BC question

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Palease.
 
Why is it that back inflate gets downplayed that much?
Is it a lot different in open ocean water with swells at the surface?

In this forum, anything that is not BP/W gets downplayed.

My suggestions: if you live near the body of water where you plan to do most of your diving, i.e., it is within driving distance, you can't go wrong with BP/W.

If, on the other hand, getting to a dive site often begins with an airplane flight (this pertains to me), getting a small travel BC is a great way to go. I take my Zeagle Scout with me on the plane as carry-on. The Scout is a rear-inflate BC and I highly recommend it.
 
There is a nice new article from my dive buddy, Twain on thinkingdiver on Jacket style vs BCD for recreational diver. Worth the look if not controversial, I believe:

Backplate, Harness, Wing for recreational divers | Thinking Diver

It's not controversial, although a good part of it is silly, and it's as unbiased as asking PETA "Which is better, a Bacon Cheeseburger or Hummus?"

For example, he considers being able to float on the surface a disadvantage:

Sounds good right? Forget it. The more diving you do, the more comfortable you become with being under water. The surface zone has breaking waves, boats with ladders that will whack you on the head, low-PO2 ambient air — all sorts of drawbacks! Who wants to hang out on the surface?
And says:
The under-arm inflation cells on a jacket BC will scoop water when swimming and cause drag.
which is just silly (they won't "scoop" water because your arms are in the way)

While he completely missed significant differences like differences in positional stability both under water and on the surface.

Terry
 
This is the package I built that I'm thinking about picking up:

AquaLung Legend LX ACD Supreme Regulator
Atomic SS1 Integrated Octo Inflator
Suunto Vyper Air Wrist Computer (Complete System)
Seaquest Balance BCD with SureLock weight system
Aqualung 5mm stretch wetsuit
Dive Tool/Knife
Gloves
Safety sausage/SAD kit

Already Owned:
Mask/Snorkel/Fins/Boots/Weights

The LDS is giving me 20% off the package so it's close to internet prices. I figure if I dive around 25 times with rental gear it would end up costing the same amount.
 
This is the package I built that I'm thinking about picking up:

AquaLung Legend LX ACD Supreme Regulator
Atomic SS1 Integrated Octo Inflator
Suunto Vyper Air Wrist Computer (Complete System)
Seaquest Balance BCD with SureLock weight system
Aqualung 5mm stretch wetsuit
Dive Tool/Knife
Gloves
Safety sausage/SAD kit

Already Owned:
Mask/Snorkel/Fins/Boots/Weights

The LDS is giving me 20% off the package so it's close to internet prices. I figure if I dive around 25 times with rental gear it would end up costing the same amount.

The balance is an excellent bc. It will serve you well.
 
This is the package I built that I'm thinking about picking up:

AquaLung Legend LX ACD Supreme Regulator
Atomic SS1 Integrated Octo Inflator
Suunto Vyper Air Wrist Computer (Complete System)
Seaquest Balance BCD with SureLock weight system
Aqualung 5mm stretch wetsuit
Dive Tool/Knife
Gloves
Safety sausage/SAD kit

Already Owned:
Mask/Snorkel/Fins/Boots/Weights

The LDS is giving me 20% off the package so it's close to internet prices. I figure if I dive around 25 times with rental gear it would end up costing the same amount.

You are correct. Rental gear is best suited to the occasional diver and someone who is restricted anyway such as flying. If you are allready carrying alot of stuff (.I.E. buisness and personal bags) It can be just as cost effective to rent gear as opposed to paying the same price to add additional baggage on planes sometimes as much as 50 dollars per extra bag. This is an advantage too as loosing your luggage is less of a concern. If you dive constantly or several times a year then it is in fact cheaper to go ahead and buy your gear.

Good job on doing research and good luck
 
MOST divers are NOT going to look for an octo in the square of the chest as most divers in our area are taught to pull the primary as LDS's in this area (we only have about a dozen) use gear with Octo~Inflators.

Living where I do, I dive a LOT of different conditions, cold mountain lakes, underground fed vents, the ocean both cold (west coast), and warm (tropical) and basically anywhere I can enjoy a dive either dry or wet. I hardly have Tunnel vision, nor do I use ONE setup for all types of diving... Maybe my *mountain* tunnel vision is a bit broader than you understand. :eyebrow:

Ron, when I see "MOST divers" in print I assume the author means the majority of all divers, or at the very least the majority of all "active" divers. What I am contending MOST in these posts is your reasoning that since most divers trained in Denver are trained "inflator/alternate-pull the primary" most divers in the world are not going to look for the alternate in the "Triangle."

If I were to just have my own local tunnel vision I would say that the State of Hawaii, which has a population less than Metro Denver, easily certifies more divers annually than Denver and since nearly all OW training in Hawaii is in standard recreational gear.....

For what it's worth I was born and raised in Colorado, moved to Hawaii from Denver, made purchases in a couple Denver dive shops, are you sure MOST divers are not looking for the Alternate in the Triangle?
 
Ron, when I see "MOST divers" in print I assume the author means the majority of all divers, or at the very least the majority of all "active" divers. What I am contending MOST in these posts is your reasoning that since most divers trained in Denver are trained "inflator/alternate-pull the primary" most divers in the world are not going to look for the alternate in the "Triangle."

If the diver maintained good buddy distance, remembers his training and is amazingly calm, he'll signal OOA and take what you give him.

If the diver was OOA 20 seconds ago and had to swim like a maniac to get to the donor and is moments away from blacking out, he's going to grab whatever has bubbles coming out of it, and there won't be any polite signals first. At that point, "what will I breathe" becomes the donors problem.

Terry
 

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