Jason Ooi:
OK!
If say no different why you choose BP/W setup
I also did my BOW training and dives in a jacket BC and then post-cert dive #1 was in my own BP/W setup. Back then I was doing some "trust me" gear selection (like "trust me" diving) based on the appeal to me of the philosophy that "all diving should be approached like technical diving" and that the underwater environment is inherantly somewhat hostile and that you want the best tools, and that even recreational divers should be able to solve problems underwater rather than bolting for the surface. As a new diver I never saw the rationale for that dichotomy and still don't understand it now.
I had zero problems with the BP/W being that new, there was no learning curve.
Now having had a little more experience, there are things which I think are the selling point of a BP/W which are its single-purpose-ness in design and general indestructability. The maintenance of a BP/W over time is generally just replacing the webbing which is where it also takes most of its wear and tear. You might also manage to damage the bladder and need to patch it, but a BP/W with an outer shell is going to be very resistant to that, and the hogarthian style of wing with the corrugated hose and a single dump valve minimizes points of failure around the bladder. Power inflators can also fail and need replacing but all BCDs have to deal with that.
If you're not as obessive about failure points, though, then quick release harnesses, or back-inflate BCs like the Zeagle Ranger/Stilletto line are also really good. I don't like jacket BCs because I don't like the design where the air bladder comes around the diaphram and I've rescued one guy who couldn't breathe because his fully inflated BC constricted his breathing and was working his way into a panic situation. That problem can be eliminated with proper fit, but it can be removed entirely as as a concern by going to a back-inflate design.
The perceived problem with a BP/W or back-inflate of going head-down at the surface is caused entirely by poor weight distribution. If you have a buoyant Al80 tank with a wing next to it on your back, and all your weight around your waist you will go head down -- but you will also have crappy feet-down trim in the water. Some of that weight on the waist should be moved to a weighted STA or tank weights and/or use a steel tank instead.
The remove and replace skill is also easy to do on a BP/W just by unbuckling the waist strap, grabbing the valve and bringing it over your head. Its also not a particularly useful skill in real life, however. As training it is better just as a comfort-in-water test. The only time you're likely to want to do that in a real situation is when you're going through a restriction that is smaller than your profile with the tanks on and you'll have way more experience and training and you'll probably be sidemount diving anyway...
