[To new divers I think the BP&W just seems foreign, and it is a lot easier to stick with what you know than to leave your comfort zone. Especially since to a new diver, the act of diving itself is so new, that it feels like the safer option to go with a jacket styl one.
I very much agree. When it came time for a new BC I read all the reviews and wouldn't consider a BP&W. It was new to me, seemed over my head, and had never tried one. I thought I wasn't experienced enough to mange it. Boy was I wrong!
I've only got about 60 dives on mine and mostly with a soft travel wing, love it, easy for me (a small woman) to do everything myself, and customize it to just what suits me.[/QUOTE]
Most people will probably go for a long time before they see someone with a BP&W. The main times for people being introduced to gear is either in schools or with rentals while on holiday. Most schools teach in jackets and most rental gear abroad will tend to be jackets so when it comes to buying their own gear (if they are keen enough and make that step) they buy what they are used to using and seeing.
My last dive weekend there were 36 people and only 2 of us were wearing BP&W. I loved the ability to slip easily into my gear ( I can easily lift mine with a steel 12l tank) while everyone else was tugging at cinch straps and clips while another person held the weight of the tanks etc.
Most people, once they have seen it in action and it is explained properly, can see the benefits of the more streamlined, stripped back configuration.