Equipment Trends: The BCD

[danvolker]

[video=youtube_share;AmT-KwGtri0]http://youtu.be/AmT-KwGtri0[/video]

Please make note of the HUGE "Kick and Glide" that Ryan shows ( the freediver with the Dol-fin wing)...compare this with any jacket bc diver kicking and NOT being able to glide..., or any DIR or GUE/UTD, it does not matter--this wing concept and the slickness are far superior as an "Evolutionary direction"... The Scuba Industry really has been on the wrong road to making divers BETTER.....

This was an "Evolutionary" piece of gear I enjoyed using last year....With Rich's slick tank & harness concept, a head & shoulder fairing, and ultra slick wetsuit, this might let us cruise easy "With" the dolphins...at least when they are foraging....dolphins trying to go very fast, are far beyond any gear we can invent in the next 20 years....

 

[markmud]

Let me see if I understand you correctly. You purchased a piece of equipment that you didn't know how to use and didn't want to spend the time learning how to use it. When there were plenty of websites (BAUE, UK Gas Diving, GUE, etc.) discussing the proper adjustment of backplate and wings plus BBSs like Scubaboard and The Deco Stop. So it was too difficult to master and people made fun of you, so you got frustrated and purchased a conventional BC. Now you want to say it is a fad and your not a jerk. Well I disagree on both counts. First, BP/W have been around for a long time, so they are definitely not a fad. Second, it doesn't matter what you look like, what matters is how well you dive.

Hello ams511,

Wow, so you are upset that I am lazy! And nobody made fun of me. In 2005 I don't think the BP/W fad had taken-off in the recreational community and people were set-back by techie-looking gear on a newb.

Sorry about that.

Also, I was diving my BP/W as a newb (2005). You tube was created in 2005, so I could not search-out a you-tube clip to help me. I did not know about Scuba Board back then...sorry! I did not know about BAUE, GUE, and UK Gas diving back then.

You know, you are entitled to your religion, but you are not entitled to make me follow your religion.

I decided to buy a jacket BC in 2006 because I was diving at Laguna Beach resort on Utilla. My luggage did not make it to the resort until two days later. So, I had to rent gear. I rented a jacket BC and liked it. And, since I am lazy, I thought it would be easier to buy a jacket BC instead of finding someone who could help me adjust my BP/W.

I am an old guy; trust me--new fads are born everyday. There will be something new that replaces gear that we use today and people who have discretionary capital will gladly part with some of their money to jump on the bandwagon.

My jacket BC works fine. I am not going to switch it out for a BP/W until it is shot.

You are correct on yet another count, my dad owned the precursor BP in the 60s and my brother bought one in the 70s. The basic concept is not new.

To each his own, and different strokes for different folks!

markm

PS: I am crappy diver--sorry about that!

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Hello ams511,

Wow, so you are upset that I am lazy! And nobody made fun of me. In 2005 I don't think the BP/W fad had taken-off in the recreational community and people were set-back by techie-looking gear on a newb.

Sorry about that.

Also, I was diving my BP/W as a newb (2005). You tube was created in 2005, so I could not search-out a you-tube clip to help me. I did not know about Scuba Board back then...sorry! I did not know about BAUE, GUE, and UK Gas diving back then.

You know, you are entitled to your religion, but you are not entitled to make me follow your religion.

I decided to buy a jacket BC in 2006 because I was diving at Laguna Beach resort on Utilla. My luggage did not make it to the resort until two days later. So, I had to rent gear. I rented a jacket BC and liked it. And, since I am lazy, I thought it would be easier to buy a jacket BC instead of finding someone who could help me adjust my BP/W.

I am an old guy; trust me--new fads are born everyday. There will be something new that replaces gear that we use today and people who have discretionary capital will gladly part with some of their money to jump on the bandwagon.

My jacket BC works fine. I am not going to switch it out for a BP/W until it is shot.

