BP/W pocket quandary for women

[alecto]

So I'm looking into BP/W vs jacket bc and gathering as much info on bp/w as possible. I've dove with one a few times but it was a while since I dove with a jacket. So not as easily comparable as when fresh in mind. I like the cluster-less approach but at the same time want to put something in a pocket. I'm thinking SMB, reel and maybe a slate depending what I'm up to. At some point I want a light too but I think I'll try to be cool and put it in a glove on my hand to be hands free.

I've read about thigh pocket glued to suits, shorts to wear over the wetsuits and then pockets to put on the waist webbing. They all present drawbacks. What if I'm on vacation and a 7mm wetsuit is overkill in the Florida Keyes but that is where my pocket is glued? Shorts seem to all be for men, any for women? No LDS I've seen carries these. Will the extra neoprene affect my weighting? And I would need weight pockets and now another pocket on the bp/w, might as well get back inflation jacket?

I've read people put their smb on the back crotch strap but I cant even imagine how that would work. Wouldn't it be in the way of your butt and upper legs? And I'd still need something for my reel.

I clipped off my slate on my left lower d ring and wasn't a fan of that. I have a camera and a coiled lanyard to clip off on my right chest d ring.

What is a girl to do about pockets?

I thought about putting this in the women perspective area but thought all BP/w people here might have some good ideas.

 

[decompression]

Piranha dive......they have awesome shorts that won't break the bank.

 

[Atom]

My girlfriend uses short pockets when diving wet, I have the UTD ones she has the ones from scubapro.

IMHO the scuba pro pockets are a bit small but they work, and the fabric is pretty extensible so it fits women body shapes.

 

[Mustard Dave]

The SMB can be clipped to the butt D-ring as you say. It isn't really a problem when swimming but it can be a nuisance if you are sat in your kit. I dive in a drysuit mostly so it goes in my pocket; if I'm in a wetsuit, I tend to clip off to the hip D-ring and swap it in the water.

A torch can be clipped to your chest D-ring and held down by a loop of bungee or a snoopy loop, as per the DIR rig.

Have you looked at wrist mounted slates?

As mentioned, over-shorts with pockets can be used if you need pockets. You can also get pockets that fasten to the harness at the top and then strap to your thigh lower down.

 

[beanojones]

Other than people say "you should dive a BP/W" is there a reason why you want to use gear that is less useful than what you have been diving?

Most people don't use BP/W, and don't for very good reasons.

It's important to note that there is a high correlation between getting experience between doing more diving and becoming a better diver. Better divers can rely less on gear setups to fix skill problems.

 

[gizmo1972]

smb goes behind (diverite express) in a pouch that attaches to the bottom of the plate you can get a pocket to slip on your waist strap i clip my reel on a base d ring (small 100ftline) very neat and clean

 

[rongoodman]

The shorts work well, and the Highland Neoprene Pocket Shorts have pockets big enough to be useful. The crotch strap on your BP/W will keep them from sagging.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Shoot me a PM with your email. The article I have sent to a number of people will cover all your questions.

While BPW's may not be as popular as other styles they are catching on. The majority of my BC sales are BPW's. By about 10 to 1. And that is because I take the time to explain them and I dive them so it's easy to dispell many of the myths surrounding them.

And make no mistake that mfg's have big hand in this as the margin on BPW's is often less than on other styles and it's pretty hard to junk one up with useless features and bling to justify 800 price tags like they do with jackets.

Many of the naysayers simply do not have the experience with them necessary to properly counsel someone on their use and benefits.

 

[chrpai]

Most people don't use BP/W, and don't for very good reasons.

With all seriousness, the only reason most people don't use BP/W is MOST LDS don't sell BP/W and MOST divers have never even heard of it.

 

[Nwcid]

Other than people say "you should dive a BP/W" is there a reason why you want to use gear that is less useful than what you have been diving?

Exactly what is less useful about a BP/W? From what I have seen and read the nice thing about a BP/W is that it can be set up exactly like you need it.

Most people don't use BP/W, and don't for very good reasons.

What reasons are those?

It's important to note that there is a high correlation between getting experience between doing more diving and becoming a better diver. Better divers can rely less on gear setups to fix skill problems.

Yes while I agree that training and experience is the best thing to make a person a better diver but not all tools do the job the same way in any situation. Sure you can use a crescent wrench to fit any size bolt but that does not make it the right tool.