victorzamora
Contributor
I assembled my BP/W one piece harness by myself using internet info too. I was a comfortable, diver when I made the switch. Took a few dives to get everything adjusted just right.
YCC and his wife are coming fresh out of OW class. New divers will have a lot to think about during their 1st several dives. Taking care of their buoyancy, their air supply, not getting lost, watching and helping their buddy. Add assembling and adjusting a one piece BP/W harness and crotch strap by themselves ? That would not have gone well for me or my buddy when I 1st got certified or for other newly certified divers I have seen.
It's nice to have choices. Jacket style, back inflate, modular, BP/W. Plenty of happy people diving with each style. Another choice is to rent and try out different styles before deciding what to buy. That might be the best option since you can see 1st hand what you prefer.
Agreed that choices are good, I was just presenting YCC with an easy "quick guide" to BPWs. In a couple hours, with the links I provided, any non-diver should be able to assemble and fit two BPWs. It would be divable, even if not perfect. Experience is needed to perfect where you want things, and it's something YCC and wife could gain by diving the BPW instead of a jacket. By the time they were "experienced" in a jacket and switched to BPW, they could have their BPW perfect and have spent less money on it all.
YCC: I know you said $450, but contact Tobin at Deep Sea Supply about buying two complete packages. He has them at $480 each. He can walk you through choosing a wing, plate, harness, he can give you advice. His customer service is absolutely top notch. Or, go to Cave Adventurers and get a CaveAdventurers Harness ($27), Hog 32lb wing($230), Hog Aluminum Plate ($100), two cambands ($67), and two assembly screws ($12.56). $436.50 per setup. Or, get THIS PACKAGE. Get the cheapest harness, an aluminum plate, and you can pay $10 extra each to get the harness installed (but obviously not adjusted). Only downside is that the STA (single tank adapter, it's the big extra metal piece) weighs a lot and makes traveling slightly less easy....but not really difficult. You remove two screws and it packs smaller.