To each his own, and different strokes for different folks!

markm

PS: I am crappy diver--sorry about that!

Yeah you are a crappy diver. You need to buy the RIGHT gear, then you will be a good diver. It is very easy to identify good divers, just ask them what kind of gear they have.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The best way I have found to do this on solo shallow water dives is to use the harness with a 30 cu/ft tank, no BCD, one second stage and a SPG both with short hoses. The difference between full and empty on the tank is only 2lbs so I split the difference and weight myself 1lb heavy at the start and end 1lb light eliminating the need for the BCD. The tank is only 4.75" wide and 1/4" away from my back so there is very little drag, the drag from the hoses is as low as I can get it and the only things that hang down a few inches are the SPG and a knife that are both clipped to my harness. I usually cradle the SPG in my left arm with my left hand holding the knife so even those are out of the way. I use a pouch weight belt with lead shot weights that have a little less drag and I can drop just some of the weight or all of it if needed.

I found the old steel 72's to be just about perfect. They're light weight out of the water, they end up neutral when just about empty, and they give me enough bottom time that I can get in a good 45 min to hour dive in the 40' depth average with a lot of cruising around and covering a lot of ground.
I have some old regs that work perfect too, like a very small basic unbalanced SP MK2 piston reg. You don't even really need an SPG with something unbalanced, the gradual draw down of air is signal enough that you're running low. If you keep track of your time and estimate how hard you've been working you can pretty much figure out when you're going to suck the tank dry. There's plenty of warning when you're running out, and besides anybody who pays attention should know to be about done with their dive anyway. You just look at your watch on your wrist and use that as a guide instead of your SPG. I'm just thinking if you wanted to completely eliminate the SPG and just have one single LP hose going to the reg you're using, that's it. That's about as stripped down as it gets, It's basically what early double hose diving was. The other option is find a J valve and use that. The feeling that you're right to the very max of purist minimalist diving and you're out there on the edge of the earth. The sensation is hard to describe of how liberating it is not to have to fiddle or deal with inflator hoses or stowing safe seconds, hoses, drysuits, more hoses, drag, wings, d-rings, lights, etc. or constantly look at an SPG, you just go. It's almost like you think your depths, there are no elevator devices or "breaking trim" or anything of the sort, just pure diving.
In terms of safety, it's very safe. Being that unencumbered and free means you're not bound by contrivances and all the stuff that can go wrong with added layers of gear that can potentially fail. The only thing you're really reliant on is one single SCUBA, and like I said, a super basic reg with one moving part that is kept in perfect condition, I think having a stroke or heart attack is likelier than the reg failing, and if you do your best to keep in shape and avoid poor health (which every diver should be doing anyway) it's safer probably than the drive to the dive site.

---------- Post added March 1st, 2015 at 02:16 PM ----------

I just looked back at the first post of this thread and the OP asks if there's an uptick in the use of BP/W.
By post #3, Lecter already mentions getting rid of the "W" part of the BP/W to eliminate drag for basic single tank dives.
Then by post #231 Dan posts a totally cool vid of a dude with no BC using a dolphin tail monofin and just gliding around like a sea lion or dolphin.

LOL, Looks like the poor Jacket never stood a chance in the this thread!

 

[Jandee]

If your BCD is still good and you like it don't change anything. When you need one ask someone that you dive with or from your dive shop to try theirs. I like ( love ) Dive Right Rec Tec but that is just me. I like how it becomes a part of my body when I dive, what I don't like is: nothing. Just look at all the divers that bought split fins because that was what was being advertised and everyone else bought them. I just bought a new pair of Aqua Lung stiff fins so I can swim into a current. Scuba gear is expensive, but what YOU like.

 

[ams511]

Wow, so you are upset that I am lazy!

No, I am annoyed that you are being a troll and are oblivious to how clueless and moronic you sound.

You could not find information in 2005 because there was no YouTube. However there were well-established search engines such as Google and Yahoo where you could search for information.

