Starboard Tack:
Typically made by Halcyon, DiveRite, and a few other folks.
The most expensive ones may be, but other manufacturers sell them for less than half as much for what is essentially the same thing. DSS and Hammerhead are better places to look IMHO.
Starboard Tack:
Instead of a BC that you are used to when you start diving, with this assembly, you can bolt your tank or tanks to the plate with bands that fit the tank itself instead of tightening a strap to the tank.
That's true if diving doubled tanks, but with a single tank, it uses cam straps just like any other BC.
Starboard Tack:
Advantage of the BP/W is that it is custom fit by the webbing that makes up the harness. You simply tighten it or loosen it to fit. The downside is that it takes a while to set up and get into each time you dive. Faster with practice, but still a pain.
The custom fit is an advantage, but it's easy to set up if you know how, and you actually only have to do it once. When you want to dive, just put it on. It's already been set up right since the first time you set it. As for the difficulty of putting them on, it's a simple matter of putting each arm through a shoulder strap and cinching a waist belt. It takes me about 15 seconds to get mine on. If you have trouble putting on a backpack, it may not be a good option for you.
bgi:
While I don't consider removing a wing to be "convenient," or stuffing a plate with the rest of my gear into a roll-aboard "convenient", some people may. My carry-on bag easily hold all my dive gear, fins and lights included. A plate won't fit.
Spoken like someone who's never tried one. My wing comes off easily in a matter of seconds by loosening two butterfly thumb screws. The plate sits flat at the bottom of my bag, and takes up almost no space. If you packed one of those instead of a conventional BC, I think you'd be suprised at the space you have left. With two sets of gear now fitting in a bag that used to be full with one diver's stuff, my wife and I haven't had any problem with our dive bag not making the airline weight limits.
All that aside, I also recommend avoiding "entry level" gear in favor of something you'll be happy with for years to come. Try a backplate, or don't, but don't get suckered out of you hard earned money for something they're all but telling you you'll have to replace. Entry level stuff, by definition, probably isn't what you'll want for intermediate use.
