BP/W use dependent on level of diving expertise????? Help.

[Warren_L]

You also need to account for buoyancy loss due to exposure suit compression at depth, especially non-compensatable loss (i.e. wetuit). With a drysuit, it's not as bad since you can add some air, but with a wetsuit, as you get deep enough, it will lose a lot of buoyancy.

 

[Warren_L]

.......

 

[herman]

Another question comes to mind.
Are you sure you are getting ALL of the air out of your BC when doing buoyancy checks? It's not uncommon for divers to not completely vent their BC. If you are not, then it would "appear" that you need more weight than you do, you would add more than you need and when on the surface you would have trouble keeping afloat. As for wetsuits, at depth is where you would have trouble with insufficient BC lift.

As for BPs, I have tried one and found they were of no real benefit for my type of diving. They are good BC's and if I were doing tech diving them I would use one but when I tried one, I found it a pain to adjust and never did get it to where it was very comfortable above water. I found no real difference below water as compaired to my back inflate BC that is properly trimed.

 

[simbrooks]

If you are diving CA and also a travelling diver the BP/W does pack down more than most "padded" BC's. However i would say that you could probably get away with a 27-40# single tank wing for CA diving that would be a tiny bit much for tropical diving (where some use 18-20# wings i have heard), but not unreasonable. I know i will take my 34# wing to the tropics when i can - that it isnt tropical here in FL of course The same wing worked with my 5mm, hood and gloves in CA, so i am sure you can make it work too with that kind of lift.

You have seen some suggestions as to why a BP/W is a reasonable choice, but of course it is one you have to make for yourself compared to what else is on offer. Almost any brand will do you fine as long as it has a single tank wing. I enjoy mine, i started diving it at dive #20 or so after renting cheap jacket BC's and have not been unhappy with it. I do also intend to go onto more technical diving and so i have another incentive i guess, but i have used it for 60 rec dives so far and only 20 or so in caverns.

I would wonder if you are still diving a little on the higher side of your average lung volume, ie you retain more air than giving a full breath out. I know that some newer divers can do this, myself included, as you get more comfortable you relax more and breathing becomes more natural and you drop another few #'s. Losing some extra padding off the BC might also drop you another couple of #'s, who knows, but i would bet over time you will drop more weight. However i only do this on shore dives as i dont want to be boat diving and come up light, but of course your shores are a lot steeper than the FL ones, so you might still be quite deep if you went for a direct ascent from depth (as i am thinking when boat diving) rather than following a flatter contour in like we can here. I am rambling again....

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Hee hee. Haa. Waah haaa haaaaa!!!

That's a joke. I can't imagine how something that is more simple than most BCs could be 'too advanced'.

There's no reason not to get one, and absolutley no reason to get a 'halfway' BC that you're just going to sell later. MIght as well go ahead and get it right and save some money too.

 

[CALI68]

Read the post by "Coolhardware" again. Post #24

My opinion, buy the Halcyon Eclipse fully loaded and call it a day. Adjust it, post some questions adjust it again, dive it a couple times, adjust it, then, when you have it dialed in, post a thread about how much you love it. Overkill is not only a misnomer is plain wrong. Over kill is a BC with extra pockets and gadgets and zippers and clips and pulls and chords and straps and velcro and padding and all that garbage!

A BP is underkill: A single continuous loop of Webbing, A Wing and a Backplate. That's it, some screws, D -rings, an inflator (a very cool inflator BYW) and a crotch strap.
Stabiltiy, Simplicity, Comfort, Streamline, and dead on vertical position at the surface. Whoever told you were going to be face down lied. The fact that you'll drop another 6-8 lbs (at leas)t only adds to it.

It's very easy to knock a backplate if you haven't dove one. It's even easier to knock a BC if you HAVE dove a backplate. You DO NOT have to be a technical diver to buy or use one. Period.

Plus, they are very cool looking.

Some may disagree and that's the beauty of this web site.

 

[Potapko]

Read the post by "Coolhardware" again. Post #24

Stabiltiy, Simplicity, Comfort, Streamline, and dead on horizontal position at the surface. Whoever told you were going to be face down lied.

We got your meaning but I think you were 90° off

 

[lamont]

Whoever told you were going to be face down lied.

imo, not entirely true. but if you're face-down, then you're probably going to be having trim issues and aren't going to be horizontal when you're underwater. if you get some steel tanks or trim weights on your tanks that'll pull you backwards at the surface.

 

[mleong]

Get the bp/wing. In my opinion, it is the single most easiest bc ever to use for a beginner.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Having any back-inflate BCD (backplate or otherwise) pulling you face-down can be attributable to either improper trim or improper technique. Like any new piece of gear it can take a few dives to make the subtle adjustments necessary to use it properly.

A couple months agoI got a BP/harness/wing setup for my SEU ... she's been diving a Seaquest Diva since she got OW certified. She was skeptical, since she had never had any issues with the Diva ... and in fact, told me she liked it and really didn't think she needed anything else.

It took her a couple of dives to make the adjustments from the jacket-style inflation, but after about six dives she told me it was really a lot easier diving with the backplate, and asked me to sell her Diva.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)