BP/Wing as your first BC?

[robertarak]

Everyone is right! A first for ScubaBoard perhaps.
Is it ok to train in a bp/w? Yes it is..I did! I knew I was going to be in a bp/w eventually, so why not learn in it. I found a shop to trian (OW) with that would let me. Not only did they let me, but they had rental bp/w and the instructors all wore bp/w. How cool! (Hollywood Divers, CA rocks!) My girlfriend trained in AZ at SC. They didn't really know what a bp/w was, so she trained in a jacket style bc. Her first post OW dives were with me while I was doing my OW. Hollywood Divers let her tag along with us and we rented a bp/w for her. She has not put on a jacket style bc since. So, is it ok, to train in a jacket, then switch later? YES. She loves here bp/w and I love mine.
As far as weights, she dives a DSS bp/w with XS Scuba weight pockets. I dive a DSS bp/w (great products and people at DSS) with Halycon ACB12 weight pockets. Both of these pockets are "weight intergrated". Let's be honest. It dose not matter who attaches the weight pockets, the manufacturer or the user. The fact is, no external weight belt is used. The weights are attached the bc, therefore intergrated. Almost all bp/w use 2" webbing for the harness and almost all weight pockets are designed for...2" webbing. So you can mix and match as you like.
So there you have it. In my humble opinion at least.

Robert

 

[NancyLynn]

You are only the second person I have ever run across that didn't like a bp/w once they tried it.

Now this is good advice. Yes, try them all WITH somebody that knows them. This way they can help with things like adjustments and proper use.

Good advice - I've been trying, but haven't found a practical way to accomplish this.

So far I'm renting - and no dive shop I've found (in the five 5 states and three countries I've tried) rents anything other than a standard jacket. My local dive shop carries only a few brands. While the owner will get whatever I want to buy, getting something to try in the water without committing to buying it is a bit more of a challenge. No one in the club I belong to uses anything other than a standard jacket, and when I travel (most of my diving) I take pot luck for a buddy. I've decided that's a risk I'm willing to take, but I don't want to add the risk of - borrowing the equipment from said unknown buddy (with unknown maintenance history - even if they were willing to let me use their stuff - and even if it were back inflate or BPw/wings (which it hasn't been, so far)).

Any suggestions as to how to implement this good advice?

 

[Bob]

Bob,

It is a fancy way to decribe a weight pocket. Personally, I never quite understood what "Active Contol Ballast" means when it is a weight pocket. In basic terms, it is a weight pocket with a ditchable feature that connects to a harness.

Originally, intergrated weight pockets were introduced by the BC mfgs when they put weight pockets onto the BCs in order to eliminate a weight belt. They were permanently mounted (sewn) into the BC.

Hogarthian harnesses do not have integrated weight pockets, you add pockets to them to it. Just as you can add them to adjustable harnesses.

If you or Halcyon elect to call that a weight integrated pocket, then my statement would be ALL other wing manufacturers that I know of have weight integrated pockets.

They are integrated into the harness or system once you put them on, but the historical definition of weight integrated pockets was something that was already and permanently attached to the BC or Harness.

My entire point is that adding a pocket to a harness is not something unique to one wing manufacturer. They all have them.

Best regards,

Patrick
OxyCheq
---
http//oxycheq.com

Patrick,
Like I said, opinions are like elbows... I never said Halcyon was the only BP/W manufacturer to have weight pockets avaible to purchase did I? Regardless of what you or I think, Halcyon refers to their weight pockets as integrated when in place on the MC system. I've been diving for 37 years now and I'm well aware of the history of the evolution of weights and weighting systems as pertaining to diving. I personally have no problem with Halcyon's terminology, it's a non issue with me. almtree: Bob

 

[peraevum]

Should I start with a BP/wing? I've seen many posts concerning the bp/wing config, but is it okay to start with one? I would rather buy online, b/c the 2 shops i visited in my area are either too heavy on looking to sell, or not concerned. Please advise.

Johm,

After getting certified, I did some research online and got a bp/w rig. Like others have said on this thread, it is perfectly fine to start with one and will leave you with more diving options in the future (i.e. cold water diving, tech diving). You said you were thinking of purchasing one online. One thing to keep in mind is that the harness won't be fitted for your size once you get it. Sometimes it doesn't even come put together, so you will need to read up on configuring it. I also got mine online, and it came way too loose for me. If you go into the water with a bp/w that does not fit you right, you'll likely struggle and flop around (like I did when I tried mine for the first time). Once I dialed in the fit and configuration, a bp/w felt better than the jacket-style BCs that I was using during my certification dives. Good luck and make sure your bp/w fits perfectly!

 

[Patrick]

Patrick,
Like I said, opinions are like elbows... I never said Halcyon was the only BP/W manufacturer to have weight pockets avaible to purchase did I? Regardless of what you or I think, Halcyon refers to their weight pockets as integrated when in place on the MC system. I've been diving for 37 years now and I'm well aware of the history of the evolution of weights and weighting systems as pertaining to diving. I personally have no problem with Halcyon's terminology, it's a non issue with me. almtree: Bob

Bob,

I was not stating opinion, it was fact.

I read your post as though the weight pockets were something that other BC or wing mafgs do not have. Since most BC and wing mfgs have weight pockets, it did not seem worth mentioning unless you thought it was quite unique.

Best regards,

Patrick
OxyCheq
---
http://oxycheq.com

 

[johm77]

Thanks for all the replies! I think I'll try one out before actually buying blind online.

 

[Bob]

Bob,

I was not stating opinion, it was fact.

I read your post as though the weight pockets were something that other BC or wing mafgs do not have. Since most BC and wing mfgs have weight pockets, it did not seem worth mentioning unless you thought it was quite unique.

Best regards,

Patrick
OxyCheq
---
http://oxycheq.com

You thought I was saying that intergrated weight pockets were unique to Halcyon? Come on Patrick, that's a stretch. It's not a fact that I think that or that I said that. That's an assumption on your part. In the pool I teach in a Glide Plus. BTW, I wouldn't be suprised if the Glide weight pockets weren't the inspiration for the Halcyon pockets. There're very similar. I assume you are an employee of Oxycheq? If you are, you should state it here and in your profile. For the record I'm not associated with any scuba manafacturer. almtree: Bob

 

[D_B]

... looks pretty plain to me .. you missed his link to OxyCheck and and his Sig & Av

 

[Bob]

... looks pretty plain to me .. you missed his link to OxyCheck and and his Sig & Av

I didn't miss either... almree: Bob

 

[Bob]

... looks pretty plain to me .. you missed his link to OxyCheck and and his Sig & Av

I didn't miss either... almtree: Bob