BP/W for beginners?

[Still Kicking]

What do you do to prevent your SMB unrolling.

I put a loop of bungee around the spool and another loop around the SMB. Hair braid bungees work well for this. When I deploy the SMB I put the bungees on my wrist.

 

[Boarderguy]

What do you do to prevent your SMB unrolling.

DGX come with an attached piece of bungee that's holds it nicely. Mine goes in a drysuit pocket still.

 

[rx7diver]

What do you do to prevent your SMB unrolling. ...

My DSMB (Carter Lift Bags Divers Float) has a Velcro strap for this. My reel is connected to my lift bag. I hang my reel from my left waist D-Ring, and I slip my lift bag in a loop of bungee cord that I place around my cylinder near the bottom of my back plate. (I used to use silicon oxygen tubing.)

To deploy the DSMB, I use my left hand to unhook the reel's bolt snap. Then, using the reel, I pull the DSMB out from beneath the bungee cord, undo the Velcro strap, and then partially inflate the DSMB before sending it to the surface.

rx7diver

 

[MrVegas]

I am only throwing this in there to play devil's advocate -- nothing wrong with backplate and wing. However, for single tank diving, a weight-integrated jacket BC has the advantage of not having to get extra weight pockets (make sure the BC has trim pockets also). Also, the BP&W, especially if you are using a single tank adapter, will push the tank a little higher off your back and change the center of gravity and make it harder to reach the valve behind your head (should that be a concern).

Basically, if you are only diving single tank, frankly a jacket BC works just fine and has everything in one package. (Make sure you get one with D-rings on both shoulders if you ever want to sling a pony tank.)

All that being said, one big advantage of the BP&W that is not often discussed is that it dries a lot faster than a standard BC. But you have to figure out how to carry your weight -- either pockets on the webbing or a separate belt or harness. I like the DUI weight harness. Also, of course, should you want to ever dive doubles, you'll need the backplate anyway.

When I'm on vacation and diving wet, the rental jacket BC works just fine.

 

[rx7diver]

I am only throwing this in there ...

@MrVegas,

I don't use weight pockets with any of my BP/W configurations. (I use an old-school, rubber weight belt.) I don't use trim pockets, either. Nor a single tank adapter. (I use a doubles back plate only when I am wearing my baby doubles; I wear either my SS Freedom plate or my VDH Classic Double-Hose Regulator Plate when I am BP/W diving using a single cylinder.) I do use a single pocket on my left waist harness strap, and it holds my submersible dive tables, divers slate, an emergency mirror, and a couple other items. That's it. A very simple configuration.

Oh, and I sometimes wear my 1994-model Scubapro Stab Jacket. It's NOT weight-integrated, and it doesn't have trim pockets. I use an old-school, rubber weight belt when wearing it. Again, a very simple configuration.

rx7diver

 

[Alex Ouroboros]

Money and habits. In the UK clubs (BSAC) favour Buddy Commando because it's indestructible as club gear and out of (bad) habit. Commercial shops - with few exceptions - use jackets because jackets are far easier to setup for large classes, bring higher margins, look less intimidating to beginners and are better at preventing poor swimmers from panicking on the surface. Nobody cares about the actual diving bit.

It's difficult to upsell on a piece of steel with few holes, a simple webbing and a simple bladder/wing. That's also the reason why you see wings with comfort harnesses, weight pockets and other "stuff" that's quite unnecessary.

People assume skill levels based on mental shortcuts and it's very subconscious. Brand new gear, snorkel attached to a mask? Probably a newbie, watch out. Drysuit, backplate & wing, maybe even in decent trim? Probably someone who thinks about their diving a bit more, maybe I don't need to explain everything. It's really deceiving.

I realised how big a problem it is when I started diving a rebreather - lots of divers would look up to me and expect me to lead dives and solve their problems, because my gear looked very advanced, so I must have been very experienced. A bit a of a problem when you have less than 10 dives on the thing . I had to be very upfront about what to expect.


You might be fine with a single piece. Worst case you can later add a plastic buckle to one shoulder.

I used a 38 pounds / 17 kg wing with single 15 litres steel cylinder and I feel that it was about right for cold water as you need quite a lot of lead.

Absolutely correct, and just to add, the reason most people start in a bcd is that it’s what your taught in because it’s cheap, once your serious you have to sell it and get in a backplate with (imo) single piece webbing just about any wing will fit any backplate so there is nothing more to sell you, if your diving single and concerned about weight pockets just cam band / attach 2 trim pockets on the cylinder and have a little on weight belt you’ll quickly learn that this is the key to correct trimming when you move things about, best of luck and enjoy
Ps
YouTube “inner space explorers” as he talks nothing but sense.

 

[Doc Harry]

A steel B/P is a very poor choice if you ever decide to fly somewhere with your gear.

 

[DCN]

A steel B/P is a very poor choice if you ever decide to fly somewhere with your gear.

We probably won't be flying around too much with dive gear, but in the rare cases that we happen to, the possible extra luggage cost is negligible in the big picture. Doing it on a regular basis, we'd agree. But what are the alternatives?

 

[rongoodman]

A steel B/P is a very poor choice if you ever decide to fly somewhere with your gear.

My SS plate has happily flown on every dive trip I’ve ever gone on and has never caused a problem.

 

[MidOH]

I just pack less.

Did a cruise with a steel backplate with 10# plate weights. Was fine.

Regs go in carry on.