Finally got the chance to try a BP/Wings

[deepdiverbc]

I did one of my open water cert dives near Anacortes. All I remember about the dive was that wet suits are cold after two dives and I found a Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker. If Halcyon or Oxycheq give an equipment demo in the Seattle area I will be coming down there to check them out.

The extra fixed weight possible with the BP&W by using heavy plates, STA's and P-Weights are a big reason why I am leaning towards a BP&W. Now I just have to figure out how to pour my own P-Weight without ending up in the emergency or burning my house down.

I think the designers at Scuba Pro among many others have forgotten about us cold water divers and only design gear for warm water. I am tired of having to dangle extra weight off of my tank bands.

I don't have any experience diving with a DUI weight harness but it is an interesting idea. My thoughts on it are that allows for safe removal of your rig at depth but the possibility of the oversized pull rings getting snagged on something and releasing the weight makes me nervous. Also I am not sure that when in a horizontal position the DUI harness would feel any different than a weight belt. Without a back plate of plastic or steel I think that the weight would still be distributed accross the small of your back with very little weight being carried by the shoulder straps.

For a diver that need more than 30 pounds of ballast but does not want more than 20 lbs to be ditchable and without having to dangling extra weight off of the tank or cam bands I don't see many options other than a BP&W.

 

[Dive_Girl PNW]

I hear you deepdiverbc about ending up the emergency room when dealing with molten lead weight! Firs time that method was shown to me on a BP&W rig, the guy explained his Dad worked with metal and such and actually helped him bend out his tank/weight frame and then poured it. I told him I was keeping his number in case I want to go that route so I could contract his Dad to do mine too!

As for the W&T the system, as with any gear it works for some and not for others. Although I don't dive one personally, I taught a rescue class recently where all the students were in W&T systems and I made them release their weights so they could find out how easy/hard it was to do so. It wasn't so easy that weights would be pulled out without knowing it, but it wasn't fun for them to lace their systems back up afterwards! I also found the weight pouches are actually further away from the stomach than one would imagine; thus the quick release rings are also further back, reducing the snag factor.

I am almost certain that a W&T is not DIR acceptable, if you dive that method. If you don't and knowing how hard it is to find solid weight integrated BCs for cold water divers, maybe further research with your LDS and see what their opinions are would be a suggestion. Good luck!