BCD or BP&W first BC help

[SlvrDragon50]

Ok after consideration I have decided to give BP&W a shot.

My plan was to order a package from Dive Gear express.
35lb voyager wing
SS Backplate(will make up the rest on my belt)
Crotch strap
Basic or Deluxe Harness(Price is the same but the quick release it tempting)
STA

I could make it slightly cheaper by getting the basic setup they offer but hat only has a 25lb wing which I don't think will cut it plus I would need to source my own STA.
Any comments advice or criticism of this setup would be appreciated.

Sounds good. How much weight do you need? For most people, I would think a 25 lb wing is enough.

I have a 40 lb wing that I wish I could get rid of for a smaller wing lol, but it was a great deal on a Halcyon wing.

 

[ams511]

The rule of thumb is generally 20 to 30 lbs lift for warm water and 30 to 40 for cold water. He may be able to get by with a 25 lift wing if it can float his rig and if he can use a dry suit for additional buoyancy. Remember the OP is in the UK not in Florida like us.

 

[divad]

I would recommend purchasing some webbing if going with the deluxe harness. That way if you do not like it or break a buckle you can make a new harness using the webbing and reusing the hardware off the deluxe harness. I doubt it will affect the shipping charge by much.

Or, conversely, you could try the Standard Harness without cutting the webbing, so that you the can (if you must) add 2 Fastex buckles below the D-rings while maintaining the continuous loop of webbing. Later, after you've come to your senses, you can put the Fastex buckles on your Granny's luggage and not have to buy any more webbing.

 

[ams511]

Or, conversely, you could try the Standard Harness without cutting the webbing, so that you the can (if you must) add 2 Fastex buckles below the D-rings while maintaining the continuous loop of webbing. Later, after you've come to your senses, you can put the Fastex buckles on your Granny's luggage and not have to buy any more webbing.

I was assuming he was looking at something like the Dive Rite Deluxe harness which also has rings and a chest strap in addition to the quick release. I was also assuming that the deluxe harness was still $40 (The regular harness was $36) not the $59 it is now. So he will be only out the $12.00 in webbing plus the $4.00 difference in cost if he decided he did not like the harness. Now he would be out over $30 so I cannot recommend it. What I would recommend is to price out a Agir Harpa instead. He could still purchase the d-rings and tri-glides from DGX to save money.

 

[ESharp]

Right folks time to bring this to a close.
I have made my final decision and the die has been cast.

Final setup
HOG 32lb wing
HOG SS backplate
standard HOG harness
crotch strap

 

[victorzamora]

Fantastic set up. However, nothing will ever end the BCD vs bpw debate

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk

 

[Mike126]

Right folks time to bring this to a close.
I have made my final decision and the die has been cast.

Final setup
HOG 32lb wing
HOG SS backplate
standard HOG harness
crotch strap

Looks like a good plan. The only other advice I'd throw in as a new convert to BPW is talking to Tobin at DSS. He walked me through the wing calculation in detail and his gear is really nice and at about the same price you pay elsewhere when you buy the package. I ended up with a SS long plate and 26# Torus wing. After my first dive the only question I had was what took me so long to convert (the cool-aide tastes great!). Having had a Zeagle Brigade, I don't miss the pockets or extra stuffing that goes along with the cumberbun.