BP/W: I officially don't get it

[David_57]

Well my BP/W can fit my 6'4 friend with a rugby player build but my ladyhawk BC won't fit him so in my experience I find BP/Ws more adjustable

as far as the safety aspect I am interested in more info about this as to whether instructors find this to be the case..

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I think maybe its a language barrier again your above quote is irrelevant as most dive shops have BC's that range from small to extra large, I absolutely agree that a BP/W is way more adjustable than a jacket, I would not buy a jacket style BCD in case my 6'4" friend would like to borrow it I mean give me a break in addition to this I would not let anyone else dive with my rig.

The OP question was BP/W when is it time? (I think)

 

[Sas]

I think maybe its a language barrier again your above quote is irrelevant as most dive shops have BC's that range from small to extra large, I absolutely agree that a BP/W is way more adjustable than a jacket, I would not buy a jacket style BCD in case my 6'4" friend would like to borrow it I mean give me a break in addition to this I would not let anyone else dive with my rig.

The OP question was BP/W when is it time? (I think)

Well yes, I do find posts with minimal punctuation hard to read but I am doing my best

But ok adjustment issues aside, there is still your comment as to jackets being safer for new divers.. I know your opinion but perhaps others (who teach new divers) might be able to comment on this.


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[elan]

That makes it a device that is easier to stay on the surface vertical (though quite honestly I do not find it harder in a BP/W to stay vertical). It does not mean it is a device that makes it easier to dive as a beginner. They are separate things.

He he, I was a kind of sarcastic as I often heard this a plus of the jacket BC

 

[elan]

Ok so I guess it is more something that makes the instructor's job easier then rather than diving for the student? Perhaps I was mistaken but I took the poster to mean that it would make diving easier for a beginner, and I was wondering why this was the case.

With adjustment, I would have thought a BP/W with a one piece harness would be easier to adjust than a jacket BCD to fit all students? I just remember in OW class, whilst my BCD fitted me ok, others had ones that were a bit large or a bit small. With a harness you can get it to fit just for you very well and easily adjust it for someone else. Takes a few minutes only (in my experience, when I have loaned my BP/W to others).

While what you are saying is true I think adjusting Jacked BC is quicker (unless you have a comfort harness on BP) and I recently started realizing that all this certs programs mostly built to get more students through the system in a shorter time, just a kind of money making machine.

 

[TSandM]

I have to say, having just been through Peter's first two OW classes, that I'd LOVE to have BCs for students that you could get as good a fit on as you can a BP/W. Watching people in the pool trying to cope with tanks that ride up and slew around, I felt so sorry for them. I remember what that was like.

 

[David_57]

Well yes, I do find posts with minimal punctuation hard to read but I am doing my best

But ok adjustment issues aside, there is still your comment as to jackets being safer for new divers.. I know your opinion but perhaps others (who teach new divers) might be able to comment on this.


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Phew this is hard, Jackets being safer is not my opinion as I am not qualified to make this statement, I have heard Instructors mention this in the past.

please forgive me for my abilities in punctuation

 

[Gombessa]

Easier/harder aside, in my own OW experience, having a jacket BC was a HUGE security blanket. Failsafe mode #1 being "get out of the rig ASAP and swim to the surface," it was very comforting to have something that was easy to get out of with just a buckle and velcro cummerbund.

After I actually started diving and really coming to terms with the idea that shooting for the surface was NOT the preferred way to handle just about any problem, the secure fit, flexibility and buoyancy characteristics of a bp/w really started making more sense to me and the advantages really started to outweigh what I perceived as disadvantages.

 

[Randy43068]

Having experience diving both, I really prefer the harness and plate. It's light ( easy to pack ) I can adjust it to any size I need and it just works well for me. If you prefer a jacket BC go for it. It's a lot of "stuff" to push through the water but if that's what you like, I say dive it.

I will say, however, a properly adjusted harness and wing is amazingly easy to dive. Takes a little to get used to, but it's not difficult at all.

 

[David_57]

Easier/harder aside, in my own OW experience, having a jacket BC was a HUGE security blanket. Failsafe mode #1 being "get out of the rig ASAP and swim to the surface," it was very comforting to have something that was easy to get out of with just a buckle and velcro cummerbund.

After I actually started diving and really coming to terms with the idea that shooting for the surface was NOT the preferred way to handle just about any problem, the secure fit, flexibility and buoyancy characteristics of a bp/w really started making more sense to me and the advantages really started to outweigh what I perceived as disadvantages.

In addition I use a BP/W as it is easy to switch from a single tank (hard to access shore dive or diving down south) to my double tanks and hook on my deco bottle (for a deep boat dive).

If I had not got into the deeper stuff I would have stayed with my Genesis Cobra II jacket style BC as I found this quite comfortable when I added a crotch strap and made a few mods.

 

[Gombessa]

Having experience diving both, I really prefer the harness and plate. It's light ( easy to pack )...

This is actually a huge boon to me. On my last couple of trips, I was able to fit my backplate, wing, STA, can light, regs, mask, gauges, smb, laptop and clothes into a standard overhead-storage-sized carry-on roller. I even got my fins to fit, though they're easy to rent so I leave them home nowadays.

I don't travel nearly enough to be making gear choices based on packability, but it's REALLY nice to be able to travel with all your gear and without needing to deal with check bags!