CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
I mentioned earlier to look at the HunterPac as I own it, and while I have zero buyers remorse as I know it will serve me well for many many dives, in retrospect it's hard to argue against a BP/W, especially for saltwater diving. If I had done a little more research, I would have went with a BP/W.
You mentioned the car analogy and it seems to be the ongoing theme, but I don't believe it is a good analogy. Instead let's use a desktop computer.
For most people who actually do their research when buying a computer the first thing they consider is it integrated or not. In other words, is the video card, memory, wifi, etc. built into the motherboard or are all of the components separate? Why is that important? Well, on an integrated computer system if one component fails the entire system is trash, whereas with a non integrated system, if the video card dies, you can simply replace the video card. Or perhaps you just want to upgrade a component rather than buy a whole new computer system. Maybe a new technology came out and it can be added to your system.
I believe the same is true when comparing an integrated BCD vs. a BP/W. Not if, but when the shoulder strap rips or a cheap buckle breaks on the BCD, the entire unit is likely trash as the cost of a repair may not be worth it. For a BP/W, the harness can be replaced for a few bucks. Rarely will you find a BP/W system using plastic buckles or other cheap components. That to me is the most obvious advantage.
At the end of the day, all of the advantages of any integrated BCD can be incorporated into a BP/W, however you can't take the advantages of a BP/W and incorporate that into an integrated BCD.
You mentioned the car analogy and it seems to be the ongoing theme, but I don't believe it is a good analogy. Instead let's use a desktop computer.
For most people who actually do their research when buying a computer the first thing they consider is it integrated or not. In other words, is the video card, memory, wifi, etc. built into the motherboard or are all of the components separate? Why is that important? Well, on an integrated computer system if one component fails the entire system is trash, whereas with a non integrated system, if the video card dies, you can simply replace the video card. Or perhaps you just want to upgrade a component rather than buy a whole new computer system. Maybe a new technology came out and it can be added to your system.
I believe the same is true when comparing an integrated BCD vs. a BP/W. Not if, but when the shoulder strap rips or a cheap buckle breaks on the BCD, the entire unit is likely trash as the cost of a repair may not be worth it. For a BP/W, the harness can be replaced for a few bucks. Rarely will you find a BP/W system using plastic buckles or other cheap components. That to me is the most obvious advantage.
At the end of the day, all of the advantages of any integrated BCD can be incorporated into a BP/W, however you can't take the advantages of a BP/W and incorporate that into an integrated BCD.