You say BP/W is a fad, yet admit that your brother owned one in the 1970s. Seems like a long fad, far outlasting other 70s fads such as mood rings, pet rocks, and streaking. Could it be rather than a fad it is a trend?

As far as finding someone to help you out, my first suggestion would be the shop your purchased it from. If you purchased it mail order then I would have called Dive Rite for a local dealer. BTW, in 2005 I was a grad student and our dive club had a BP/W, a very nice Halcyon Pioneer. The local Dive Shop sold and the owner dove a BP/W so they were not rare at the time. This was in Pennsylvania, not a top diving destination.

I find it humorous that you disparage people that spend their discretionary capital on a BP/W to "jump on the bandwagon" while you spend your discretionary capital because you are lazy. So I guess laziness is better than trendiness in your book.

I am glad your BC works for you, for many it doesn't that's why they want a BP/W.

---------- Post added March 1st, 2015 at 11:16 PM ----------

Just look at all the divers that bought split fins because that was what was being advertised and everyone else bought them.

Split fins work for people with foot, ankle, and cramping problems. The better brands (Atomic and Apollo) do work well for flutter kicking especially in a low current environment, for many people this is the only environment they will see. The draw backs to splits is they don't do well for other kicks and provide low thrust in current.

The main advantage of a BP/W over a jacket BC is reduced drag due to better streamlining. I cannot think of a situation where being more streamlined is ever a disadvantage. Even in perfectly calm water you still need to overcome drag. Some of the newer BCs with back mounted aircells are just as streamlined as a BP/W.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I remember first seeing the modern version of a BP/W in use for recreational diving in 1999 on the west coast. It was introduced by a GUE group that established itself in LA led by MHK, Johnny Walker, and a few others.
I remember buying an OMS kit from LP around that time, because that's what they had. Yes there was no you tube, but information was out there on dive forums, the same forums I found out about the gear. And being that set up wasn't complete brain surgery, I had it set up and configured in about an hour on my own.
The so called fad became a permanent reality to 99.9% of people who use one.
Diving was also just a fad at one time.
Overstuffed, overpadded, over-engineered jackets are a bigger fad than BP/W will ever be.
BP were around long before any silly jacket was around.
And as far as split fins go, that could be considerd a fad that may have stuck with some people. If you notice, dive shops are stocking less and less of them and companies are trending back to solid fins.

 

[Omisson]

Of course- just bare in mind as is often said Scubaboard posters represent a tiny fraction of divers- AND generally represent a more informed diver- ie Tecish and BP/W types ... So what's "plain" to the experienced SB diver doesn't translate out so obviously to the unwashed masses..

 

[BDSC]

Overstuffed, overpadded, over-engineered jackets are a bigger fad than BP/W will ever be.

Neither are really a "fad" as they have both been around way to long to be a fad. An increase in use of BP/W's over the past few years may be a trend however.

 

[cool_hardware52]

I have to admit that I've never understood the passion about what type of BC is the best, and I make a living designing, manufacturing and selling BP&W's.

Dive whatever you please.

Having said that it's worth noting that Scuba is fairly unique among recreational "sports" in that (most people) need a "license" to participate in the sport even at the most basic level. You don't need a license to ski, ride bikes, ride dirt bikes, roller blade, hike, run, play tennis, golf, fish etc. (Skydiving is a close parallel to scuba, with a few others, mostly motor sports and aviation)

That you need a license (certification) for scuba puts the LDS in a unique position as a "gatekeeper" for the sport. Dive shops need to sell gear. The major gear brands all try to keep their dealers bound to them by requiring large initial orders and large annual reorders to maintain their dealer ship. These shops often view any BP&W sold as just one more missed sale that failed to help them reach the minimum annual reorder $$, more so if their major brand doesn't offer a BP&W. That's how you end up with Jacket BC dominating the market.

Tobin