BCD-Bp/W----WHY?

[jagfish]

Nice post...

 

[mrmonk7663]

Heck of a post, very informative and makes lots of sense. I appreciate it. My definition of tech diving is a little different than yalls lol. Im thinking maybe a shipwreck that is 40-60ft below the surface...something that a single tank setup could work with. Nothing big you know, nothing like a 200ft cave dive that you all are talking about. I'll call that Mega Tech Thanks for the info though, this has been a great thread and has really helped me gain a better understanding of the reasoning behind the BP/Wing vs a BC, instead of the normal...Just get a BP wing and thats it type thread. Thanks everyone.

 

[scubadobadoo]

I agree. Nice post Doc Intrepid. Helpful, concise and measured! To add to his post, IMHO, a BP&Wing is also a good choice in recreational diving for the above stated reasons as well. One could get snagged or run into problems at 40 feet too, so why not eliminate the potential problems at ALL depths. People drown in the tub for crying out loud! Water doesn't care what your depth is.

 

[MechDiver]

You can do a decent dive with 120cf of air. As we know depending upon your SAC rates, etc. you can do a 160' dive for 15 minutes with a steel 120 and deco bottles. Best? No. Doable? Of course.

--Matt

You can also ride sidesaddle on a bull, that doesn't mean it's the sanest thing in the world. Doing planned hard ceiling deco dives that deep with a single tank is stupid. No matter how big the tank is.

Obviously YMMV.

 

[TX101]

You can also ride sidesaddle on a bull, that doesn't mean it's the sanest thing in the world. Doing planned hard ceiling deco dives that deep with a single tank is stupid. No matter how big the tank is.

Obviously YMMV.

Whatever.

I personally know people who dive twinsets and stages in the 160' range doing decompression diving wearing jacket BC's.

I'd hate to tell them they have been 'doing it wrong' all these years.

 

[MSilvia]

I'd hate to tell them they have been 'doing it wrong' all these years.

You'd probably be considered a **** if you did. Telling people they're doing it wrong isn't very constructive, and will get egos and tempers involved quickly.

Just because you aren't diving according to DIR procedures doesn't mean you're doing it wrong, but it would be foolish not to consider the reasons DIR divers do things the way they do though... especially if you're doing dives like you described.

I mean, if you can do something simple that makes sense to you and will make your dive safer, why get your shorts in a twist over the name of the diving philosophy you learned it from?

 

[TX101]

I mean, if you can do something simple that makes sense to you and will make your dive safer, why get your shorts in a twist over the name of the diving philosophy you learned it from?

I didn't mean it in a 'DIR sense'. I meant I dont want to tell people who are way more experienced than me that the way they have been diving for the last 10 years is wrong.

 

[mrmonk7663]

So what is the general consensus on a bp/wings combo, which one? I saw the Diverite setup at Diveriteexpress and then I see mention of the transplate (?) and others. Funds are a concern.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Largely personal preference. People prefer this or that for their own reasons. You need to get your hands on some of this stuff and examine it closely. There are differences, and you should compare & contrast.

I prefer wings by Oxycheq or Halcyon. Other high profile manufacturers include Dive Rite and OMS. For plates, I prefer FredT. He's on this board. PM him for prices. Used gear is often cost efficient: "Ebay is your friend"... But, before you go buy anything do your homework. Get the stuff in your hands and look at it. Borrow some from a friend or a buddy off this board, and dive it. You'll no doubt get some other input as well from a few others...

 

[Dan Gibson]

Not true.

If the jacket does not provide all that volume near the top, the gas will begin to fill the lower portions (i.e. that portion wrapped around your torso). In a wing, the gas will be rise higher on the tank (i.e taco the tank). The greater the distance from the center of lift to the center of gravity (metacentric height) the more stability you have. This is the key. Think of a keel on a boat. The tank is the keel, the wing is the hull A jacket can't compete here if you are horizontal. Also remember that both jacket and wing will require displacing the same volume to provide the same lift, therefore if you do have a jacket with just enough lift, you will have to fill the side and front portions as well.

Center of lift on a wing is higher than center of lift in a jacket.

The general arugument that a wing is more stable under water than a BC just does not hold watr however. As indicated above, the air in a BC will migrate to the highest point and give you the same stability in a normal swimming position as a wing.