Casey, even though you are diving primarily warm waters you need to ask if you plan on doing any local stuff where a heavier suit may be needed. Also do you plan on traveling? Do you own your own tanks? and what are your specific needs. Do you carry lots of stuff that would need to go into pockets or could it just be clipped off? If your answer is yes to the above and given that you have a 13 yr old, and from experience they grow like weeds, your best bet is a system that packs easily, can be changed to meet varying conditions quickly and with little hassle, and in the case of your son could be properly fitted now and easily adjusted as he grows. Only one will do this. Some type of BPW system. There are alot out there. I dive two DSS systems. One for singles and one for doubles. I'm going to go with you worrying only about singles.
First some require single tank adapters or STA's as they are known. The DSS does not. I like the new Hollis line as well but the singles setup do need an STA.
Second if you are using aluminum tanks a stainless steel plate will off set most of the weight of the tank when empty and allow you to dive with less weight on the belt. Now some regular bc's have integrated weights but since switching to a BPW I never use the feature on my jacket bc. Belt is more convenient for me.
Third do you want buckles and clips to get in and out of it. If so you can get the profit harness which has them but most people I have gotten into BPW prefer the straight one piece HOG or hogarthian set up. This would be ideal for your son as to change the size if he really grows you replace about 15 bucks worth of webbing instead of the entire bc. For yourself and hubby it makes sense as well since a hog setup is comfortable, is easy to adjust once you get the hang of it, and if you're buying 3 bc's chances are the cost will be alot less initially and in the long run. A jacket bc with integrated weights from a top of the line mfg can run upwards of 600 bucks or more. there are those in the 400 range but again resale on bc's is not great and what happens when it's time to replace your son's? So essentially you are looking at 4 of them. Now a DSS single tank rig retails for 450 or so with the hog harness. buy 3 and I'll bet you can get a deal from one of tobin's dealers. I could certainly take care of you but I don't do things like this over the net as I belive in selling you one, putting it together, showing you personally how to adjust it, get you in the pool once with it, and even go on a dive or two with you locally. All is included in the price when I sell one.
Now the cons. No pockets- but how many do you really need. Most bc pockets are in the wrong place and hard to get into. Some are better than others but a 21 dollar thigh pocket from Phil Ellis at dive sports glued to your suit is more convenient, and accessible.
Next no integrated weights- ok I've already stated my personal choice on that. belts are cheap, ops usually include them in the price of the dive, and pockets can be hard to replace if you dump em in a few hundred feet of water.
For me integrated weights are fluff, bc pockets are fluff unless they start to redesign them. Jackets bcs have lots of padding that increase the amount of weight you need to carry. A BPW really has no inherent buoyancy to speak of. And ALL of my warm water gear fits into a roller backpack made by oceanic called the atpak.
I can fit my BPW, mask, regs, comp, two small lights, booties, and 3 mil suit in it and it fits in the overhead on planes. THe fins strap to the side and can be quickly removed and stuffed alongside without taking up too much room. All of this weighs about 25 lbs. You could knock 5 lbs off with a kydex plate but then it's more weight on the belt. And lastly and most important you fit the bc to you. You adjust it so that you're not fumbling all the time trying to get it to fit. And you are not trying to fit into the manufacturers idea of what size you are.
I wear a medium jacket bc from one company, another says I'm a large, still yet another will fit me in the small on one style and medium on their other. My BPW fits me all the time the same way. And again it fits me. One of the things you learn in ow from the get go is that the most important feature of gear you wear is that it fits. Not close or almost but fits. Unless you hit one perfect a jacket may not do that. A BPW will. Always if you adjust the way you should and again it's a very simple thing to do that.
