Jacket vs back inflate for new diver?

[MichaelMc]

I appreciate the response. I have no way of trying out a BP/W setup, do dive shops normally rent them out?

Most do not rent them. But tech and cave oriented shops do. You may have luck in your area, Florida is covered in dive shops, some near Orlando are likely to rent them.

ETA: If you can and if desired, you might combine it with a clinic on buoyancy and trim with one of their staff that uses them. Then they would show you in the water how best to use one and how you might dial one in for you.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I appreciate the response. I have no way of trying out a BP/W setup, do dive shops normally rent them out?

You would need to call and ask them as I am sure they do for students that need to use them.

BCD's are perfectly fine for recreational diving. If you are only doing the once a year two or three week vacation then a BCD will do fine. I like to dive several two week vacations a year and get in 40 plus dives per vacation.

 

[doctormike]

It's common for people in these threads to advise people to try different BCs and a BP/W, and see what works for them. I'm not sure that's helpful. It's not like going into a store and trying on a pair of shoes. I hear that advice all the time, but I have yet to find a shop where you can really do that.

Of course, many stores rent BCs, but they are usually one style, and it's unlikely that you will be able to compare the best brands, styles or models that you are interested in. BP/Ws are virtually never rented, since they require adjustment to fit the diver. That's not a problem if you are buying a BC, but it's not so good if you are running a rental inventory.

Now does that mean that you shouldn't get a BP/W because you can't just pick one up off the rack in a store and jump in the water? Not at all. I really can't think of a single situation (apart from someone who needs a very light, rollup travel BC) where a BP/W isn't better (details above and elsewhere). As far as price, it's true that you can get a very cheap jacket BC for less than the cost of the cheapest BP/W, but that's comparing apples to oranges. A higher end jacket is similar in price. And since a BP/W is endlessly customizable as your diving changes, as well as extremely durable and modular (so you don't need to throw the whole thing out if, say, the bladder becomes unrepairable), it's not such an extravagance.

And of course any BC will "work", but that's not really the point of these forums. The idea is for people who have done a lot of diving to give new divers their opinions on optimal gear. If you are actually going to dive enough to buy your own gear, spending a fraction of the cost of a single week of a warm water dive vacation isn't unreasonable.

 

[rongoodman]

BCD's are perfectly fine for recreational diving. If you are only doing the once a year two or three week vacation then a BCD will do fine. I like to dive several two week vacations a year and get in 40 plus dives per vacation.

That doesn't seem like much of a reason to choose one if there's a better alternative available. If for some reason you think otherwise, you should say why.

 

[Marie13]

You would need to call and ask them as I am sure they do for students that need to use them.

BCD's are perfectly fine for recreational diving. If you are only doing the once a year two or three week vacation then a BCD will do fine. I like to dive several two week vacations a year and get in 40 plus dives per vacation.

That makes no sense. Those of us who dive more frequently have much more opportunity to be in our gear and to know what works than someone who only dives on vacation.

 

[scubaozy]

In my view most suitable bcd for a beginner is a hybrid bcd. It will have decent horizontal trim u/w and good even support at the surface.

 

[James79]

It's common for people in these threads to advise people to try different BCs and a BP/W, and see what works for them. I'm not sure that's helpful. It's not like going into a store and trying on a pair of shoes. I hear that advice all the time, but I have yet to find a shop where you can really do that.

Maybe part of the answer is for us to step in where shops won't or can't. @thomasj1107 , if you're ever up in the panhandle let me know, or if I'm headed down your way I'll reach out. I have a couple SP Classic BCDs and make my own BP/Ws.... We could hit a pool or benign shore dive and let you try both back to back to experience pros and cons.

Respectfully,

James

 

[Hoag]

That makes no sense. Those of us who dive more frequently have much more opportunity to be in our gear and to know what works than someone who only dives on vacation.

Just because someone spends a lot of time with their gear means only that they are likely to have gear that works best for them and for their usage. Long haul truckers spend a lot of time in their rigs. That does not mean that the average person needs a Kenworth as their grocery-getter. Yes, I know that this was an extreme example, but while there is value in asking an experienced person (or group) for their advice, what works best for one is not necessarily the only solution nor even always the best solution for the question as it was asked. What is ideal for one person, and their usage, may not be ideal for everyone.

IMHO, that is why some people have been asking what kind of diving does the OP plan on doing. But, hey, that is nothing more than my opinion.

 

[divad]

Unless you enjoy encumberment, get a backplate/wing (AL so you can put weight where you need it/ or SS if your really floaty).

 

[Lorenzoid]

Hello there, recently got certified and I am just looking for advice on this topic. I don’t like to buy gear that I outgrow quickly, so is the back inflate style of BCD something that I am going to wind up wanting down the road shortly?

I'm late to the party--just noticed this thread--but your post makes it sound like back-inflate or BP/W is advanced gear. I wish I had used a back-inflate or BP/W for my original certification course, but unfortunately it wasn't until about 15 years later that I first heard about such things (here on SB). After 15 years of associating scuba diving with that feeling of being snugly wrapped around with floaty cells like a lifejacket, it was a hurdle for me to adjust to a system where the buoyancy is simply and elegantly located where the diver needs it underwater. (I borrowed a BP/W to try out from a SB member who lived in my city and graciously offered.) If all new divers trained with a back-inflate BC or BP/W, they would never know anything else existed and be perfectly content, never giving it another thought, enabling them to focus more on the diving and less on the gear. It's mostly people like me who have (or had) been diving the traditional jacket-style BC for years who fret over BCs.

As for back-inflate versus BP/W, the latter is so standardized--and nowadays not just among tech divers--that you really can't go wrong. A metal plate is a metal plate. A wing is a wing. The differences among brands are relatively minor in the big scheme of things. And they last forever. Buy one, and it's one item of gear you'll not have to give another thought to for many years.