BP/W for newbie?

[alan_lee]

Hi all! Am a dive newbie and while buying one immediately, I'm curious about BP/W BCDs, and if I need to be at a certain level of experience/ proficiency before I should get one, as well as the pros and cons compared to 'norma'l BCDs.

The reason why it appeals to me is because I dislike the feel of a jacket style BCD (esp when inflated) and have been using a rear inflate and much preferred the feeling of it. Frankly, at this stage, I dunno if I'll be doing tech yet, but I'll be doing some volunteer work with reef surveys and stuff like that, which I dun think really dictates I need BP/W. But a flakey reason for BP/W for me is that they seem really light and easy to pack for travel.

Cheerios!

PS: I do almost all my dives in tropical waters.

 

[SangP]

If you are going to get a bp cus it's light, that might not be the best reason cus a bp isn't that light. A light weight travel bc like the deepsea passport might be a better choice.

If you are going to go into tec diving or you prefer the secure feel of a bp and the ease of packing, then a bp might be a great choice.

For me I chose the bp cus of the comfort and secure feel of it in the water, the ease of it drying compared to a traditional bc, ease of packing and of course doubles and tec diving LOL!

Oxycheq, halcyon and oms are decent brands.

Cheers,

SangP

Word of advice, try it on before buying LOL!

 

[Dive-aholic]

My bp/w is lighter than my old bcd was. But I also only need a 2# AL plate.

Alan, you don't need any level of experience to dive a bp/w. Get what you like. You don't have to dive tech to dive it.

 

[alan_lee]

Thanks for the replies!

SangP: What do you mean by "secure"? Yeah, ease of drying is definitely a major factor too! The DI that I'm diving with next week dives with B/P, so try his. Where in Singapore do they sell Oxycheq? Cos from what I read, they're cheaper than Halcyon and OMS.

Dive-aholic: Cheers for the comments! Was concerned cos I read in Scuba Diving mag that it's not for beginners, but more for the experienced diver.

Personally, I dislike diving jacket-style cos I find it comfortable being so padded up.

 

[Jez]

as dive-aholic said you don't need any expirience to dive with a bp/wing set up. another good thing is if you do get into tech, or just want to dive doubles then you don't have to buy all new gear you can just get a new wing. halcyon is expensive but it is awesome gear. i dive a evolve40. i haven't dived oxycheq but have heard some good things on them. i don't know anywhere in singapore but www.scubaroo.com.au in oz does oxycheq mail order.

 

[UFScubaDiver]

you can buy oxycheq online for covci.com and scubatoys.com, plus you get the extra 10% off from ST for being on scubaboard. With that said, you cant go wrong with oxycheq, ive visited patricks facility and it is top notch, if you have any questions about anything give him a call his number is here. www.oxycheq.com

 

[Ron Brandt]

I teach students in wing and BP. Most if not all do better than in standard bcd's. Less weight to sink is another added bonus.

I too use and sell Oxycheq locally and online. It's great stuff and a great company to do business with. I don't ship to Asia though. My prices are pretty much in line with the other stores mentioned.(site is curently under development).

Ron

 

[TeddyDiver]

But a flakey reason for BP/W for me is that they seem really light and easy to pack for travel.

Aluminium BP from Oxycheq or Plastic from http://www.deepseasupply.com/page9.html. They are light
Go for it!

 

[TSandM]

I think what's really nice for travel is that the rig comes apart. Exhaust the wing, take the cambands off the plate, and everything packs up in very little space. That's where the STA-less wings like the DSS singles rig are really nice.

There's absolutely nothing "advanced" about a BP/W setup. It's just a BC -- air in, air out.

 

[CBulla]

Pass GO, collect the $200, go directly to the plate/wing. I experienced the issue with the jackets where they were not comfortable on me either, especially infated and on the surface. For grins I tried on a rear inflate jacket at the shop I work at 2 weeks ago and found it to be just as uncomfortable as the all around bladder jackets. Its the cummerbund and other items i think..

Anyway, the wing/plate set up I have is probably the BEST change I've made and had I known about from the get go.......

Hi all! Am a dive newbie and while buying one immediately, I'm curious about BP/W BCDs, and if I need to be at a certain level of experience/ proficiency before I should get one, as well as the pros and cons compared to 'norma'l BCDs.

The reason why it appeals to me is because I dislike the feel of a jacket style BCD (esp when inflated) and have been using a rear inflate and much preferred the feeling of it. Frankly, at this stage, I dunno if I'll be doing tech yet, but I'll be doing some volunteer work with reef surveys and stuff like that, which I dun think really dictates I need BP/W. But a flakey reason for BP/W for me is that they seem really light and easy to pack for travel.

Cheerios!

PS: I do almost all my dives in tropical waters.