Buying a tech BCD prematurely?

[realdiver7]

To the original poster of this thread....based on your future dive interests, and what I know and have personally experienced, if you choose a jacket or back inflate BCD, you will very likely change over to a BP/W at some point in time. If you start out with a BP/W from the beginning, you will probably never want to buy a jacket or back inflate BCD. This will save you a lot of money and headaches in the long run.

As for traveling, my Oxycheq Mach V Extreme 30 lb. wing rolls up to the size of a large towel, and the whole setup is much lighter and more compact than my old back inflate BCD. A BP/W is more streamlined, which reduces drag, requires less lead weight due to the lack of unnecessary padding (biggest selling point for me), is simple and minimalistic, adjustable, adaptable to various gear configurations, easy to maintain, versatile, easy to master trim and buoyancy control with, and a great first choice in my opinion.

There is a place for the jacket or back inflate BCD, but after owning many different setups, I prefer the BP/W hands down.

 

[Nick_W]

In a real emergency, you will likely also forget, then it will get hung on you, and then you will more likely as not drown.

It is easy to tell if someone has not yet had any problems with their crotch strap attached over their weight belt: they are still alive; they have simply not yet had to run the gamut; the Reaper is yet waiting for his chance.

And anyone trying to rescue you will certainly overlook this as well.

Well, the main reason I don't have any problems with this is I am yet to wear a weight belt. I'm a sinker, I rarely wear a wetsuit, and when I do, I just switch to my SS backplate and that's enough weight to get me down.

But if I did wear a weight belt, I can't imagine any situation I'd ever be in where if I didn't ditch my weight belt, I'd drown.

 

[RonFrank]

What I meant by being streamlined is not having the octopus and gauges dragging behind me. I know that I could clip both of those to my BC easily but it just seems that wearing your compass and computer on your wrist with the pressure gauge clipped to a d-ring seems like a good way to go.
I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with a BC I'm just saying that I think I'd like the BP/W setup.

So far I'm not sure WHY you want a BP/W setup because every time you answer, it's the wrong reason?

I wear my compass and computer on my wrist, regardless of what BC I'm diving. I have my SPG clipped to my left lower D-ring, again regardless of what BC I'm diving?

So why exactly after the number of dives you have done, and having never dove this setup, are you considering a BP/W?

Streamlining, and where you place gauges is NOT a reason, as you can do everything you want to with even a jacket BC even if I do NOT advocate that.

Wearing a weight belt, and having weights pressed into your kidneys on occasion on the surface is NOT comfortable! You really should dive this setup before you are convinced it's the end all of anything. Personally I find that my Zeagle is as streamlined, and dives as well as a BP/W for single tank AL80's IF I'm not wearing a lot of weigh.

 

[SussexMedic]

To the OP:

I guess you can count me as part of the crowd.

Last year, I was where you are now. I'd been diving a "Tech BC" for a couple of years and was using it with a long hose configuration. (long hose primary, bungee necklace, gauge on left hip, etc) I started diving alot on the NC wrecks, was slinging a pony and didn't find the BC stable enough. After a bunch of reading and a lot of e-mail's to Tobin, I settled on a DSS rig.
Three things really amazed me about the BP/W
1. My buoyancy control and trim improved on the very first dive due to weight distribution (I don't need any ditchable weight with SS Plate)
2. I ditched far more weight than I imagined. (It's amazing how positively buoyant all the padding is)
3. My BP/W packs much easier than my old BC since it can be disassembled for travel. It is about 5 pounds heavier though. I've flown to Mexico, FL Keys, Curacao, and Bonaire with this setup and have had no problems. (It amazing how great the plate fits in a carry-on backpack )

I don't think there's any reason I HAD to buy a BP/W but I glad I did.

BTW, anybody wanna buy a slightly used tech BC?

 

[StevenN]

Ronfrank says "You really should dive this setup before you are convinced it's the end all of anything." I didn't say that at all. what I said was "I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with a BC I'm just saying that I think I'd like the BP/W setup." I'm not sure why you would consider that the "Wrong Answer". I didn't say that I was rushing out to buy one today and I never said it was the "End all" of anything.
If you read the threads on Scubaboard you'll find that most of the people that have the BP/W swear by them.
I was basing my opinion on what I've heard from friends that dive them and from what I've read from this site.

 

[sleepapnea]

I started with a scubapro classic bcd and used it for 9 years before buying a bp/w. take note "buying" and not switching. I still use my old classic bcd. i dont do tech dives only recreational dives. as for the bp/w having better trim... as you gain more diving hours you will get your trim right be it a jacket type bcd or bp/w. you cannot however get that feeling of freedom that you get from using bp/w. nothing there but the harness. now why I still use my classic bcd is because its still one of the best out there and which provided me with lots of very rewarding dives. sooner or later you would want more than just 1 piece of gear be it bcd, regulator or fins or mask and use all of them for different dives. thats part of the fun, having a lot of equipment to choose from

so i say it doesn't matter. buy the jacket bcd or the bp/w. for sure it will not be your only one.

 

[vladimir]

I have found the crotch straps to be a hazard in ditching the weight belt, therefore I myself advocate attaching the crotch strap to the weight belt itself. This way, when you drop the weight belt, you drop the crotch strap as well at the same time.

I'm having a hard time visualizing this. With the diver in a vertical, head up postion, the crotch strap's function is to hold the BP/W down, right? So if it is attached to the weight belt, how is it attached to the BP? And if it is not attached to the BP, what function does it serve?

 

[The Horn]

The classic old debate,

What type of diving do you plan to do, or may do in the future and pick a BC that will get you on your way.

I had a jacket style and eventually blew a hole in it through age and use. Purchased a Zeagle Ranger and have about 100 dives on it. Recently got a great deal on an Apeks WTX single tank set up BP/W. Now I have purchased another BP to move the wing of the Zeagle onto and my wife can use the Apeks or the kids when they get a bit bigger.

BP is just way to comfortable. All things compared the Zeagle is great but the BP/W out performs it, hence the switch to the BP for the Ranger wing.

FYI I don't use the pockets for anything, never have. I also dive drysuit and have pockets where they are easier to access.

For versitility the BP/W is the way to go.

If I was only doing travel dives once or twice a year I would hesitate to own any gear other than mask and fins.

 

[SeaHound]

If I was only doing travel dives once or twice a year I would hesitate to own any gear other than mask and fins.

That is my situation in fact. I live in DC area so the only dives I do are travel dives. Sometimes you can get a good rental BC but sometimes you get stuck with crap so I thought Id get my own. Then I thought since I would be putting in a few hundred dollars why not put them once and get something that would last through all my diving ambitions? Thats how this thread started

I do understand what you are saying.

btw: Other than the fact that you can change bladders, what is the difference between a back inflate bc and wing? Isnt a back inflate bc a wing with a fixed harness that cant be removed? How would BP Wing give a better profile / more trim etc?

 

[divingtigger]

I bought a Zeagle Tech pac a couple years ago and it was great at the time, however I no longer dive as much as I would like and find it rather cumbersome and would rather have a jacket style. I went diving while in Mexico and had a problem with the back inflate while at the surface, I found that the BCD was trying to push my face into the water and I had to fight it a lot, more so in the Cenotes and not so much in the ocean. But I think for the time being until I get back to diving more a jacket makes more sense for me. Just something to keep in mind