Buying a tech BCD prematurely?

[Nick_W]

There is however no such thing as a modern "tech BCD."

So, I must have missed the part where a backplate and wing ceased to be a Buoyancy Compensation Device.

 

[nereas]

Yes, get a simple single tank setup to begin with, but make it a BP/W. You won't regret doing that, although you almost certainly will have to come up with a solution for pockets to keep various necessary items in. All you'll have to buy when you get to technical diving is a doubles wing. Much easier than having to buy the backplate and harness and wing and get used to it all with the additional change of double tanks.

Exactly, exactly, exactly right!

I recommend the plate by DSS and the wing by Oxycheque. That is what I have.

 

[mark01]

If you think you may want develop your skills for tech diving or just want to configure your equipment in a very efficient profile, go with the BP/W.

I initially bought a Scubapro Glide Plus jacket BC and really liked it, and still think it's a great BC, but found it difficult to attach a knife, shears, a light, etc. It had great pockets, but they were essentially inaccessible underwater. The D rings were there as well, but I just could not find a way to get equipment on the BC in a way that was streamlined and did not present an entanglement hazard.

I took the plunge (sorry) and bought a Halcyon, and while I do not intend to do any tech diving, I do appreciate the manner in which tech rigs are set up and want to emulate that in my recreational diving. BP/W offers the flexibility I want.

I am also just about where you are in my dive experience.

Best of luck,

Mark

 

[TSandM]

There's no reason why you can't do great recreational diving in something other than a BP/W. But if you are pretty sure you're headed for technical diving, why not get something so that all you have to change is the wing? Yes, most of us get lazy and tired of threading cambands, or removing and replacing an STA, and buy another plate. But we don't HAVE to. On the other hand, if you have a back-inflate BC and want to move to doubles, you do HAVE to buy a completely new setup, AND get used to it.

Not everybody needs a BP/W or wants one. But somebody looking ahead to tech diving may as well buy one. There's almost no down side, except storage. Dry suit pockets and X-shorts solve that problem neatly.

 

[HenrikBP]

I have no plans for getting into tech diving, but I still went with BP/W when I bought gear. I did my OW classes and OW and AOW dives in a jacket BC. The jacket BC worked ok, but felt restrictive, not as stable as I wanted it to be on me, and the pockets were all but useless, since I could only reach them with some serious contortion.

So I got a DSS plate (I really like Tobin's plate design - I learned a plate is not just a plate) with HOG harness and an Oxycheq Mach V 30 lbs wing. Except for the crotch strap it really works pretty much the same as the jacket BC for me. Big differences though: much more stable on my back, little to no impeding of my movements - a great "free" feeling, as far as I can tell great trim. And if I can continue to tame my inner gadget freak I can attach and store all the gear bits where they are streamlined, out of the way and still easy to reach and deploy.

My only remaining question is whether the BP/W will turn out to be manageable on my upcoming Caribbean dive trip; I'm thinking I'll be fine.

So that's one more inexperienced vote for BP/W.

Henrik

 

[rongoodman]

My only remaining question is whether the BP/W will turn out to be manageable on my upcoming Caribbean dive trip; I'm thinking I'll be fine.

Henrik

There was quite a long thread recently about BP/W in the Caribbean. I hope they work, because I'm flying to Curacao in the morning with mine.

 

[grazie42]

I have an al BP and threaded harness that I use for all my diving (I had a SS BP but gave that away to my brother when he started diving last year) all I switch between dives is the wing and STA (and the weight on my belt), everything else remains the same...

I started out in a SeaQuest BC which I still think is ok for recdives but if your goal is technical diving then try to buy gear once instead of twice as much as possible...As for brands? I´d be hard pressed to find one that makes bad products, I think it´s mostly preference and people liking what they have...

ymmv

 

[Mr. Sunday]

Looking back I would to have loved to have started diving in a BP and wing. I knew the moment I did my first dive in a plate and wing I would never dive a jacket bc again.

 

[StevenN]

I too am thinking of switching to a single back plate and wings for recreational diving. I like the idea of having everything streamlined.

 

[TheWetRookie]

As already mentioned, get a b/p/w for your first purchase. Don't pay twice.

I am having to switch my setup to this and regret that I did not get a b/p/w first. Granted I did not know at the time.