any trained diver to immediately locate your inflator in zero visibility or an emergency.

Step 5: Weighting.
Get it right first.

Weight correctly before your first Hogarthian dive. The goal: neutrally buoyant at 5 metres depth with an empty BCD at the end of the dive (cylinder pressure 50 bar or less).

Start with less weight than you think you need. Add weight in 0.5 kg increments until you achieve the correct buoyancy. In warm water with a 3mm wetsuit and an aluminium backplate, many divers find they need zero added weight or minimal additional weight. This surprises people who are used to over-weighting in jacket BCDs.

Where to place weight in a Hogarthian configuration:

• On the backplate — integrated weight pockets on the backplate keep the centre of gravity low and centred. This is the preferred position because it does not change your trim.
• Weight belt — acceptable as a supplement, but avoid it as the primary weight system. Belt weight sits too high and too far forward, pulling your hips down and compromising horizontal trim.
• Ankle weights — occasionally useful for divers with very buoyant legs (common with drysuits and some body types). Use the minimum needed — typically 500g to 1kg per ankle.

Step 6: Wing inflation
less than you think.

Because the wing is positioned behind you rather than around you, it requires significantly less gas to achieve buoyancy than a jacket BCD. New backplate and wing users consistently over-inflate — the result is a diver who floats with their back arched upward, legs dropping below horizontal.

The correct approach: add the minimum gas needed to achieve neutral buoyancy, then use breathing to fine-tune. A diver with correct weighting and a properly fitted Hogarthian harness should be able to maintain neutral buoyancy at depth using breath control alone, with the wing acting as a gross adjustment rather than a constant management task.

Your first Hogarthian dives:
what to focus on.

• Dive 1: check harness fit and D-ring positions in shallow water. Don't worry about trim yet.
• Dive 2: focus on horizontal trim. If your legs sink, add a small amount of air to the wing and check your weight distribution.
• Dive 3: practice inflator use with eyes closed. Practice buoyancy control with breathing alone (minimal BCD use).
• Dive 4 onwards: practice modified flutter kick and frog kick. These propulsion techniques are designed for horizontal trim and produce no downward water movement that would disturb silt or coral.

Most divers report that by dive 5, the Hogarthian configuration feels completely natural. By dive 10, they cannot imagine diving any other way. The learning curve is real but short.

The Hogarthian configuration
for travel diving.

One of the Hogarthian configuration's great advantages is its compatibility with travel diving. A correctly set up backplate and wing system is inherently travel-compatible: fewer components, lower weight, better compressibility than a jacket BCD.

For Red Sea liveaboard diving, the Hogarthian configuration has a specific advantage: on sites with current (Elphinstone, the Brothers, Daedalus), a streamlined profile makes a measurable difference. Divers in Hogarthian configuration can maintain their position in moderate current with a fraction of the fin effort required by a diver with a jacket BCD and dangling equipment.

The other travel advantage: when you arrive at a dive centre with a standardised Hogarthian configuration, any DIR-trained divemaster or guide reads your setup instantly. There is no "where is your octopus?" conversation. Your equipment communicates competence before you enter the water.

Common Hogarthian setup mistakes
and how to avoid them.

• Crotch strap not used — the single most common beginner error. Without it, the harness rides up at depth. The BCD shifts. Your trim suffers. The crotch strap is not optional.
• Over-weighted — moving from a jacket BCD to a backplate and wing almost always requires less weight. Start with 2 kg less than you used in your jacket. Check buoyancy at 5 metres.
• Wrong D-ring positions — D-rings that are in the wrong place get in the way. They should be at specific positions (left and right chest, left and right hip). If yours shift during the dive, use a permanent marker to mark the webbing position after adjustment.
• Too much wing inflation — because the wing is behind you, not around you, you need less gas to achieve buoyancy than in a jacket. Many new BP/W divers over-inflate initially. Practise controlling buoyancy with breathing before adding gas to the wing.
• Long hose tucked incorrectly — the long hose alternate second stage must be accessible. If it is not under the bungee necklace and routed correctly, a team-assist scenario will not work as intended. Practice the donation procedure on land first.
• Skipping the land check — always assemble and check your configuration on land before entering the water. Confirm D-ring positions, long hose routing, inflator function, and dump valve positions. Two minutes on the boat saves significant frustration underwater.

The Voyager BCD is designed with all of these considerations built in. The D-ring positions follow the Hogarthian standard. The inflator is on the left shoulder. The harness geometry is correct from the first adjustment.