Considerations around switching to a BP/W

[rombre]

I currently have ~ 40 dives (all in rented jacket BCDs) and am currently considering buying my first BCD. I've taken a liking to the new Scubapro Hydros Pro but all the praise in this forum has made me consider a BP/W as an alternative. I have read loads of threads on this topic but wanted to run my thoughts / remaining questions by you.

General diving profile:
- Currently almost only warm water in 3mm full wetsuit or shorty - all overseas (am a heavy guy, need quite a lot of lead: ~16-18lbs)
- Would like to take up some UK diving in the future (7mm and drysuit)
- No plans for dual tank / sidemount set-ups

Advantages I see for the Hydros Pro
+ No set-up / assembly required
+ More familiar than BP/W
+ Potentially more flexible without modifications (not considering tec diving; can be used in warm water with 3mm and cold water with 7mm / drysuit without swapping parts)
+ Overall likely cheaper than a good BP/W
+ Lighter compared to a BP/W with SS BP
+ Integrated weight pockets allow me to get rid of weight belts (which I rather dislike) on warm water dives

Advantages I see for the BP/W (less in quantity but arguably more important in quality)
+ Less clutter, more streamlined / better trim
+ Huge flexibility with swapping parts

Specifically on the BP/W:

Plate
Given I need quite a bit of lead, even in a 3mm, I understand that a SS BP would be highly preferable in my case and lead to better weight distribution and less required lead on a belt / pockets. Disadvantage obviously the additional weight as currently all my dives are overseas.

Wing
Is there a sweet spot that might work in my case for all 3 scenarios (3mm / 7mm / dry) also considering my relatively heavy weights. I.e. could a 30 lbs work for all that or would I have to look at buying 2 wings for that?

Harness
Hog seems the way to go there. Looks relatively uncomfortable (and harder to get into) to me, but I guess that's a wrong impression I might have there. It looks strange to me that per default there's neither:
- a chest strap (having a hard time imagining that just the shoulder straps properly keep it in place but I guess that's just because I'm used to jacket BCDs with loads of straps) nor
- a tank valve strap (always thought that would be important to keep the tank if it was sliding out, but no problem in reality?)

Weights
There seem to be very different opinions about weight pouches. Some apparently like it and others think nothing should be attached to the BP/W if not absolutely necessary and prefer weight belts.

Available brands at dive shops around London seem to generally be: Apeks, Custom Diver, Dive Rite, Finnsub, Halcyon, Hollis, I.S.T., Mares, Scubapro, WTX, X-Tek, xDeep.

Thanks so much for all the information - am looking forward to your opinions about by (rather uneducated) summary.

 

[divad]

Re Wing; one wing should work for 3mm, 7mm, Drysuit.

 

[rhwestfall]

Advantages I see for the Hydros Pro
+ No set-up / assembly required - if you can't thread a plate or adjust sliders.....
+ More familiar than BP/W - how is the BP/W different from the back-inflate you are considering buying
+ Potentially more flexible without modifications (not considering tec diving; can be used in warm water with 3mm and cold water with 7mm / drysuit without swapping parts) - ??? What parts do you think you will be swapping?
+ Overall likely cheaper than a good BP/W - that SP is >$800, so you can be significantly below that with a BP/W
+ Lighter compared to a BP/W with SS BP - at the expense of more lead...
+ Integrated weight pockets allow me to get rid of weight belts (which I rather dislike) on warm water dives - simple solution of pouches on the webbing if you prefer them, and XS pouches are like $12 each
+ Likely cheaper than a good quality BP/W um, nope...

 

[randpchi]

I think that a bp/w with one plate and a single wing will be considerably less than a Hydros but if you need more than one plate or wing it will be pretty close.
As the resident expert on this board has said you can find the bp/w for cold water and tropical diving next to the exposure protection for tropical and cold water.
I also do not like weight belts but with a w/o plate and weight on the cam band will leave much less on the belt.

Lot to think about.

 

[randpchi]

Correction. S/s plate

 

[ScubaInChicago]

Don't forget resale value...A poodle jacket is worse than a new car being driven off the lot but worse because it's sized to you. I would go for the SS BP and a 40lb wing. You might find that you'll shed even more weight because you're eliminating a lot of bulk (= buoyancy). The STA (single tank adapter) should have two cam bands which hold the tank very securely. Overall a properly set up rig will feel much more comfortable than you're giving it credit for.

You can also try holding out for a little while and trying to score a Halcyon rig here on SB at a slight discount, just make sure the webbing isn't cut...

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

A Hydros is around $800, and a fully outfitted quality BP/W is around $500.
The Hydros is fairly complex with all the joints and clips, bungees, straps, etc. The BP/W is extremely simple and is much more adjustable in regards to d-ring placement, etc. and they are modular.
The adjustment factor is a one time thing that is no big deal.
You choose.

 

[RyanT]

I dove a jacket style BC for about 25 years. When I returned to diving after a hiatus, I resisted the BP/W. I nearly had to be dragged kicking and screaming to it in fact. To me, those looked: uncomfortable, hard to get into, and didn't seem to offer much flexibility in terms of pockets, etc. I found out I was dead wrong on all accounts. I started with a "deluxe" harness with quick release straps and then moved to the Hog. harness. I found this simple rig to be more comfortable and easier to use than any jacket I ever dove. My SS plate and single tank adapter are about 8 lbs. For travel, I can easily pop a couple of weights onto my tank cam bands and be properly weighted. I won't ever go back.

 

[divad]

I just looked at a picture of the Hyrdos and am still feeling itchy, squeemish, and uncomfortable. It looks like someone dumped a can of dead eels on an orthopedic device and then said "Here,... here is your perfect BCD."

 

[randpchi]

I saw a Hydros in my lds last week and it looks pretty simple to me, just sayin'